At the recent ICME Awards and Fellow’s Lunch the winner of the Ironmongers Company Best Student Award (for someone from the ferrous castings industry), Bradley Abrahams, was presented with a trophy and certificate by the Master of the Ironmongers Company, Ewan Wauchope.

Bradley joined West Midlands based Castings PLC in 2019 as a Technical Foundry Apprentice and during the early part of his apprenticeship spent time in various departments within the foundry.

Kean to learn and with an enthusiasm for the industry, since completing his level 3 apprenticeship he has already won praise from his managers at the company and has been promoted to Foreman with a supervisory role, responsible for overseeing colleagues who are much older than him.

As many will know, Castings PLC are a market leading producer of iron castings for UK and global markets with around 80% of their business being in the heavy truck market. Comprising three iron foundries – Castings PLC (Brownhills), Wm Lee Limited (Dronfield) and Ductile Castings (Scunthorpe) supplying parts from 0.15 kg up to 7 tonnes as well together with machining capability from CNC Speedwell Limited (Brownhills).

The group’s continued strength is testament to its continued investment in the latest technologies and manufacturing processes, utilising high volume equipment in a medium batch environment.  Recent developments include the installation of three new automated robotic feedlines in their horizontal foundry, working alongside experts from the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Ansty (part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult), a challenging project that was featured in a presentation at the recent Cast Metals Federation industry conference, CASTcon 2025 held at Cranfield University.

Reliable and tenacious, his company are sure Bradley has a bright future in the foundry industry.

 

Double Winners

Making it a very successful event for the Castings PLC group, Highly Commended certificates for the Ironmongers Prize were presented to Richard Keyes and David Parsons from Wm Lee, part of the Castings PLC group of companies.  Richard is a Senior Supervisor at the company and David is Melting Plant Supervisor.  They had both enrolled on the Cast Iron Metallurgy, Production and Quality Control course, which was developed by ICME and is now delivered and certificated by industry experts.

As part of the 18-month part-time course learners were required to undertake an industrial project in company, and the results of their joint project, which was on improving one metal processing and treatment for one of the company’s production lines, has led directly to bottom-line savings of £70k.  Indeed, so successful is their work that it is now being rolled out to a further product production line within the group.

The ICME Awards and Fellows lunch, held at the British Motor Museum, was hosted by new ICME National President Andrew Laing (owner of foundry Charles Laing & Sons Ltd in Scotland).  Also in attendance was the Master of the Worshipful Company of Founders’ Alan Hughes, and more than 70 industry peers from around the UK and from further afield who were able to enjoy a convivial lunch whilst celebrating the achievements of many fantastic individuals from within the castings industry.

 

From R-L: Dave Parsons WM Lee, Richard Keyes WM Lee, Andrew Laing FICME, ICME National President & the Master of the Company Ironmongers, Ewan Wauchope.