The Medium Girder Bridge in disater relief action

Strong year continues for WFEL following double deal

17 June 2009
WFEL, the Stockport based defence engineering group, has secured two new orders with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the U.S Department of Defense.

The business, based in Heaton Chapel, has been awarded a £2 million contract to supply the MoD with a new 31m Medium Girder Bridge (MGB) and other support services.

The MGB is part of WFEL's suite of bridges, which are used by armed forces in conflict zones and areas struck by natural disasters. Since the first version was launched in 1971 more than 500 units have been sold to over 38 armed forces across the world.

In the second deal, the firm's support services division has won a $3 million contract from the U.S Department of Defense to refurbish WFEL built MGBs and M-18 Dry Support Bridges (DSB) returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The two latest orders have rounded off a highly successful first six months of 2009 for the company following confirmation of an £18 million contract to supply eight DSBs to the U.S in April.

In the last financial year, WFEL grew turnover to £29.6m (2007: £27.8) and is targeting £39.1m over the 12 months to 31 December 2009.

The business is a prime contractor to the MoD, which was the first ever customer of the MGB and takes the total sold to 532. WFEL is also one of the few prime contractors to the U.S Department of Defense to be based entirely in the UK.

WFEL, which was the subject of a £48 million management buyout in December 2006 backed by private equity firm Dunedin, has seen its order book continue to grow against the backdrop of a global economic recession.

Ian Wilson, Chief Executive of WFEL, said: "Military bridging is a planned purchase which has help shield us from the downturn facing many other parts of the UK manufacturing industry.

"Our sustained growth is driven by the strength of our core products, like the MGB, and by WFEL's expanding service division which is capitalising on the opportunity to provide our technical expertise in repair and maintenance to existing customers like the U.S."