TPT March 2015

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Industry News
10 March 2015
Westermans wins international
development award
A UK company which sells welding
equipment has reported 125 per cent
growth over five years after investing in
the business.
Westermans International, based
in Groby, Leicestershire, has grown
as a result of expanding its product
range, increasing its budget for UK and
international online marketing by 30 per
cent and adding storage facilities to its
site.
The family business, which employs
15 people, has seen turnover grow
from £1.1mn to £2.5mn since 2009.
Customers include Rolls-Royce, JCB,
welding specialist Arc Energy Resources
and Danest Engineering, in Ghana.
Claire Spillane, financial director at
the firm founded by her father Peter,
said: “With many years of expertise
to call upon and great employees, we
are delighted with how the company
has expanded during these difficult
economic times.
“We have always adapted to the
changes in technology, keeping us
ahead of our competitors. Taking a
decision in 2009 to increase online
advertising budget enabled us to reach
new global customers. To continue the
growth we desperately needed more
storage and wanted to improve the
working conditions for the staff, and
earlier this year we finally moved to a
new facility with modern offices and
workshops in Groby. With the same
commitment and additional staff and
storage, we will continue expanding our
business in the UK and overseas.”
Westermans has developed over the
years into a prosperous international
business. It was recently announced
as the winner of the International
Development Award at the first Midlands
Family Business Awards in Nottingham.
Ms Spillane said: “I am so pleased for
my father to have received recognition
for his hard work.”
For more than 50 years Westermans
has supplied welding equipment to the
UK, and since the 1990s has ventured
into the export market of supplying
used and refurbished welding and
cutting equipment.
As winner of the international
development category the judges
identified that over the decades the firm
was able to adapt faster and innovate
earlier, quickly seizing opportunities,
with third generation family values
in place creating a positive business
culture upon which long-term
sustainable growth can be built.
Westerman’s presentation showed
its ability to further professionalise its
business and to continually keep pace
with technological change enabling it to
keep ahead of the competition.
Westermans also knows that its
customers around the world are the
key to its success. Over the years,
many have become firm friends and
they value these relationships greatly.
Claire Spillane said: “Trust between
two companies is paramount especially
as the majority of the time we never
even meet them face to face.”
Founder and managing director Peter
Westerman said: “I am so delighted
to have received the winner of the
International Development Award 2014.
This is our first award ever in the history
of the company. Our trustworthiness
and honesty is communicated to all
of our global customers, the evidence
is shown in the steady growth of our
business over the last decade or so.”
Westermans International – UK
Fax: +44 116 2696942
Email:
Website:
Davi receives repeat order
DAVI has received a further order
from a customer who had previously
purchased a Davi angle roll to bend
HEA 200 beams for the mining industry.
The customer had gained an important
contract for infrastructure construction,
and needed to increase capacity to HEA
450.
“We are very pleased with the Davi
machine,” said the general manager
of the company, “as it has shown very
good qualities in rolling and always
operated satisfactorily. Davi gave us
good feedback and excellent response
both for technical advice before buying
and technical support for start-up,
training and service. Therefore, we had
no doubt in investing again in a Davi
angle roll.”
Davi – Promau Group – Italy
Fax: +39 0547 317850
Email:
Website:
Claire Spillane and her father Peter Westerman
collecting the award