Steel for Life: Headline Sponsor
NSC 13
May 18
Jamestown is investigating which, if employed, will
speed-up and possibly automate the assessment
of finished welds vs. NSSS weld acceptance
criteria. Some of this technology has been around
for years and used in other sectors of industry,
Jamestown is
continually reviewing
its corporate structure
to ensure the best service
to clients, architects,
Since moving to its new premises Jamestown
has continued to invest heavily in plant
and equipment. Last year saw the arrival of
another new long-bed Voortman plasma cutter, for
the manufacture of webs and flanges. This allows
Jamestown to respond to even tighter quality
controls and shorter lead times in the manufacture
of plate girder and box girder sections. CNC drilling
& milling equipment has been purchased and this
too will help to keep Jamestown at the leading
edge of the industry, says Jamestown’s Production
Manager Mr Aidan Clear.
“We are currently trialling a number of pieces of
equipment which will aid in the fast inspection of
finished beams, either in the final inspection stage
or actually in the pre-welding stage to ensure
correct fabrication set-out,” he said.
Mr Morris said:”There are advances now which
engineers and fabricators. The company sees its success as based on completing
projects to client and engineers specification, underpinned by the continual review of
capability and process. Jamestown says the amount of repeat business secured from
clients is testament to this fact.
Other than very localised one-off projects, Jamestown has carried out repeat
business for all its clients. “We are at present fabricating almost 3000 tonnes of plate
girders for an extremely high-end project in central London, whilst concurrently
working on 1500 tonnes of heavy complex asymmetric plate girders for a significant
UK fabricator working in Canary Wharf in London,” says Mr Creegan.
“At the same time we are building a 400 tonne bridge for installation in a tidal flood
plain in the west of Scotland for a customer who we’ve worked with for the past ten
years. We have been very selective about the clients for whom we work, and indeed
selective about the projects in which we get involved.”
Jamestown’s Financial Controller Mr Kevin Maher said: “We have been lucky to
escape any of the major collapses which have happened in the UK recently. Strong
focus on business systems and insuring trade debt are key elements of our approach
to business, and we have found that a prudent approach has served us well.”
but it’s not so common or so well developed in
the structural steel sector. At Jamestown we are
continually pushing for new techniques and new
methods to improve on old accepted methods of
operation.”
Continued
investment in plant
and people
Internal changes and
process improvement
Jamestown regards machine processes and equipment as
important and necessary, but only one part of the recipe
for success. “The overriding factor determining long-term
success in any company is the selection, positioning, and
managing of the people therein,” said Mr Creegan. “All the best
equipment in the world and the best order book etcetera will not
make a success unless the right people are in the right places and
are given the support, instruction, and freedom to fulfil their roles.”
A significant recent move has been the appointment of Niall
Fortune as General Manager who is intended to usher in a new
wave of development and positive change at Jamestown. “We
seek to improve continuously and get leaner in terms of all our
processes and workflow,” says Mr Fortune. “We are currently on a
drive to restructure internally so that we can offer our clients the
best possible service, and meet the demands of the future.”
Repeat business from
valued clients
An 80t, 40m long
weathering steel bridge
beam being fully
fabricated
Jamestown are specialists
in the fabrication of
cellular beams and plate
girders
The facility allows the
company to trial assemble
large bridge structures in
the workshop
/Steelwork_specification
/Bridges
/Fabrication#Plasma_cutting
/Steel_construction_products#Plate_girders
/Fabrication
/Welding