As any buyer of castings will surely understand, there are hundreds of foundries around the world who could cast their component. The complexity of the geometry or the need to use a special alloy may limit that number somewhat, and demand and supply will dictate prices and lead times, but they will still have plenty of choice.
So why are many foundries struggling while others are thriving? Clearly, that is a complex question to answer. At NovaCast, the business is growing strongly and has continued to do so against difficult international headwinds – Covid, the energy crisis and extreme competition to name but a few. When asked to pinpoint how the business has navigated through the difficulties and come out stronger, Richard Phillips, owner and MD at NovaCast, highlights some attributes of the business that may not be immediately obvious.
The starting point obviously must be to get your business performing really well. At a foundry that’s about bringing experience and expertise to bear to deliver exceptional quality at competitive prices. But buyers know they can get that from many foundries. So what sets NovaCast apart? Richard Phillips believes that it goes well beyond the casting itself. “Our customers want us to fit seamlessly into their supply chain and production processes, they want us to engage in the engineering design process, introduce new technologies that drive down costs, improve quality, improve performance, and be environmentally responsible, and they want us to understand their business model and help them to achieve their objectives by moulding our services around their requirements.”
So what does that mean in practice? For Richard Phillips, it’s all about committing to the future direction of his business and demonstrating, through actions, that he is also committed to the success of his customers. He went on the say; “This isn’t about paying lip-service to the relationships we have with our customers. When it became clear that easing the supply chain and logistics issues our customers are dealing with was important to them, we invested in additional warehousing space and facilitated commercial relationships that allowed them to meet their goals. We also work closely with our customers and suppliers to promote sustainability throughout the supply chain – helping our customers meet their sustainability targets and doing the right thing for our environment. And we invest in our people, processes and technologies to ensure that we proactively improve all the time.
To be a successful foundry, it is no longer enough to just be good at casting metal. Much of NovaCast’s success is due to the way that the business has been willing and able to adapt and refine its business model to incorporate the needs of its customers. As Richard Phillips confirms, “Today, we aren’t just a very good foundry; we excel in design engineering, international supply chain management and logistics, and we strive to minimise our impact on the environment. It’s a continual journey of adaptation and refinement with our customer’s needs at the heart of everything we do.
For help and advice or to discuss your requirements, call a member of NovaCast’s team on +44 (0)1225 707466, send us a message here or email sales@novacast.co.uk.