A Black Country manufacturer of equipment for the international metal forming industry has invested £500,000 in a cutting-edge vertical turning centre to help boost efficiency and support the growth of the business.

Bilston based Bowers & Jones has purchased a Doosan Puma VTR1216F large capacity vertical turning centre from Korea which will support the growth of their North American sales of straightening rings which currently represents 50% of their total sales.

The new machinery forms part of the company’s £1 million investment strategy to replace existing machines with new, more efficient, faster and accurate equipment and signifies the company’s biggest investment since the business was acquired by Jane Sommerville and Nicola Owen in 2020.

The high-power turning centre is designed to cut heavy, large diameter pieces of steel and the vertical design takes advantage of gravity which will reinforce stability and minimise inaccuracies during the cutting process.

The new machine will improve production efficiency and is anticipated to generate an 11% increase in capacity.

Serving more than 300 customers across the UK, North America, Europe, and beyond, Bowers & Jones are world leaders in the design, manufacture and refurbishment of roll tooling and rolling mill products.

The business specialises in the manufacture of tools used to roll long products such as welded and seamless tube and pipe, steel sections and complex copper extrusions. More recently, rolls are used in the manufacture of non-steel applications including electrical conduction and heating cable.

Originally established in 1955, Bowers & Jones was acquired by Jane Sommerville and Nicola Owen in 2020 and is growing on the back of four years of turnover growth, with significant growth set to continue with new contracts secured in the USA.

Bowers & Jones has been named as a finalist for the title of Business of the Year as well as International Trade and Manufacturing & Engineering prizes at this year’s Black Country Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Bowers & Jones Managing Director Jane Sommerville said: “The new machine represents our biggest investment since we acquired the business in 2020.

“We have had the Doosan Puma VTR in our sights for a while and excited to have been able to get the business to a point where we could purchase this and grow our export sales.

“As part of our strategy, since 2020 we have purchased one new machine each year which will assist us in achieving our objectives of increasing productivity, reducing maintenance costs, improving efficiency and growing capacity.

“As a business we strive for innovation, excellence and commitment to quality and the investment in new equipment demonstrates our industry leading expertise to customers.”