The Wall Colmonoy Story

PROFILE PROFILE Photographs: Studio 87 the Wall Colmonoy story Wall Colmonoy, a global leader in materials engineering and US family-owned, has been a major employer in South Wales for nearly 50 years. The Scene visited the company’s The advanced materials European HQ, Wall Colmonoy Limited, manufacturing company specialises in the Swansea Valley to find out about in the design, development and the history, and plans for the future. manufacture of Colmonoy® (Nickel) and Wallex® (Cobalt) for Steph Curtis, Managing Director of hard surfacing applications, and Wall Colmonoy Limited, is keen to Nicrobraz® (Nickel) brazing alloys for explain in simple terms what they do. high temperature joining of metals. “The products we make and services Wall Colmonoy also manufactures we provide play an integral role in precision castings and machined many industries instrumental to components. In addition, the our everyday lives,” he says. company offers specialised services of brazing, welding and “They’re fundamental in keeping heat treatment of components aeroplanes in the sky, glass bottles in for aerospace, oil and gas, food, production, food fresh, pumps pumping, steel and many other industries. steel industries rolling, nuclear turbines powering, and transportation greener.” 22 Thomas Carroll www.thomascarroll.co.uk 23 PROFILE PROFILE Over a quarter of the 200 employees at Pontardawe have been with the company for more than 20 years We aim to “As the company continues W.P. Clark, then Chairman, In 1950, the company’s robust growth, local area with an offer of a building Materials Engineer, Bob provide employment continues to and land in Pontardawe. Peaslee, invented a new increase,” says Port Talbot- brazing technology involving customers born Steph, a Cardiff University “What attracted Mr Clark nickel-based filler metals. The mechanical engineering was the region’s 200-year high temperature brazing with the graduate, who joined Wall metallurgical history, along with alloy was named Nicrobraz. Colmonoy in 2014, with 30 a skilled local workforce, highly products, years’ industrial and director- qualified graduates from local Bob Peaslee pioneered level experience in major universities, and its closeness successful applications services and international plcs and SME’s. to a major Nickel supplier, for this new nickel brazing Inco (now Vale), in Clydach.” alloy for hydrogen braze tools they “We aim to provide customers of aircraft turbine engine with the products, services “We’re extremely proud of components. The technology need for their and tools they need for our heritage,” says Steph. and process continues today. of the facility was made by First The company is actively working on “I’m very proud to be part of their own growth.” Minister, Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones MP a broad range of workforce the family business with its own growth.” Wall Colmonoy dates back to In order to advance and educate accompanied by Local MP Peter development initiatives long-standing and proud Wall Colmonoy’s European HQ, 1938, when entrepreneur and engineers on furnace brazing Hain and AM Bethan Jenkins. and has also developed history, and its major based in Pontardawe, exports founder, Albert F Wall, met technology, Steph cites the first its own unique commitment to our local 90% of its products to Europe, two metallurgists, who had European brazing school, that Wall Colmonoy’s Pontardawe Wall Colmonoy community for almost Russia, Scandinavia, MENA, developed Colmonoy, a specially took place in Pontardawe in team works closely with its apprenticeship 50 years,” adds Steph. India and Australia – serving formulated nickel-based alloy October 2014, as something the colleagues in the US, sharing programme to meet a long-established customer for application on down hole company is really proud of. The best practices on visits across the the future needs of “Everyone who works base in the aerospace, oil and drill bits for the oil industry. school teaches top engineers Atlantic. “We have developed a the business. Wall here has played a gas, automotive, glass, food, from around the world about strategy focused on continuous Colmonoy plans to major part in the journey steel and nuclear industries. The word, Colmonoy, is an high-temperature brazing. improvement and profitable growth recruit four apprentices and we aim to continue amalgam of the metallurgists’ Since 1977 Wall Colmonoy providing long-term employment per year over the next four years. to build upon the extraordinary So why did the company names, Cole and Edmonds, Corporation has been hosting in South Wales,” says Steph. accomplishments of the past whilst choose South Wales? and the term ‘alloy’. the brazing school in the USA. Today Wall Colmonoy employs advancing forward into the future.” “The fourth generation of 200 people in Pontardawe, over a The Welsh location, now Mr Wall purchased the In May of 2012, Wall Colmonoy family members have joined in quarter of whom have been with the Visit: www.wallcolmonoy.co.uk boasting 70,000 square feet and Colmonoy patent and opened a 23,500 square foot senior roles. We’re one of a few company for more than 20 years. 200 employees, was chosen manufacturing processes, and modern precision machine companies in this industry to be back in 1969 due to the Welsh named the company – Wall shop, supported by a £2m Welsh owned and operated by the same Government, who provided Colmonoy Corporation. Government grant. Dedication family for these past 75 years.” 24 Thomas Carroll www.thomascarroll.co.uk 25.

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