A BRIGHOUSE welded steel mesh manufacturer has put in a strong financial performance with turnover only dropping slightly in the last year, despite production halting during the first lockdown.

In it's first full financial year since a management buyout in 2019, Siddall and Hilton Products achieved a turnover of £17.3m for the year ending March 31, 2021.

This compares to £18.2m the previous year - a fall of under 5 per cent.

However, the company estimates that the impact of the pandemic accounted for around £2.5m in lost revenue.

Thanks to the positive attitude, resilience and determination of staff this did not impact on the profits reported by the firm, Siddall and Hilton Products has said.

Continued investment in equipment and process improvements through the pandemic helped the company to consolidate and build upon production efficiency gains and process scrap reductions achieved in the prior year, resulting in a significant uplift in pre-tax profits which rose by 64.7 per cent from £1.4m to £2.3m.

The year also marked the business' largest investment in more than 12 years with the addition of a fifth specialist welding machine at its Brighouse site, with a value of £2m.

Over the last 12 months, the 126-year-old company, which processes over 1,500 tonnes of wire a month and is the UK’s largest manufacturer of industrial welded steel mesh for high-security fencing, general fencing and industrial mesh panels, has also grown its workforce. The team has increased by almost 25 per cent to 59 people.

Chief executive Ian Thurley said: “Over the last two years, we’ve made tremendous progress in setting solid foundations for our future growth. Last year was another busy time for us, which, despite the challenges of the pandemic, saw the business continue to put in a sound financial performance as we further improved operating efficiencies.

"As one of the largest employers in Brighouse, we have also worked hard to ensure our loyal workforce shares in our success by bolstering employee engagement, driving recruitment and implementing new training initiatives.

“We are tremendously proud of the major investment we have made into a fifth state-of-the-art welding machine which will again increase productivity and is a key step as we move towards our ambitious target of becoming a world class mesh manufacturer. As one of the area’s longest-established manufacturers, it is a real privilege to be at the helm during this exciting time, as we drive the business forward in pursuit of our goals.”