Midland’s manufacturer diversifies into renewable energy sector

The turnaround at Weston Body Hardware (WBH) in Redditch is even more remarkable as its entire 60 strong workforce has retrained over the past 20 months to meet the demands of new opportunities. While continuing to design and manufacture access control systems, WBH – part of the Metalrax Group – has expanded into the renewable energy sector, securing a major contract from Evance to make wind turbine assemblies for the Evance Iskra R9000, a small wind turbine designed to capture more energy at lower wind speeds. Chief executive Roy Sims explained: "We contacted Evance and impressed them with our light mechanical assembly skills and how, through our robust and diversified supply chain, we could source and assemble parts of the wind turbine system. A key element in winning the business was demonstrating how we could achieve substantial cost savings and deliver the product into the marketplace far quicker than previously." The Evance Iskra R9000 model is helping schools, farms, businesses and homes around the world to become independent green energy producers, and to reduce their bills. WBH's success in diversifying during the recession has been recognised by a national awards programme launched earlier this year by the EEF, the manufacturers' organisation. The EEF Future Manufacturing Awards 2009 were created to reward enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among the UK's 130,000 manufacturing businesses. The Midlands' regional awards – staged at the National Space Centre in Leicester last November – saw WBH become a regional runner-up in the Westfield Heath Skills Award category and also receive a Highly Commended in the British Gas Climate Change Opportunity section.