Celebrating Hill & Smith’s 200 year anniversary
A bicentennial anniversary is no common occurrence, so it made sense to celebrate Hill & Smith PLC‘s 200 year anniversary.
Premier Galvanizing has been part of Hill & Smith PLC since joining Joseph Ash Galvanizing back in 2015 – just a fraction of the time since Hill & Smith was started back in 1824.
All companies across the Hill & Smith Group were able to celebrate the landmark occasion with activities of their choice. Premier Galvanizing decided to take advantage of the (mostly) warm month by arranging for fish and chip and ice cream vans to visit the sites.
Activities weren’t just limited to us at Premier Galvanizing, as the sites across Joseph Ash Galvanizing and Widnes Galvanising also took part in their own anniversary celebrations. Take a look here for the full list of activities taking place across the Joseph Ash Group!
Next pageAs part of Hill & Smith PLC, the teams at Premier Galvanizing took part in Sustainability Week – a week to reflect on all things sustainability. It was a fun-filled week where colleagues were encouraged to take part in a number of activities (or come up with their own) to boost green credentials and have some fun in the process.
Best Birdbox Competition
Birdboxes are a great way of encouraging biodiversity by giving our flying friends somewhere safe to nest. As a bit of fun, the Technical Team set up a competition for the “Best Birdbox”, with a voucher up for grabs for the winner.
Team Premier Galvanizing Corby were keen to enter, and they took the grand prize, beating not just Premier Galvanizing Hull but also the other seven sites across the Joseph Ash Group! The team commented that the birdbox was “Galvanized to ISO 1461 Wood Standard”.
Energy saving treasure hunt
Colleagues were encouraged to form groups and evaluate their working environment, keeping sustainability in mind. This could include turning off lights, machines and other resources and questioning if they need to be used. The outcome of an energy saving treasure hunt is a reduced carbon footprint, saving energy from being wasted.
The original idea for the energy saving treasure hunt was developed in 1999 by Toyota, and is a great activity for all companies to conduct, regardless of industry.
Plant pots
Team also took the time to plant their own plant pots and add a bit of colour to the grey weather that was had in the week.
Extra competitions
Prizes are also due to awarded across the Group for a number of categories, including “Most Engaged Site”, “Most Improved Site”, and “Most Sustainable Site”. Winners will be calculated based on their efforts throughout the week, both in terms of effort and in outcomes achieved.
You can find out more about the full list of activities across the week here.
The festive season is fast approaching, which means our sites will soon be closing for the holidays and our teams will enjoy a well deserved break.
To help you prepare your projects, we’ve listed below the dates and times that our sites will be shutting, as well as the dates and times that our sites will be reopening in the new year. Get your work booked in early if you need it before the holidays!
Premier Galvanizing Corby
Close: Thursday 21 December 2023, 4.30pm.
Open: Tuesday 2 January 2024, 7.00am.
Premier Galvanizing Hull
Close: Friday 22 December 2023, 1.00pm.
Open: Tuesday 2 January 2024.
To see the open/close dates of the other plants in the Joseph Ash Group, click here.
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The Joseph Ash Group takes immense pride in its expansive network of nine plants spanning the United Kingdom, from the northern Yorkshire region to southern county of Kent. This month, we turn our attention to our facility in Yorkshire, Premier Galvanizing Hull, to showcase its exceptional capabilities and modern amenities.
Historical background
The galvanizing industry in Yorkshire flourished during the 19th century, driven by the region’s industrialisation. Hull experienced significant growth in the galvanizing sector thanks to its thriving maritime trade. Situated on the River Humber with a bustling port, Hull became a central hub for importing and exporting goods. Galvanizing was pivotal in safeguarding metal components used in ships, including anchor chains, fittings, and various marine equipment.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the galvanizing industry in Hull continued to thrive. Several galvanizing companies emerged to meet the growing construction, engineering, and agriculture demand. Technological advancements and modernisation in the latter half of the 20th century transformed the galvanizing process, propelling the industry forward.
In 2000, Premier Galvanizing opened its first plant in Yorkshire. Today, the galvanizing industry in Hull remains a vital sector, serving diverse industries both locally and globally.
Location
Premier Galvanizing Hull is located within the Stoneferry Business Park in the East Ridings of Yorkshire. With an extensive fleet of vehicles, we cater to galvanizing needs in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Teeside, and the Northeast, ensuring timely service for our valued customers.
Galvanizing services at Premier Galvanizing Hull
Whether fabricators require a small amount of steel galvanized for a sculpture or 100 tonnes for a new bridge, Premier Galvanizing Hull is here to assist.
Bath size
Premier Galvanizing Hull’s bath dipping size measures 7.0m x 1.2m x 3.2m, with a maximum dip weight capacity of 4 tonnes.
Additional services
In addition to our core services, Premier Galvanizing Hull offers the following amenities to our customers:
Collection and delivery service: Regardless of your location or the destination for your fabrications, we provide efficient steel transportation. Our fleet includes xx articulated vehicles capable of carrying 22 tonnes each and rigid vehicles that can accommodate up to 10 tonnes.
Full technical support: Our comprehensive technical support ensures customers receive guidance and assistance at every stage, guaranteeing a smooth galvanizing process.
Packing and bundling: We can bundle, pack, and label your steel per your requirements. We can accommodate your needs if you need items delivered to the end user or prepared for export or containerisation. Upon request, we can issue certificates of conformity, and all work is conducted following BS EN ISO 1461 standards.
On-site storage: With ample on-site storage capacity, Premier Galvanizing Hull allows customers to conveniently store materials before and after the galvanizing process.
Shot blasting and powder coating: These services are available through our trusted external subcontractors.
Flexibility
At Premier Galvanizing Hull, we fully understand the value of meeting time-sensitive demands and adhering to strict deadlines. We have extended opening hours for drop-offs and collections to ensure optimal customer assistance. Additionally, we provide expedited turnaround times, such as overnight or within 24 hours (by prior arrangements). We aim to deliver prompt and efficient service, catering to your specific requirements.
Committed to excellence and compliance
At Premier Galvanizing Hull, we prioritise excellence in all aspects of our operations. This includes maintaining the highest occupational health and safety standards, quality management, and environmental management. Our certifications include BS EN ISO 1461, ISO 45001, NQA ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001.
Dedicated team
The Hull team comprises dedicated individuals with extensive knowledge and experience in their roles. We strive to provide our customers with the highest level of service. We also consider ourselves an integral part of your team, ensuring your needs are met with utmost care and professionalism.
Key personnel at Hull
Andrew Tweddle serves as the Divisional Manager at Hull, while Chris Young oversees the Transport and Production Manager role.
Contact us
To book your projects with us or for any enquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact the Premier Galvanizing Hull team today!
Next pageWelcome to our April 2023 newsletter.
Our latest newsletter is live! Published today.
This month, we’re celebrating the Lily Mae Golf Day, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, and a successful Easter food bank drive.
We’re also discussing the top five benefits of duplex coatings. Finally, there’s a reminder for the GAGA Awards entry deadline and our plant Bank Holiday arrangements. Enjoy!
To read a copy click here.
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Simply scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the ‘Newsletter Sign-Up’ button.
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Friday 28 May is World Day for Safety and Health at Work, set up by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2003. The national initiative encourages and supports the need for organisations, labour unions, employers, and governments to create safe and healthy work environments to reduce accidents, illness and death for all visitors and employees.
As a Company that prioritises health and safety at work, we proudly promote this day.
At Premier Galvanizing, our commitment to ensuring our plants are safe places to work and visit is 100%. Obviously, health and safety in any workplace are essential, but they’re critical in an industrial galvanizing plant.
Galvanizing plants can pose considerable risks to workers if proper safety measures are not in place. This is due to heavy machinery, hazardous materials, chemicals, fumes, and baths of molten zinc at temperatures of 450°C.
By implementing health and safety policies, procedures, and systems into our culture, ensuring all directors, managers, and supervisors hold formal health and safety qualifications, and introducing an occupational health scheme to protect and maintain a healthy workforce, we have an industry-leading safety record.
We also hold OHSAS certification for exceptional health and safety standards at all plants and head office. And we’ve been awarded the RoSPA Gold Award for six consecutive years.
Find out more about the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
See our Health and Safety Statement and our Epidemic Health and Safety Policy.
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About the ILO
The ILO is a United Nations agency for the world of work. Since 1919 it has brought together “governments, employers and workers of 187 Member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.”
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This year we’re being spoilt for May Bank Holidays!
Not two, but three Bank Holidays on 1, 8 and 29, with the extra one for the King’s Coronation weekend.
We hope you have some great activities planned. (Perhaps some vigorous flag waving if you’re a Royalist!)
To help you plan your projects for galvanizing ahead of time, please note all our plants will be closed on these days.
Enjoy!
Next pageThe Easter Holidays are fast approaching, which means our plants’ opening times will be affected.
Both the Corby and Hull plants (as well as other Joseph Ash plants) will be closed over the Easter bank holiday. If you’re looking for metal treatment services soon, please note these closures and make sure to book in advance.
Both plants will be closed on Friday, 7 April and Monday, 10 April 2023. We will reopen on Tuesday, 11 April 2023.
We hope you have a well-deserved break!
As the UK is experiencing high levels of inflation and energy and food price hikes, low-income families have been hit the hardest and more people are turning to food banks for help.
With Easter fast approaching, most of us look forward to our chocolate fix. However, many families can’t afford the food they need, let alone the luxury of a chocolate egg.
With this in mind, Charlie Singh (Divisional Manager) and his team at our sister plant at Joseph Ash Walsall are trying to raise as much money as possible to support Breaking Bread, a food bank in the Midlands by providing them with Easter Eggs and other food products to ensure many more families can enjoy the things most of us take for granted over the Easter period.
Please help us make a real difference by visiting the Just Giving page and donating. No matter how small, any amount will be appreciated, and you can donate anonymously (if you prefer).
Further information is on the Just Giving page.
Alternatively, it is quick and easy to donate simply by scanning the QR code.
Please dig deep, everyone deserves a Chocolate Egg at Easter!
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We’re pleased to announce the recent installation of a new galvanizing kettle at our Hull plant.
It’s quite a logistical exercise to remove an existing kettle and replace it with a new one. Commissioning and planning the changeover takes months. And the installation – including removing/recycling existing zinc, dismantling the bath, fitting a new bath, and adding new zinc ingots – takes a whole week. The bath also had to be transported from Germany first!
The bath dimensions are the same as before: 7m length x 1.2m wide x 3.2m deep. However, it has a thicker wall than previously (now 60mm instead of 50mm).
For health and safety reasons, it’s typical to change galvanizing baths every 7-10 years as the wall thickness degrades over time, specifically in areas with a temperature difference, such as the ‘wash line’ and above the Dross protection. Structural integrity is crucial for health and safety, so even though we still had a few years left in our previous bath, we always opt for the cautionary approach.
Thanks to W. Pilling in Germany who provide all our kettles, and the following companies who helped with the installation: Projector Lifting Service, Zinco, Westech and Thermetal Metallurgical Furnace Engineers.
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