West Midlands firm A Perry acquired D.F. Smith & Co last year. The move represents a shift towards own manufactured products over overseas imports…
Continuing its positive approach to future growth and expansion, A Perry Limited has recently purchased the machinery, stock and assets of D.F. Smith & Co, the Black Country-based manufacturer of U Bolts, Eyebolts and other engineered fasteners.
The acquisition is a natural addition and expansion to the state-of-the-art production facility based at A Perry’s Doulton Road site.
“D.F Smith was based only five miles from us in the West Midlands. Due to the fast-moving nature and culture of the family owned business, it was a rapid integration,” revealed Company Director Ian Dunnaker: “We moved and installed all machinery and stock and started to manufacture in just over week,” he tells Torque Magazine. “The staff and the former owner have also joined the Perry team and are helping us integrate it into the business. We’re working on efficiency and output is up 20%.
“The last 30 years have seen a great deal of uncertainty in UK manufacturing. The last three decades have seen market forces drive large tranches of UK manufacturing to the Far East. We did face challenges when some companies started to source products overseas, focusing on cost at the detriment of product quality, but we have always prided ourselves on our manufacturing quality and high service levels,” continued Dunnaker.
Manufacturing now 20% of A Perry’s business
Twelve years ago, the failure of a rival gave A Perry the opportunity to purchase the company, meaning it could now manufacture Threaded Bar rather than factor. Soon, the firm was manufacturing product it had previously imported, at a lower cost and at a higher quality. Today, manufacturing makes up over 20% of A Perry’s overall business, with an increasing shift towards own manufactured products over overseas imports.
Expanding the product line-up has been part of the long-established firm’s strategy, seizing relevant opportunities, like the DF Smith acquisition.
Founded in 1925 by Arthur Perry (the same family is still at the helm, several generations later), initial ranges comprised of hinges, fixings and gutter brackets. Over the decades, Perry has endured and expanded through the peaks and troughs of the general economy where other companies in the sector have closed.
Though the challenges of Brexit continue to create uncertainty across the manufacturing and multiple other market sectors, Dunnaker and the board of Perry’s are positive and remain confident about the future. “Our continued focus on quality and service has seen the Perry Brand grow exponentially in the last decade, with the brand recognised for quality, service and innovation.
“As we come to the end of the second decade of the 21st century and enter the third, our manufacturing facility, our equipment, the knowledge and experience of our team, the quality control criteria and our drive to improve efficiency is enabling Threaded Bar and Engineered Fasteners to be manufactured here in the UK to a quality and price which enable us to compete at a national and international level.”