Fortunes set to rise for pressworker HT Brigham

The Coleshill, West Midlands-based firm reports that its design engineers have been hard at work this year, in particular, working for eight months to develop a cost-effective replacement to a troublesome casting for a client in North America. The resulting deep-drawn pressing will be introduced onto a leading North American OEM's automotive platform during 2012, generating revenues for H T Brigham in the region of £1.5 million, in its first year of production. With other development projects reaching completion, including an own-brand medical device and a cutting edge high tolerance precision pressing for the new technologies market, firm foundations have been placed during 2011 for a lucrative 2012 and beyond, the company believes. This year has also seen the company investing heavily in order to secure its future growth, with the arrival in October of a Chin Fong straight-side double-crank power press of 400 ton capacity (pictured). The press was manufactured to H T Brigham's specification in Taiwan by Chin Fong, one of the largest power press manufacturers in the world, although the sale was secured through Stourbridge-based Worcester Presses. The new machine will support the company's continued growth and expansion into new product areas and market sectors by supporting larger and heavier presswork. HT Brigham has, in fact, already secured not one, but two lucrative long-term contracts for brand new projects with existing customers. In addition to project work and this investment, the company has also placed every member of staff on an extensive City & Guilds 'Business Improvement Techniques' programme to encourage lean working processes companywide. "With these practices now being implemented and maintained within each department, efficiency, within what the company had already considered to be a pretty tight ship, can only be increased further," says Barry Smith, managing director.