£500,000 valves investment secures 35 jobs in Sunderland

Mar 18 2010 by John Hill, The Journal

SUNDERLAND company Kail and Co has invested £500,000 in new equipment to handle a contract from Tyco Valves and Controls.

Valves required by the international firm were previously cast by Kail and Co before being sent to France for machining, but Tyco asked Kail and Co to take on the entire process in a bid to streamline this process. The Castledown Road business says 35 jobs have been secured by the deal, which will see the valves shipped to France as finished products.

Managing director Steven Pattison said: “We have been producing internal valve components for the oil and gas sector for many years, so when we were asked if we could take on the large castings for Tyco, we jumped at the chance even though it required further investment in a tough economic climate.

“Making this vital investment, and fulfilling this initial contract, secured the jobs of 35 people during a very difficult trading period, which was probably the worst in the company’s 40-years trading history.”

In order to buy equipment to handle the order, Kail and Co approached Yorkshire Bank Newcastle Financial Solutions Centre for investment.

Its business banking partner David Gilroy said: “Kail & Co is just the sort of business which the UK economy needs to prosper and we are pleased to have been able to support them.”