Bodycote International
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Bodycote International plc is an industrial group which specialises in heat treatments and related services to the manufacturing sector. Based in Macclesfield England, it is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
The company was founded in 1923 by Arthur Bodycote and was originally a textile company. It was part of the Slater Walker concern from 1951 to 1969 before being spun off and listed on the stock market. It refocused on its present activities in the 1970s, realising that high wage costs made UK based textile manufacturers. Its expertise in bullet proof and flame retardant clothing facilitated its transformation into the specialist materials sector. From 1980 onwards it made a series of acquisitions of materials companies, the first of which was Zinc Alloy Rust Proofing Ltd, which was the beginnng of its metallurgical business.
Bodycote International now operates from more than 300 facilities in 30 different countries, with facilities in Europe the Middle East and North and Central America. Continual expansion has seen the group expand into China and Australia. Bodycote is essentially an outsourcing firm and has two divisions:
Thermal Processing
- Heat Treatments: operates computerised heat treatment centres and sophisticated metal joining facilities which undertake contract work for the aerospace, power generation, automotive, railway and general engineering industries. This division accounts for more than half of total sales.
- Hot Isostatic Pressing: works with the power generation, precision castings, automotive, aerospace, precision tooling and medical engineering industries.
- Metallurgical Coatings: operates coating centres which provide ceramic coatings, sherardizing, zinc flake organic coatings, mechanical plating, PVD coatings, and anodising.
Testing group
- Materials testing: inspection, analytical and forensic services.
- Health Sciences: testing and advisory services to the pharmaceutical, food & consumer products and medical device industries.
- Engineering and Technology: vehicle, engine, component and structural testing.
- Environmental: analytical, ecotoxocology and services in industrial hygiene
- Measurement Solutions: metrology and calibration on site and in accredited laboratories
Bodycote International's turnover for the year to 31 December 2004 was £457.2 million. Profits were £24.5 million before tax and £18.9 million after tax.
