Ace Forming has enjoyed a strong start to 2017 after securing new contracts to supply busbars for automotive and a range of innovative parts for the medical sector.
It is looking to capitalise on the growth by appointing engineer David Merchant to the senior management team and acquiring a new wiring machine and bead blaster to support an increase in prototyping and low volume production.
The business, which was originally set up to produce parts for sister company Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE) in Telford, is now on course to increase turnover to £750,000 this year, followed by £1 million by the end of 2019.
Ace Forming, which employs eight people on the Pensnett Trading Estate, can work in all types of metal and exotic alloy and manufactures parts from 0.01 mm to 6 mm thick in volumes from as small as 1 offs to batches of 10,000 components.
Says Merchant: “This is a fantastic time to be joining ACE Forming and I’m keen to use my experience to help drive new sales, introduce new processes and look at how we can take our reputation for solving complex manufacturing issues into new markets.
“We have a lot of capabilities at our factory in Kingswinford, including our own toolroom, CNC machining and turning, miniature spot welding, mechanical assembly, soldering and a dedicated wire looming facility. I’ve also got a wishlist of new equipment I’m looking to introduce over the course of the next 12 months.”
Ian Whateley, managing director of ACE, adds: “David Merchant is a fantastic addition to the Ace Forming business and brings with him significant experience in tooling, production, sales and design.
“There’s real potential in marrying our different capabilities even closer together and we are currently seeing the busiest quoting period in both of our histories. This is hopefully a sign of things to come.”
