A&M was set up by Arthur Watts and Mark Wingfield in rented space with one wire eroder in October 2002. In October 2022, the award-winning business now owns two factories close to each other, with 76 employees and record sales of £7m in the year to September 2022.
The Black Country Economic Intelligence Unit has produced an independent report on A&M’s economic impact over 20 years. This report provides a detailed analysis of the growth of A&M as a manufacturing SME and its impact as a local “anchor organisation” creating long term jobs and relationships with customers and suppliers.
Professor Delma Dwight, director of Black Country Economic Intelligence Unit said: “Manufacturing is a critically important industry in the Black Country and West Midlands, providing high levels of good employment and added value to the economy.
As this impact report shows, A&M EDM is a great example of the entrepreneurship, growth and resilience of manufacturing, ready to take on the challenges and opportunities of the future. Over 20 years, the company has driven strong economic value as well as cultivating a committed, skilled workforce at the heart of the local community. A&M EDM truly is a leading light of manufacturing in the West Midlands, particularly highlighting the excellence of the region’s many SME, supply chain firms.”
The report highlights A&M’s economic growth:
- £5 million Gross Value Added (GVA) in the latest year and up to £50 million over 20 years
- Employing 176 people over 20 years - including 76 local people currently and developing many into skilled engineers
- Developing the potential of young local people through a dedicated apprenticeship programme - 13 in total and 4 current apprenticeships with Dudley College
- Supporting the local supply chain by selling products to almost 400 West Midlands customers and spending £5.4m with regional suppliers since 2011
- Achieving 8% annual average growth rate in jobs over the last 10 years, a positive contrast to manufacturing’s national trajectory
- Current year sales of £7 million, a growth of 1300% in two decades
- Expanding to drive growth, in particular purchasing and equipping a second factory in 2014-15, using public grant support
- Continually investing in innovation and R&D, including £10m spent on capital expenditure and £4m via R&D tax credits since 2010
- In 20 years, A&M has used 750,000 miles of EDM brass wire, equivalent to three journeys to the moon
Mark Wingfield, managing director of A&M EDM said: “In 2002 our ambition was to become a sustainable sub-contractor offering EDM (electronic discharge machining) services to West Midlands manufacturing. The reduction of the Midlands toolmaking and automotive industries created opportunities to grow the business into other sectors such as aerospace.
My advice to anyone starting today is to find ways to add value to every customer and continuously reinvest in equipment and developing apprentices and employee skills.”
