26 | Aycliffe Today Business
John and Julie Finley with Shepherd Construction’s
regional managing director Andrew Constantine on the
Hitachi site in Newton Aycliffe.
STEEL FIRM ON COURSE TO SMASH RECORD
TURNOVER AFTER STRONG SIX MONTHS
The family steel firm which is
helping to bring train-building
back to the North-East is on
course to smash its record
turnover after celebrating a
string of multi-million pound
contract wins.
Finley Structures, based on Aycliffe Business
Park in County Durham, is currently working
on a 2,000-tonne project to fabricate and erect
the steel for Hitachi Rail Europe’s £82m trainbuilding factory in Newton Aycliffe for main
contractors Shepherd Construction.
Finley has also recently completed a
1,400-tonne project for Nissan, constructing the
steel frame for the Japanese car manufacturer’s
new facility in Washington, and is currently
working on a 300-tonne contract for the
National Biologics Centre in Darlington for
contractors Interserve.
In addition, Finley has just started work on
Middlesbrough Council’s state-of-the-art Sports
Village, erecting 500 tonnes of steel for main
contractor Willmott Dixon.
And the Aycliffe company has now won a
500-tonne contract for Bam Construction at
Teesside University, due to start in September,
as well as a 1,900-tonne project for Sir Robert
McAlpine at the £650m Victoria Gate retail
development in Leeds, which is planned to open
in late 2016.
At the same time, Finley is working on
several projects simultaneously for Shepherd
Construction as well as two 280-tonne projects
for the Poniel Warehouses in South Lanarkshire,
Scotland, for Muir Construction.
A panoramic view of the Hitachi Rail Europe facility which Finley Structures
is helping to construct.
It represents a strong first half year for the
company, with orders in the current financial
year, beginning in April, currently totalling
£13.8m, meaning it’s already on course to
smash its current record turnover of £13.1m.
The firm’s managing director Julie Finley
said: “We’re currently working on six major
contracts, with more than 2,000 tonnes of
steel going through our factory over the next 10
weeks, which demonstrates our capabilities to
take on and deliver multiple, complex projects.
“Significant investments have also been made
recently and now we’re looking to make the
next step and keep investing to ensure we’re
always improving and increasing capacity.
“As we are trying to be more efficient rather
than just chasing turnover, we are currently
introducing a more efficient method within the
paint area by introducing dual pumping for the
painting of the steelwork.
“Bolstering the management team and
investing in new kit is all geared towards
increasing the firm’s production and capacity to
be able to take on more.
”
Finley’s currently have between 180 and 200
tonnes of steel going through the factory every
week but the ambition is to get that up to
around the 300-tonne mark.
Founded by John Finley in 2000, Finley
Structures has increased its workforce in the
last year to cope with a strong order book,
up to 60 full-time employees, while its sister
company, SCH Site Services, currently employs
34 people, making a total of 94 staff combined.
They are now looking to take on extra platers
and welders in the coming weeks and months
to help their buoyant shop floor deal with the
extra work along with the implementation of
new ideas.