Global company drives forward with commitment to quality

Founded in 1995, Melett supplies replacement turbocharger repair kits and parts for turbos used in cars, trucks and off-road vehicles. Ten years ago, only five per cent of vehicles were fitted with turbochargers compared to nearly 60% today.

Melett has twice been awarded the prestigious ‘Queen’s Award for Industry’ (in 2006 and again in 2009) for its strong export growth and high level of customer service. Recent expansion has led to three new jobs being created, taking the number of employees up to 17 and the business is on target to increase its turnover this year from £3.4m to £6½m.

Managing director, Ian Warhurst (who acquired the business in 2002), explained: “We work in an industry which has been plagued with low quality products and wanted to demonstrate to customers our commitment to quality by achieving ISO 9001 accreditation."

Through Business Link, Melett discovered it could access expert advice from MAS consultant Emma Eastwood from BTAL. Following a 10 day MAS manufacturing improvement project, a quality management system (QMS) which covered the entire firm’s ISO 9001 requirements was implemented. Emma also supported managers and staff in developing their knowledge and understanding of how the QMS related to their specific job roles and ensured that it reflected customer requirements and more efficient working practices.

Ian said: “With assistance from MAS, the formalisation of the management system has allowed the company to grow at a rapid pace and helped us to speed up the process of getting new products to market – 110 were introduced in the last financial year taking the number to over 1500."

He added: “We may well turn to MAS again in the future to assist us with setting up our own  a workshop, which will enable us to carry out assembly and balancing of turbochargers."