WFEL GEARS UP FOR GROWTH WITH NEW SUPPORT SERVICES FACILITY
WFEL, the Stockport-based defence engineering business, has constructed a new 14,000 sq ft manufacturing facility to support its fast-growing support services division.
The new building, which is situated at its Heaton Chapel-headquarters, follows a £200,000 investment by the tactical military bridging specialist.
With revenues now accounting for more than 10 per cent of WFEL’s total turnover each year, its support services arm has outgrown its existing 6,000 sq ft facilities as it looks to meet demand to repair and refurbish its bridges returning from active use.
The new building includes two new and state-of-the-art five tonne overhead cranes, enabling it to deal with three entire bridging systems, with some reaching almost 50 metres, in length simultaneously.
WFEL’ support services division is currently preparing for a further tranche of new orders from the United States, one of the firm’s key longstanding clients, as part of its ongoing Military Reset programme for equipment returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence is among WFEL’s support services arm’s other clients and the firm is anticipating further growth as the total number of its bridges in situ worldwide grows to more than 600 with more than 40 different armed forces.
Ian Wilson, Chief Executive of WFEL, said: “Our support services division is a key element of our dual-track growth strategy which also includes new bridge sales to untapped markets in Europe, Latin America and the Far East.
“While some armed forces remain committed to bridging expenditure programs, others are focusing on prolonging the life of their existing assets as they withdraw from major operations, and this is exactly where our support services division is looking to capitalise.
“The new refit facility represents one of the single biggest investments into our site in recent years and signals our intent to continue to strengthen our revenue base and ever improving profitability.”
WFEL, which is backed by mid-market private equity firm Dunedin, has been designing and manufacturing tactical military bridges at its Stockport headquarters since the 1970s.
