Local company invests £5m in new manufacturing facility

03rd March 2010

Agricultural, Civic & Public Sector, Construction, Emergency Services & Health, High Security, Industrial, Infrastructure & Transport, Residential & Commercial, Schools & Education, Sports & Leisure, Temporary Events, Utilities

Wolverhampton-based fencing specialist Zaun is biting back against the recession after starting work on a new 50,000 sq ft extension to its current manufacturing facility on Steel Drive.

The new £5 million factory, which is due to be officially opened later this year, will double Zaun’s manufacturing capabilities and create around 30 new jobs for the area. The investment has been supported by the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands (AWM) through the Grant for Business Investment scheme.

Zaun has invited Ken Purchase, Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East, Emma Reynolds, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate and Jim Johnston, AWM’s Business Manager for the 2012 Games, to the site to see how the new factory development is coming along.

Ken Purchase MP, commented: “There’s no doubt that the West Midlands manufacturing industry has been hit hard over the last few years. However, the good news is the manufacturing sector is fighting back. The fact that businesses like Zaun are continuing to invest is excellent for Wolverhampton, our local economy and the wider region as a whole.”

In spite of the recession, Zaun has continued to grow year on year and the new manufacturing facility will help the company meet increasing demand for fencing solutions, particularly in the high security market that is rising in importance to protect the UK’s critical national infrastructure.

Zaun has also won a multi-million pound contract from the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games to design, manufacture, supply and install a new high security fence and gates around the 10.5 mile perimeter of the Olympic Park, in East London.

Jim Johnston at AWM, said: “The 2012 Games offer a huge number of opportunities for West Midlands businesses, and Zaun successfully bid for the fencing contract through the ‘Compete For’ procurement system. The company is a shining example of how manufacturers are bucking the economic trend and we are pleased to be working with them.”

Alastair Henman, Joint Managing Director of Zaun, says it’s a really exciting time at the company: “The extension will increase Zaun’s productivity, boost job opportunities in the area and help retain manufacturing in the UK. Part of this current growth stage will also see the installation of an innovative type of fencing mesh machine. This will be the largest machine of its type in the world, which will ultimately set the benchmark in the fencing industry.

About Zaun

Zaun Limited is the sole remaining manufacturer of welded and woven mesh fencing systems that manufactures the entire system in the UK. Zaun makes the mesh, fencing panels, posts, clamp bars and fixings at its state-of-the-art five-acre production facility in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. Products have been tested and approved by testing organisations including CPNI, LPCB and Secured by Design.

Zaun works very closely with all stakeholders within the business including employees, local, national and international suppliers and a long-established customer base of fencing contractors to design, manufacture and supply high-quality fencing systems, increasingly often providing expertise in integrating PIDs and other systems into holistic security solutions.

Zaun was founded in 1996 and remains a private company solely owned by co-founder Alastair Henman with a regional office in Dubai. They are certified to the ISO 9001 quality standard. It is also a member of the Perimeter Security Suppliers’ Association (PSSA), of which Alastair Henman is a director.

Zaun is a proud British manufacturer and founder member of the Made in Britain campaign, a key player in the UK fencing market and one of the fastest-growing companies in an increasingly competitive industry.