A leading manufacturer of high-quality bathroom products and iron castings has big ambitions for the next four years – and has already begun to achieve them thanks to funding secured with support from Think Sandwell.

Established in 1920, Thomas Dudley Ltd is a Dudley-based, family-run engineering foundry which takes pride in providing excellent customer service. The company employs around 250 people, many of whom live within a short distance of the factory.

Thomas Dudley continually invests in its manufacturing capabilities and innovations, as well as the expertise of its workforce, in order to offer its customers excellent products and an exceptional service.

With plans to grow its foundry division from an already impressive £12m annual turnover to £20m by 2020, Thomas Dudley identified a need to invest in its electric furnaces – raising their melting capacity from 4.5 tonnes to six tonnes per hour.

The Think Sandwell team was pleased to help Thomas Dudley access the funding needed to make this happen. We explained how to make claims through the government’s Regional Growth Fund and helped to clarify the procedure. Once made, Thomas Dudley’s claims were processed and paid quickly.

One of Thomas Dudley’s directors, Rob Holden, said: “The RGF grant supported our investment in upgrading the foundry’s electric furnaces by de-risking the project and bringing the payback period to a length acceptable to the company’s owners.”

Does your Black Country business need support in accessing funding in order to innovate and grow? We may be able to help: contact the Think Sandwell team today.