AN ENGINEERING company is celebrating after achieving an annual turnover of more than £1.1m – its best ever financial performance.

Stockton Machine Company (SMC) has seen turnover treble in four years after investing in new hi-tech machinery and diversifying into new sectors.

The Billingham company has traditionally made components for complex machines used by food processors to make items such as naan breads, wraps and crisps.

Now the 14 strong workforce is also finding success in the chemical, automotive, offshore renewables, and oil and gas sectors.

Ivan Smith, a former Head Wrightsons fitter, and the late Ken Hugget, a former ICI fitter and turner, founded the business in 1971.

Mr Smith's son, Mark, succeeded his father as managing director 12 years ago and is now reaping the rewards after investing in new machining technologies.

"I'm proud we're now producing goods worth more than £1 million a year," said the time-served machinist who joined the business in 1987.

"Three or four years ago we were turning over £300,000 to £400,000 but we're now gaining new clients by the week."

Mr Smith said that after a downturn a few years ago, they had bounced back.

"I am so proud of what we have achieved over the past three or four years, thanks to the hard work of a loyal and talented workforce. We're stealing a march on others via our service offering of always being ready to meet tight lead times.

"The business has grown up through the food processing industry. It has always been our mainstay, but the oil and gas industry is now coming up at speed, while wind farms and the renewables sector generally is also growing steadily."

When the business started things were very low-tech with manual machines producing low-cost products for local businesses.

"With the advent of CNC machines (computer numerical control), we moved up several gears in terms of the complexity of what we could handle," said Mr Smith.

"We have recently invested in the latest computer-aided machining software, Delcam. We are now investing in another new vertical machining centre. Coupled with the new software, this means we can produce almost anything in a fraction of the time it used to take."

Recent contracts have included components for the giant J-lay tower, which lays cables on the ocean floor, that was docked on the River Tees, and machining work for Cleveland Bridge around the prefabricated components in a section of the eye-catching loop on Stockton's Infinity Bridge.

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