Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) is a real Telford success story.
Over 35 years of trading the company has developed into a market-leading manufacturer of access covers and steel products for the water, energy and security sectors and prides itself on responding to demand with precision and speed.
Its products are now used across the world and the company has developed a strong reputation for the quality of its products, its commitment to sustainability and its desire to develop its own staff to fulfil their full potential.
The company has enjoyed a long relationship with the Marches Growth Hub and Invest Telford team stretching back a number of years.
Fabweld worked with the team to secure £22,000 grant support from the Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP) to buy an electric forklift truck and £40,000 from the Business Growth Programme 2 (BGP) to help fund a nitrogen generation system which will be powered by solar PV.
It was also awarded £30,000 of Business Growth Programme funding to help it improve its production processes in 2018, and secured more than £8,000 from Telford & Wrekin’s Climate Change Fund to enable EV charging points to be fitted at its Madeley factory at the end of last year.
More recently, Fabweld has been supported via Invest Telford’s Business Advice Service, which organised a programme of work for the company with Kevin Dawson at Involved Social Impact Projects who helped develop a Net Zero Roadmap to include in a King’s Awards application.
The roadmap highlights key milestones in their Net Zero journey, such as the installation of solar panels, the new nitrogen generator and the installation of the double-fast EV charger.
Other highlights include obtaining ISO 14001 certification in 2016, implementing LED lighting in 2018, and the introduction of Carbon Footprint Account Reporting (CFAR) in 2019.
The roadmap also plots further progress over the coming years – including plans to install more solar panels this year – as the company aims to halve emissions by 2030 and become net zero by 2050.
The relationship with the Marches Growth Hub and Invest Telford has been hugely positive for Fabweld.
The installation of solar panels – with more expected this year – has helped make significant inroads into the company’s Net Zero ambitions, supplying over half of the factory’s electricity needs every year.
The company has also installed efficient LED lighting in place of the previous fluorescent strips and installed more efficient heating, air conditioning and compressed air systems.
Indeed, the company has been able to reduce its energy use by 50 per cent as a result of the sustainability drive and the support and help it has received from the Telford hub.
A major feature is the new nitrogen generation system and compressor powered predominantly from solar which has ended the need to “buy-in” nitrogen up to three times a week to fuel the precision laser cutting of steel. Generating the nitrogen on site also reduces the carbon footprint of transporting it to the factory by road.
The EV chargers have been made available to the public for use out of office hours and the electric forklift truck is charged solely using PV power.
The process of developing the King’s Award and working with Involved Social Impact Projects has also led to lasting benefits for Fabweld.
The company has adopted new technologies as a result of the work and seen an uplift in productivity.
Kevin Dawson said: “Our collaboration extended beyond the Net Zero Roadmap, as we worked closely with Fabweld to support their journey toward the prestigious Kings Gold Award.
“Our dedicated team provided an additional 25 hours of support, ensuring that Fabweld had all the resources and guidance needed to excel in their application. This collaboration continued until December 2023, reflecting our shared dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices.
“In addition to assisting with the Net Zero Roadmap, we assisted with writing and answering questions from the Kings Gold Award application and guided the senior management team on content.”
Wayne Carter, managing director of Fabweld, said the company would continue to work closely with the Telford growth hub and Invest Telford as it continued to grow and work towards reaching Net Zero.
“The Marches Growth Hub and Invest Telford have been excellent partners to Fabweld over the years. We’ve benefitted from a range of funding – including more than £8,000 from Telford & Wrekin’s Climate Change Fund to enable the EV charges to be fitted at the end of last year – as well as being able to tap into the fantastic business advice and support that the hub has offered.
“We will certainly continue to work with the team at Telford as we move forward and are extremely grateful for all the help and support we have received to date. I would urge any company to contact the Marches Growth Hub to see what funding and advice they could benefit from.”
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