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Sheffield based Mayflower Engineering have shown how specialisation and diversification into new niche markets can be the perfect method of recovery from the recession. 

The business, which underwent a management buyout in 2008, was immediately faced with the full impact of the banking crisis resulting in a near complete withdrawal of capital funding from the marketplace. This led to a loss of nearly 50% of business from regular customers, most notably Corus Steels.
 
However the new management team of Kevan Bingham and Glyn Hobson devised a strategy to face the difficulties head-on, by diversifying into niche markets which could play to the companies’strengths. This has led to gaining new business in sectors as varied as sub-sea, off-shore, wave to energy, nuclear, rail, river and canal gates and bridges, military vehicles and waste recycling.
 
Despite some rationalisation during the most difficult period, Mayflower were able to retain a core skill base whilst also investing in additional sales staff, an innovative marketing strategy and the gaining of the highly coveted BS EN ISO 3834 Welding Quality Standard – something held by less than thirty companies in the UK.

Having this foresight and commitment to the future of the business has led to a number of recent success stories, none more so than the design and build of ‘next generation’ autoclaves for Sterecycle Ltd.
 
The £1.4m contract with Sterecycle for the design, manufacture and installation of the new up-rated municipal waste processing autoclaves was secured in 2010 against stiff competition and will replace the two existing vessels at the Sterecycle Waste Recycling Plant in Rotherham early in 2012, providing a substantial increase in processing capacity.
 
Operations Director, Glyn Hobson, said “We are very pleased in how the design and development of the new rotating, pivoting, heated, pressure vessel has been undertaken in close collaboration with Sterecycle’s engineers to produce an autoclave to the highest construction and safety standards and capable of meeting Sterecycle’s operational demands at the Rotherham site for the next twenty five years”.
 
He continued “This is just one of a number of projects we have won following our decision to target new markets. It shows how if a business has the right skills and a strategy in place to succeed, that even the toughest economic conditions can be overcome”.

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