[back]

OVAL 316 BUILDS ON SUCCESS AT NUFFIELD

Oval 316, manufacturers of high quality stainless steel oval tubular products have reported a 20% growth in their business over the last year under the successful guidance of owner and MD Simon Wood Power.

Part of this growth is down to their investment in early 2004 of a high-powered waterjet cutting machine, which cuts any type of material from rubber to marble and glass as well as all types of steels and alloys up to 8 inches thick. The machine is accurate to 0.1 of a millimetre and local users of this product include Pilkington Glass who have been impressed with the speed and accuracy of the machine, which has dramatically reduced the waste output on their glass panelled doors, leading to faster processing and lead times and a great cost reduction.

Centrally positioned on the Nuffield Industrial Estate, Oval 316 supply their products worldwide. They have won contracts as far away as Oman and New Zealand and recently provided all the stainless steel fittings and fixtures for the Mirabella V, the world’s largest Sloop. The proof of their quality was seen recently when the super sloop had to be towed off some rocks in the Mediterranean, after being grounded in bad weather. The bollards which Oval 316 had supplied as part of their on deck fittings were used by the tugs to pull the boat off the rocks.

This is testament to the superior quality of Oval’s products, as previously, the bollards had only been designed for a maximum 40 tonne breaking strain. The tugs put 750 tonnes of pressure on them – and the bollards withheld the weight.

Oval 316’s subsidiary company, the Tank Company Ltd, manufacture high quality fuel, oil and water tanks to every type of industry. They are the biggest manufacturer of Marine Tanks in the UK and they produce over 1,000 per annum for companies such as Sunseeker, Fairline, Sealine, Princess and Pearl. On a local basis, they sell tanks to private marine and industrial users in the thriving sea harbours of Dorset.

Simon Wood Power, who took over the company in 2003 has a international marketing knowledge, promoting Oval 316’s products at trade shows all over the world. “Our continued expansion over the last year has lead to the creation of new jobs within the company"

[back]