Engineering firm gets ready to recruit as it moves to new home

Alan Hedley on the plot in Hebburn where Sapphire Engineering’s new factory will be built

Boldon Colliery-based Sapphire Engineering, which provides engineering services and skilled labour to regional and national customers, has seen a significant increase in business in the last six months.

With turnover exceeding £1 million, the company is gearing up after winning more than £250,000 worth of new orders recently, providing additional engineering services and workshop projects to customers who include TT Electronics, Greggs and TRW Electronics and De La Rue.

The company has also won an undisclosed contract from one of the region’s leading maintenance, repair and operations providers, the NBT Group, to build and install a range of specialised advanced automated parts vending machines.

Demand for recruitment services is supporting growth, with Sapphire supplying a diverse range of skilled contract labour to support existing customers as well as other local firms.

New work has boosted workforce numbers with a core team of 10 now employed with plans to create additional engineering roles as workload volumes continue to rise.

Managing director Alan Hedley, who established the company in 2003, is also eyeing expansion with a move in the near future to a new 7,000 sq. m factory unit, to be built near Prince Consort Road Industrial Estate in Hebburn.

“We are now busier than ever, and we’re involved in developing new projects right across the region and beyond, which is extremely encouraging and contributing to growth,” he said.

“As our customers’ own investment and growth plans come to fruition, we are seeing steady demand for skilled labour, which is also augmenting the growth of our core engineering experience and technical skills.

“Regardless of all the uncertainty around Brexit, we are confident and expect the sectors we support to remain busy, and we look forward to exceeding our customers needs from our new factory.”

Sapphire Engineering works for automotive, food manufacturing, construction, process plant and machinery companies. It can also provide customers with multi skilled electrical and mechanical technicians, general labour support, manufacturing services and dedicated project management services.