86 | Tees Business
Keen focus - Sharon Lane has
helped Tees Components expand
through diversification.
RISE OF THE
MACHINISTS
TEES
COMPONENTS
EMBRACES NEW
TECHNOLOGIES
AND EMERGING
MARKETS
T
ees Components may be more than
half a century old, but it is a firm
that has a strong track record of
embracing new technologies and
diversifying into new sectors.
Its focus on moving with the times has
led it to becoming one of the country’s
most comprehensive and versatile heavy
machinists, operating more than 20 CNC
machines producing precision parts 24
hours a day at its East Cleveland plant.
Another two key elements of its
continuing success are making regular
substantial investments in new plant and
machinery, to capitalise on emerging
new markets, and helping train the next
generation of skilled engineers.
The firm, based at North Skelton, near
Saltburn, used to be heavily reliant on
traditional sectors, such as oil and gas, but
the margins in these arenas were getting
tight.
However, thanks to the vision and
determination of managing director Sharon
Lane, the business has been steered into
new markets. As a result, it has stronger,
long-term accounts and new clients in areas
such as renewables, marine and defence.
Sharon, who is the current Tees Valley
Business Executive of the Year, said: “What
sets us apart from our competitors is our
skills level, our ability to deal with complex
one-off projects, which sometimes have
a high degree of risk, and our capability
of producing components to very high
tolerances.
“We also heavily invest in machine tools
and measurement equipment to enable
us to carry out very precise projects
that dovetail with our clients’ exacting
specifications.”
Projects to install new large CNC machine
tools over the last five years have each cost
between £500,000 and £2m, and a recent
addition to the measurement equipment
portfolio was a £50,000 portable coordinate
measuring arm (PCMM). The new Faro
Quantum S4.0m 6-axis arm, the largest
and most accurate model available, further
enables the firm to verify the precision of its
machined parts.
A prime example of the firm’s ability
to diversify and move into lucrative new
markets is its development of the Tees
White Gill thrusters, fitted to a variety
of ocean-going vessels, including arctic