March 2021

NEWS EvoFluid Hydraulics UK has moved to larger premises in Oldbury, West Midlands to meet increasing demand for the company’s manufacturing, assembly and fitting services. The company’s managing director, Mick Emery, explains the rationale behind the move. “We had a five-year plan to move from our original UK branch because we had calculated that within this period demand would have outgrown the capacity of the site. However, after only four years since first setting up the business in the UK we were already struggling to keep up. Even as many other companies were furloughing staff due to the challenges of the pandemic last year the orders just kept coming in for us. Because of this, we needed to install an extra production assembly line and were also looking at the possibility of a third because the assembly side of the business had also surpassed our expectations. However, we simply didn’t have the space in our old facility to achieve this. Fortunately, we managed to secure Unit 5 on the Industrial Estate, which offered 11,200 ft.? compared with the previous site’s 5200 ft. 2 , thereby more than doubling our size.” Enhanced product range Emery adds that in addition to having more production, assembly and warehouse capacity, the new premises also has better equipped more extensive office and meeting room space together with a larger showroom. He also points out that the company is now in the process of adding extra product ranges and services. As well as the company’s established fittings, adapters, couplings and valves, products also include pipe clamps and compression fittings, and new lines will be added to existing product ranges, including Gates hoses. EvoFluid Hydraulics UK is part of the Hydro Holding Group. During 2020, MCS Hydraulics, FB Hydraulic and Tieffe began trading under the name of their parent group Hydro Holding, while still retaining their individual products and services branding. Around the same time, Hydro Holding’s commercial branches in Europe, the UK and the US were all rebranded as EvoFluid Hydraulics. “Due to this merger with the Italian branches, some new equipment has been shipped to us from Europe and we have already utilised this within our product facility,” explains Emery. Stock level boost Concerning Brexit, Emery reflects that up to the end of December last year no one knew for certain whether the UK and the EU would agree a trade deal. “Largely because of this uncertainty, we decided to increase our stock levels to ensure we could still deliver to order without any hold-ups,” he says. EvoFluid Hydraulics UK moves to larger premises due to record demand “Although the UK and EU did agree on a deal at the end of the year, we are still very glad we decided to bolster our stock because since the beginning of 2021 order deliveries from the EU have been rather sluggish overall. This may just be due to teething troubles while the new UK/EU trade arrangements and customers protocols are ironed out. Nevertheless, we definitely did the right thing last year by boosting our stock holding.” In addition to expanding the size of its premises, increasing stock levels and introducing new product lines, EvoFluid Hydraulics UK is also in the process of boosting its staff levels. “A new apprentice is due to start work with us towards the end of March,” explains Emery. “They will be trained in warehouse skills such as order picking and replenishment. They will always undergo training to identify thread types and eventually progress to the production area. Because we have been so busy of late, our sales manager had to deputise as a shopfloor assembler for a while. He and I have been in the business for over 30 years and neither of us has ever experienced anything like this in terms of demand. We will also be looking at adding an additional internal sales person later in the year, which will certainly help with our ever increasing daily workload. We’re certainly not complaining though, having just enjoyed a record February.” EvoFluid Hydraulics UK’s new address is: Unit 5, Junction 2 Industrial Estate, Demuth Way, Oldbury, West Midlands. B69 4LT. ukinfo@evofluid-hydraulics.com The state-of- the-art hose assembly area at EvoFluid Hydraulics UK’s new premises. The spacious office area at EvoFluid Hydraulics UK’s new premises. 16 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS March 2021 www.hpmag.co.uk