Wintire, the Sheffield based speciality wire manufacturer, has secured a £50,000 investment to increase its productivity and green credentials.

The £2.7 million turnover firm makes bespoke wire from carbon alloy, stainless steel and copper alloy for the engineering, textile and medical industries.

Around 25% of orders are exported to customers in the European Union, India, China, US and South Africa.

Wintwire received the £50,000 business loan from Finance Yorkshire as part of a greater investment to fund the purchase of equipment that cleans wire rod – the raw material of wire – prior to manufacturing.

The equipment contains tanks that clean, treat and dry the wire rod using chemical baths. Wire rod was formerly transported to a third party supplier for cleaning.

Managing Director of Wintwire, Marc Turner, commented: “The equipment uses a new chemical system on wire rod coatings to remove mill scale. It does the job better and more efficiently.

“We can now get the wire rod cleaned immediately prior to production, which means that turnaround of customer orders will be faster.

“The equipment also makes us more environmentally-friendly because it does not use as much energy. In addition, we are not sending lorries up and down the motorway with wire to be cleaned.”

Wintwire makes wire on rolling and drawing machinery, which are supplied in coils on spools or cut lengths. The firm was formed in 2003 and employs 30 members of staff.

Portfolio manager at Finance Yorkshire, David Ward, added: “The Wintwire team has considerable experience in the wire industry, blending manufacturing heritage with the latest technology.

“The new cleaning plant will speed up the production process and enable the business to enhance its service to a growing and global customer base.”