Sapa Components (Pressweld) produces aluminium trim components for a range of OEMs. The company’s latest contract is to supply rails for the new Peugeot RCZ coupe, a deal that brought the firm back from the brink of bankruptcy. We talk to Sapa’s director Andrew Hibbert about turning the company around and the process behind this specialist part.
Formed in 1964, Pressweld became part of the Sapa Group in 2002. Now known as Sapa Components (Pressweld), the business remains focused on the fabrication and finishing of aluminium parts, a process that includes cutting, machining, forming, anodising and final assembly of parts for companies such as Aston Martin, Land Rover, Bentley, Lotus and Jaguar. Andrew Hibbert, Managing Director:
“There are many companies that can machine or anodize aluminium, but we’re one of the few that can offer all these operations under one roof, a one-stop shop.”
Hibbert says that the company came close to closing in 2009. “We entered 2008 thinking we were going to have our best ever year, but over the last three months, we lost the whole year’s profits. Sales were down by up to 85%. Bentley stopped production for three months and we had doubts about new model launches for Bentley, the Jaguar XJ and Aston Martin VH400 (Rapide).” In order to survive, Sapa had to make 50% of its workforce redundant and switch to a three-day week, for nearly nine months.
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