County firm strikes Olympic gold

A Shropshire company is bucking the trend amid the economic gloom by announcing expansion plans thanks to an order book of Olympic proportions.

Tension Control Bolts, of Whitchurch, is flying the flag for county businesses after it won a slice of the multi-million pound contracts on offer for the 2012 Olympics.

Now the firm, which produces high-strength bolts and tension control studs that can be used in almost all steelwork connections, is in talks with Shropshire Council over plans to expand and take on more staff.

The bolts and studs are to be used to bond giant steelwork structures in the main Olympic Stadium and Olympic Aquatics Centre, being built in Stratford, London.

The company, formed 12 years ago, is looking to make its mark Down Under after landing a contract to supply 400,000 bolts to strengthen the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne, Australia.

It follows the firm's involvement with the sliding Centre Court roof at Wimbledon, which also uses some of its bolts.

TCB managing director Tim Stokes said he was delighted by the Olympics contracts.

"Countless tests and trials for various organisations from the Highways Agency and Network Rail to Alstom Power and Rolls Royce have afforded us the credibility required to be involved with London 2012 and with some of the most prestigious construction projects worldwide," he said.