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Continued investment drives success

Not all subcontract profiling and fabrication shops are the same. Some display such tenacity for investment in the latest manufacturing technologies that others are frequently left playing catch-up. Birmingham-based R&S Laser Cutting & Fabrications Ltd is a case in point. Here, recent investment in a new Amada LC4020 F1 4KW laser with ASLUL automation tower adds to an already impressive machine capacity list, making R&S one of the best equipped mid-sized shops in the Midlands, if not the country.

Although the investment levels at R&S set it apart from many, the company’s story is a familiar one. Disillusioned with working in the employment of others, Rob Frain and his business partner Stuart Hutchins set-out alone in 1996 armed with little more than a welding set and a drilling machine. However, by January 1997 the company had already invested in a pre-owned Amada laser cutting machine and new Amada press brake – the latter is still in daily operation as one of seven press brakes on site today.

“We take good care of our machines – they all have services by Amada personnel twice a year, which extends their useful life considerably and helps avoid painful downtime,” explains Mr Frain. “Amada’s back-up and service is second-to-none and I’m not sure I would get that elsewhere. It’s the reason why they have retained my business.”

R&S has enjoyed considerable growth in the past five years. In 2007 the company relocated to its present site in the Hockley area of Birmingham, doubling its floor space to 30,500 sq ft. The move also paved the way for the acquisition of an Amada EML3610 punch/laser combination machine with MP300 automation.

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