Manufacturer in Search of New Recruits to Boost Staff by a Third After Sales Increase

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 9 September 2014

UPDATED: 9 September 2014

A company which manufactures bespoke building products is seeking to recruit at least 10 new workers after an upsurge in sales.

Dales Fabrications on Crompton Road Industrial Estate in Ilkeston has experienced a growth in turnover of almost half after the first seven months of this year.

It is taking on two apprentices but needs the extra staff to cope with the increased demand for its products which enhance the appearance of buildings such as hospitals, schools, offices, apartment blocks and fire and police stations across the country.

Originally set up in 1977  to meet the demand for precision, purpose steel gutters, the firm later expanded into aluminium eaves systems and then improved its product range to include rainwater systems(gutters and pipes), fascias and soffits, and solar shading, a growing component in modern buildings.

The company currently has 32 employees but managing director Karl Prosser wants to increase this by a third after sales last year met a new target and this year are so far are up by 41 per cent – a six figure sum in cash terms -  double the target.

He attributes this to the economy improving, particularly in the construction industry, and increased orders brought about by new initiatives.

“These include trying to reduce our lead times, our support for customers and a greater exposure at trade shows, plus maintaining our prices at a competitive level,” said Karl.

“After about six difficult years of no sustained growth because of the recession we are delighted to see a large increase in turnover.

“This encourages the company to invest more – we are visiting an international machine tool event in Germany next month to look at the latest equipment – and to take on more employees.”

The top job available is production manager, a post that has become vacant after the retirement of Peter Bennett who served 35 years with the company.

Other positions to fill are two project managers and designers, a production processor who moves the design to the people operating the fabrication machine, up to four skilled production operators who have experience of metal fabrication, a driver for a new lorry which is likely to be combined with a forklift, and an extra financial/administration person.

The company has just taken on its first female apprentices – both women in their 20s – on the production side as welders.

They have been taken on with financial help organised by Training 2000 in Derby.

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