ActOn Finishing Planning For Further Expansion

ActOn Finishing was established in Torrington Avenue, Coventry, in the 1950s to add technology to surface finishing.

Their work involves providing machine manufacturing and consumables as well as designing, developing and manufacturing high energy barrel machines and providing subcontracting services for mass metal finishing to the aerospace, medical and various other industries.

ActOn Finishing’s clients are based all over the world but primarily in the UK and include leading OEMs in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

The company, which has been run and owned by Sandeep Gulati and his wife, Shalia, since 2003, has grown significantly in the last ten years, rising from eight employees to 38, and its turnover has rapidly increased over the last three years. ActOn Finishing has already established a successful joint-venture with a manufacturing facility in India and plans to set-up more joint-ventures in sales and manufacturing in other countries. They already export to countries throughout Europe including Sweden, Netherlands and France as well as America, Israel, India and Australia.

The Plan

The mass metal finishing company wanted to refurbish its premises to create a more professional image when meeting clients and increase its office space as well as recruit a graduate. Sandeep was referred to the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub through a business associate and account manager Rachael Delich arranged a meeting to discuss their options. She helped them to apply for a European Regional Development Fund grant through Coventry City Council and also put them in touch with Anne Marie Tranter, the Skills 4 Growth co-ordinator at the Growth Hub, to find out more about the Skills 4 Growth Graduate Employment Scheme.

The Results

ActOn Finishing was successful in receiving an ERDF Small Capital Grant of £10,000 which means certain offices have been re-figured to create two extra offices for sales and engineering staff.

A previous conference room has been transformed into a boardroom with seating for ten people rather than the previous six and it is more energy efficient. Adrianna Crisbasan has joined ActOn Finishing as a sales and marketing executive after graduating from University College Birmingham with a degree in marketing with events management. The 26-year-old has been developing new brochures for the company.

Sandeep said: “In the past, the profile of our business was very small but we have seen rapid growth particularly over the last three years partly due to our expansion internationally. “We wanted to update our premises and it is great that organisations like the Growth Hub have been set-up to help SMEs like ourselves and that the funding support is forthcoming.

“Trying to get grants used to be a really difficult process but now it is much more simple and Rachael guided us through it from the start to the finish. “The response to our refurbishment from our customers is that they are pleased with our new look and feel of the place, and we are really pleased too.

“It has brought value to the business because it is a more practical space and as well as hosting meetings, we have held training sessions.“Receiving funding to employ a graduate was also really useful and the whole funding application has been really smooth.

“Rachael has also introduced me to the Coventry and Warwickshire Aerospace Forum. They don’t take new members very often but it is great to talk to likeminded businesses from the aerospace sector to understand their businesses and support each other. “We have plans for expansion because of our growth because we would like to create additional manufacturing and storage areas within this site and Rachael is assisting us with our plans.”