Excalibur Screwbolts, based at Hockley in South Essex, is taking advantage of a mentoring programme run by Ford Motor Company and INVEST Essex to support its application for a second “Queen’s Award” and to adapt big company techniques and practices to a small business environment.
In 2009, the company received its first “Queens Award for Enterprise” in the “Innovation” category in recognition of the continued development and success of the original Excalibur Screwbolt. That product revolutionised the construction fixings industry, including safety-critical applications such as form-making, scaffolding, railway maintenance, tunneling and security.
The company is currently progressing an application for its innovative Excalibur PLUS fixing (patent pending), as sales manager John Stevens explained.
“This is a high corrosion-resistant fixing that can be used in locations where stainless steel is currently the only option. It’s a pioneering product that has high corrosion properties and has the potential to be used in certain applications where durability is of paramount importance at more affordable price tag than stainless steel. The Excalibur PLUS Bolt has the potential to benefit all sectors of the construction industry, saving money, speeding up project completion and reducing whole-life maintenance costs. Test results so far have been very positive, so we are confident about the products future.”
The application is planned for 2015 so that the company can meet one of the key criteria for the award, which is commercial success.
“The original Excalibur Screwbolt range has already proved commercially successful in global markets. We have won major international contracts like the fixings for tunnel services in the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Recently, we supplied fixings for temporary structures at the 2012 London Olympics and we are currently working on several Crossrail sites, the new high-frequency, high-capacity railway for London and the South East.”
John Stevens
Excalibur Screwbolts is recognised in the industry as the company that invented the category of threaded anchors for concrete and it continues to operate a policy of continuous development and improvement. However, as John Stevens explains, Excalibur Screwbolts is a small company and technical expertise and innovation alone may not be sufficient for success.
“With just 5 full-time staff, we cover all the business functions between us. Working with a Ford mentor, we found that by adapting big-company best practices to our own business, we could improve our performance.”
The mentoring programme is a joint project between Ford Motor Company and INVEST Essex. The aim is to offer early stage, developing and established businesses access to Ford mentors free of charge. The programme disseminates Ford’s knowledge and expertise in areas such as purchasing, finance, cost estimating, cost reduction, lean manufacturing and marketing communications to a wider business audience.
Excalibur Screwbolts has taken advantage of the programme to improve its cost estimating processes.
“Ford has a highly structured supplier system that is very different to ours. But the insight the mentor gave us highlighted how we could adapt Ford practices to our own business. We learned a lot about the processes Ford use and this gave us many practical ideas that we have already put into practice.”
John Stevens
The company is using the knowledge it gained through the programme to progress the development of the Excalibur PLUS Bolt.
“We have had valuable advice on product development, costing and procurement. Our Ford mentors have also helped us to improve our website and marketing communications. This will help us take the Excalibur PLUS Bolt from a new product concept to a commercial success.”
John Stevens
Overall, John Stevens can see the value of working with the mentoring programme.
“This is definitely a programme that will benefit companies of all sizes, from small businesses to corporates. It’s a great opportunity to learn top business know-how from a successful global company such as Ford.”
Read here for more information on the Essex Innovation Programme
Read about Excalibur Screwbolts revolutionary fixings here
