Birmingham-based Frank Dudley Ltd (FDL), (www.frankdudley.com) a leading sheet-metal pressings and stampings company that employs 64 people at its Wiggin Street factory, is celebrating its 70th birthday ‘in style’ after securing a prestigious order to supply ‘bumper finishes’ for Bentley’s Continental model.

As a result, it has invested in a dedicated clean room and cell for this contract which, along with significant body and white work for the Sertec Group, is the latest in a long line of ‘wins’ that have seen FDL’s sales rise 20% to £6 million over the last 12 months.

Managing director Grant Dudley-Toole said: “We have come a long way since my grandfather Frank started the business in a small shed in Birmingham.

"His approach of ‘getting products, right first time’ is one that we have built our business around and has been crucial in helping us introduce lean manufacturing and world-class quality and delivery performance — two important factors in us recently winning a number of important contracts.”

He continued: “2018 has been a rollercoaster year with significant growth and lots of investment. However, it has been slightly tempered by the passing of my mother and company matriarch Jill, in April, shortly after receiving
an MBE from Prince Charles for services to manufacturing and the local community.”

Elliot Dudley-Toole, a manager at FDL and fourth-generation member of the family business, said: “We operate from a 57,000ft² facility and have an array of presses from 30 to 630 tonnes on both progression and tandem lines.

“We have also invested over £200,000 into a nut insert machine, a new grinder and additional spot welding capabilities, thereby ensuring we can manufacture volumes ranging from 50 components per batch to 15,000 parts per week.

“Our recent purchases — combined with the recruitment of a buyer, a project manager, a tool maker and four apprentices — will give us the capacity to target sales of £7 million by 2019, with a specific focus on growing our export work.”

FDL recently secured the ISO 14001:2015 environment standard.