Harrison Castings wins contract with Caterpillar

Harrison Castings' financial new year got off to a buoyant start.

The maker of aluminium castings, based in Gough Road, Leicester, landed an early boost to current year profits after winning new business with Caterpillar just one day after the its year end on June 30, 2014.

Turnover for 2013/14 was £7.5 million, with sales expected to grow to around £8 million for the year just ended.

Managing director Mick Jenney said the management team had expanded the site by purchasing neighbouring premises and investing £2 million in capital equipment.

Mr Jenney said: "This is all in added value equipment so we can bring more processes in-house.

"It means we have the control on site and can save the customer money."

Harrison Castings is known for making large sand castings up to 400kg but the company is equally at ease making castings weighing as little at 1kg.

Mr Jenney said: "We have capabilities at all levels and we make a lot of smaller castings – our competences are wide ranging."

Mr Burton said the company was also committed to growing its die casting operations as well as supplying more machined components.

This will enable the foundry to use its in-house knowledge of individual customer requirements and components to progress with customers who want to move into higher volumes.

The company believes this will be beneficial for clients who have already built up a relationship with the foundry.

Harrison Castings is the UK's biggest non-automotive aluminium sand foundry and has been based in Leicester for more than 100 years.

The company's founder, Robert Charles Harrison, had 20 years of foundry experience when, in 1911, he set up his own small foundry in the stables behind his home in the village of Keyham.

Since then, three generations of the Harrison family have guided Harrison Castings through a century of growth, development, and commitment to quality.

From its humble beginnings, the company now employs 95 people and produces more than 1,500 tonnes of aluminium sand castings every year.

Sales director Adrian Burton said: "The company supplies both machined and raw components to machinists across the construction, defence, energy, medical and high horse power engine sectors.

"Our firm's castings are used by Siemens, Cummins and Perkins as well as Caterpillar."

The current management said they were committed to remaining in Leicester and they said they continue to invest in new equipment to maintain competitive pricing for customers and to uphold a reputation for reliability, having some time ago adopted the highly efficient "just-in-time" delivery philosophy.

The company has also brought value-added services in-house, such as shot blasting and heat treatment.