Welding and fabrication specialist Arc Energy Resources has become one of the first SMEs in the South West to achieve ‘ready to supply’ status through the Fit for Nuclear (F4N) programme.

The Gloucestershire-based company received guidance and support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service and the Nuclear AMRC on what it needed to do to meet the standard required to supply the nuclear sector.

Gaining another market in which to seek new contracts caps a very successful 20th-anniversary year for Arc Energy — one in which managing director Alan Robinson was named Best European Welding Co-ordinator and Andrew Robinson won the IoD’s Director Development Award.

The company has worked closely with the MAS over the last nine years on numerous projects. During this time, it has seen its turnover increase by more than 250%, more than doubled its workforce and taken on a number of apprentices.

Alan Robinson says: “Every project that we have completed with the MAS has improved the business. Our shopfloor is as organised and successful as it has ever been, and communication is 10-times better than before. Production is so much more efficient, and there is now an ethos of improvement, with staff encouraged to put their suggestions forward. Whenever we are looking to make improvements to our operations, MAS is the only operation we consider.”