Caribbean challenge for Shropshire engineering firm

Specialist engineering company The Holborne Group usually constructs trommels – screened cylinders used for separating materials by size – from its headquarters on the edge of Wem.

But it is now set to ship out a landmark machine to Trinidad, as part of a multi-million dollar iron ore development by American firm Nu Iron on the island.

Standing at more than 20 metres long in the company's headquarters, the first machine will be joined by a second, matching trommel which will be constructed once the first has been shipped out next week.

It has taken more than a year to design, develop and build, and is a project of such magnitude that it will help the company to almost double its typical annual turnover figure of around £1.5 million this year.

Holborne's 13 staff have been working overtime to build the machine, and testing is about to begin ahead of its export.

However, to test the machine, Holborne has needed to bring in five generators to provide sufficient power to run the mammoth construction, which would not be possible with its usual power supply in north Shropshire.

"It all came about through our agent in America," said managing director Carl Hanson. "Everything has been done here, the only thing we have sent away for is machining.

"It's nice for the people who work here as usually they just see a big Meccano set going out. It's nice to see the finished product here. We are hoping that Nu Iron will see that this works, and we hope they will order more. We also hope to demonstrate that there's various other industries it can be used in."

Works manager Colin Webb, who will be heading for Trinidad to aid the installation of the machine, added: "Everybody is very proud of this, and all are saying it's great to see something being built here."

The whole project is worth around £1.6 million to the firm, and follows hot on the heels of another major project, for an Australian company's UK base in Plymouth.

Once complete and installed, the trommel will be used on the plant to separate and polish iron ore that has been imported to Trinidad from Brazil.

The small lumps or ore are removed of dust by the spinning of the machine, battering against each other to achieve a smooth finish, before being smelted into steel back at Nu-Iron's American base.

The dust is collected separately, crushed into blocks, and also used to create fresh steel.

Holborne has been based in Wem for more than 20 years, and was behind the steel-framed buildings on the Church Lane industrial estate where it is now based.

Many workers have been with the company for more than a decade, while Mr Hanson has been in charge since former boss Bob West died two years ago.