2011 will bring significant change to all of us as we become fully integrated with our Parent company AM Castle & Sons after a lengthy transitional period. By the end of this year E Harding & Sons, Loks Plasma, KKS Stainless, and Metals UK will join forces and become a unified business called Castle Metals UK LTD.
Oracle will be our I.T. system, world leading software that will help streamline business processes and provide crucial management information that will greatly support our plans for growth through Europe and Asia.
This restructure, combined with the significant investment in the new software and the already substantial investment in new machinery is indicative of how confident Castle are about our business and our people.
Key Milestones
The first key milestone is the 6th June 2011 when Metals UK will go live with oracle. Business consolidation will start sometime during the 3rd quarter as KKS Stainless and E Harding & Sons / LOKS join Metals UK on the Oracle platform and the new company is formed.
Benefits
The benefits of Oracle & Business consolidation are significant and will impact us all, here are some of them:
- We will be fully integrated into Castle which was formed 121 years ago and has stood its ground through two world wars and the two biggest recessions on record.
- We will have access to Castles worldwide inventory which is today approx £170 million.
- We will eliminate unnecessary inter-company administrative processes which accounts for about 16% of what we do.
- We will have tighter controls over all processes bringing added security over our assets.
- A united business will carry more weight in an ever increasing competitive market place.
- The worldwide brand of ‘Castle’ will be attractive to customers, particularly those who operate themselves on a worldwide stage.
The task ahead is a tough one and will at times test our strength but by working together and supporting each other it will be a success and we won’t look back. Metals UK, E Harding & Sons, Loks Plasma Services and KKS Stainless is our heritage and will remain so; we are just increasing our presence in the marketplace.
