INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Chelburn Precision Ltd
Chelburn Precision Ltd has been awarded the Queen’s Award for International Trade after its overseas sales increased five-fold in three years – from £360,000 to £1.7m –primarily to the USA and mainland Europe. The company estimates that 95% of its domestic sales are ultimately exported, as many of its UK customers deliver their products overseas. Its total turnover is now more than £5m, and its success is due to investment in the very latest machinery which, combined with a highly skilled workforce, means the company has managed to carve out a niche for its specialised production services, both in the UK and overseas. LANDMARKACHIEVEMENTS Chelburn Precision Ltd takes engineering to an incredibly high and precise level, manufacturing key components in one-offs or batch quantities for machines needed in industries, such as rubber and plastics, paper converting, oil and gas, industrial gearboxes, printing and canning. Among many landmark achievements, Chelburn has made prototype parts for the Joint Strike Fighter programme, which developed a new generation of fighter and ground attack aircraft for the United States, NATO and other countries including the UK. Production of this aircraft began in 2006. The company has a broad spectrum of customers, and its products range from complex pumps for the oil and gas industry, weighing as
much as eight tonnes, to clutch shafts for paper converting just 60mm in diameter. The key is precision, and measurement tolerances can go down to 0.01mm. Most parts are made out of stainless steel, aluminium and cast iron and the company now has more than 130 suppliers for all the components needed for its projects. HIGH-TECHAPPROACH The company is continually moving forward with the latest technology, recently investing £1.6m in three of the very latest computer- controlled machines to make sure every project is done to the highest quality and as efficiently as possible. Katie Travis explains: “The end result is that the service we provide is difficult for others to replicate. Our commitment to technology means we can deliver on cost, and support customers in managing production schedules, both of which are key success criteria. The service we provide is, quite literally, right at the cutting edge.” The company has worked hard to modernise its staff welfare policies and invested heavily in improving health and safety over recent years. Keen to attract more young people, Chelburn is also in the process of establishing a work experience programme with training and apprenticeships company Rochdale Training. “We are the kind of traditional industry that forms the
backbone of British manufacturing in the north, and we are thrilled to receive Queen’s Awards recognition,” Katie adds.
CHELBURN PRECISION LTD Unit 2 Transpennine Trading Estate, Gorrels Way,
Rochdale OL11 2PX Tel: 01706 350479 info@chelburn.co.uk chelburn.co.uk
Queen’s Awards Magazine 2021
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