A NEW Bromsgrove manufacturing company, set up at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, is set to double its workforce.
Cardinal Steels, founded by managing director Jake Broadhurst, specialises in manufacturing steel cladding and roofing for industrial and commercial clients across the UK, and it is already looking to expand just a few weeks after moving into its new factory.
Mr Broadhurst said: “We needed manufacturing premises and saw the site at Aston Road in a newspaper advert in January.
“We got in touch with Ben Truslove at John Truslove and we were able to have a look around a few hours later.
“We realised it was ideal, and we would have to go a very long way to find somewhere anything like as good for our purposes.
“We had the deal done within a few days – Ben and the team moved really quickly to help us get it over the line.”
Ben Truslove, joint managing director at John Truslove, secured a tenancy deal with Cardinal Steels for landlord UKF Group that sees the manufacturing firm take a five year lease on the 15,902 factory unit at 22 Aston Road in Bromsgrove, with an option to buy.
The property provides manufacturing and warehouse space as well as offices and is equipped with a 5tonne rail crane.
The new company serves the industrial, commercial and agricultural industries, working on everything from stables and farm buildings to large industrial estates.
Mr Broadhurst said: “There is terrific demand at the moment.
“A lot of our competitors shut down during Covid, furloughing staff, so we have been able to pick up a lot of work early on.
“The biggest challenge is the shortage of steel, because so many manufacturers closed down last year, so the price of materials has sky-rocketed.
“We started with four people at the factory but we are looking for more local people to recruit.
“We need another four or five skilled manufacturing engineers to help us cater for demand.”
