Victoria Drop Forgings, Willenhall, has been the subject of a management buy-out, with Geoff Howles and Geoff Radford purchasing the shares from Jeremy Jones for an undisclosed sum. The company, which has been family-owned since it was established, is one of the Black Country’s oldest established steel forging businesses.
Founded in 1910, Victoria Drop Forgings manufactures a variety of drop forgings, using an extensive range of materials that includes carbon, alloy, stainless and heat-resisting steels, plus non-ferrous materials such as copper, brass and bronze. It has also been supplying components and fittings to the aircraft industry since the 1930s; it currently provides the fuel-line connector for Rolls-Royce Trent engines.
Mr Radford (pictured) said: “Although the forging process has remained constant for many years, advances in technology have revolutionised the design and production of the dies and tools used. We will continue to invest in the latest CAD/CAM technology, which offers greatly enhanced accuracy, repeatability of product and speed of manufacture.”