Procuring investment from its parent company Albert Jagger Holdings, Albert Jagger Engineering has used funding to begin the extensive process of reshoring its Antiluce product range from China.

Citing a change in the Group’s business strategy, the production of Antiluce Fasteners will return back to Albert Jagger Engineering’s manufacturing facility in Vincent Works, Bloxwich for the first time since the early 2000’s.

The process of reshoring involves transferring a business operation that was moved overseas back to the country from which it was originally relocated. As such, Albert Jagger will able to produce more efficiently with less scrap – saving both time and cost to its manufacturing operation. Further efficiencies have also been introduced in the company’s assembly process with additional investment in the latest automated assembly. 

Founded in 1953, Black Country based Albert Jagger Engineering specialise in manufacturing high quality parts with a comprehensive range of materials to produce Antiluce Fasteners, paddle handles, body mounting brackets and spring bolts. 

In house capabilities enables the engineering company to offer comprehensive services with a team of highly skilled machinists, metal fabricators and welders that are central to all projects. 

Having teamed up with the Manufacturing Technology Centre to deploy 5S, lean and six sigma into Albert Jagger Engineering, the company has recently refurbished their entire UK engineering facility using virtual reality technology to remap the layout of their shop floor. 

Following advised investment, two new CNC machines – the Citizen Cincom L220 machine and the IMECA Boss 338 HD bar feeder – further fine-tune their engineering capabilities and enable them to manufacture components to precise specifications whilst providing a high quality offering. Key to the company’s engineering services, CNC machining has allowed Albert Jagger Engineering to keep up with the current shift within the manufacturing industry that now demands a diverse range of machining needs. 

The state-of-the-art machinery works with a range of materials including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium and nylon and provides consistent accuracy in the manufacturing process of components that are produced to the highest of quality. Taking approximately six months, the first phase of the reshoring process has commenced and is already benefiting the UK marketplace with shorter lead times, whilst also ensuring quality and price meet the needs of Albert Jagger’s customer base. 

Maintaining a quality management system compliant with ISO 9001:2015 requirements, the company’s revered engineering history allows Albert Jagger Engineering to provide versatility and diversity from their site in Walsall, West Midlands.

Further investment into Albert Jagger Engineering is expected in the near future which will subsequently be devoted to additional staff training, the latest automation software, acquiring a CMM machine and improving the company’s 3D printing capabilities. 

Mark Hilton, Operations Director at Albert Jagger Limited commented: “We at Albert Jagger Limited have made a conscious choice to return our manufacturing process back into the UK in order to improve control over every stage of the production line. The review of our business strategy is in response to the uncertain economic climate governed by political turbulence, with the objective of ensuring the future of Albert Jagger Engineering is secure for years to come.

By bringing everything in house we now have the capability to regulate batch quality control more efficiently by dramatically decreasing lead times – which would range anywhere between four to six months in China. Such a significant lead time can provoke issues ranging from the unreliability of product quality or increased risk of supply chain disruptions. Now this lead time has been cut to between seven to ten days, Albert Jagger Engineering has the complete control over providing the seamless service to its customer base for which is strives whilst having the added benefit of keeping all associated costs such as warehousing and packaging in house at a reduced rate.

Returning the business’ manufacturing process to British shores also means we are able to produce bespoke parts for our customers more efficiently and tailor to the needs of the consumer.  We have taken this approach to ultimately take back control – and as a result we are now able to take something from sheet metal, manufacture our product and sell to our customers without concerning ourselves with the added complexities from the supply chain. Equally, this gives us the ability adapt what we offer to suit our customer’s product rather than the customer being forced to work within any constraints. Additionally, we recognise that the cost advantage of producing overseas is no longer as significant as it used to be due to China’s unit labour prices rising rapidly in the country’s vast manufacturing sector. So, by reshoring our Antiluce product range we estimate that more than two million pounds of business will be brought back into Britain over the next 3 years.”

With 125 employees across the Albert Jagger Group, the Black Country manufacturer has this year achieved an annual turnover of £15 million per year across its several divisions. 

Andrew Cooper, Director of Albert Jagger Holdings commented: “The company’s commitment to further investment into Albert Jagger Engineering is an exciting development and one which will enable us to foster even greater innovation into our operation. It will also further ensure that the continued success and satisfaction of our customers has been safeguarded for years to come as well as laying the foundations for future growth within the business. Our staff too have been hugely supportive of the reshoring process and their cooperation has been integral for the operation to run smoothly, recognising that it is a great opportunity for the business moving forward.”