Member Article

Wallsend’s Barrier invests £250k in expanding its production capacity

Wallsend-based coating management compant Barrier Limited has completed a £250k investment expanding its production capabilities to meet demand for its services.

The company has acquired three state-of-the-art temporary structures from Gateshead-based building system specialist Rubb to enable the company to increase turnaround times for the painting and blasting of offshore fabrications.

The use of the Rubb buildings provides the additional production capacity required by Barrier ahead of its move to its new manufacturing operation, which is due to begin construction in the New Year.

An additional coating facility has been created with the introduction of a 12m x 18m fabric structure at Barrier’s Wallsend Yard.

This building has been added to service demand from UK and international customers for Jet Fire Rated Valve Enclosures.

The structural steel work of this unit is hot-dipped galvanised to protect against corrosion and its PVC polyester fabric is flame retardant. Natural light enters the building through its translucent white roof.

The other two Rubb Buildings have been erected at offshore engineering, procurement and construction specialist OGN where Barrier is providing sub-contracting services on a number of offshore projects.

Chairman of The Barrier Group, Robert Bowles, said: “In the period before construction begins and we subsequently move into our new facility next year we needed to create temporary production areas that would support the delivery of current contracts and also increase the capacity for the manufacture of Fire Rated Valve Boxes for the international oil & gas market.”

Barrier Ltd’s project manager, Ken McLean, said: “The key advantage for Barrier in working with Rubb is its ability to engineer practical, cost-effective solutions and deliver them within very tight project timescales.”

Rubb Managing Director, Ian Hindmoor, said: “We have been building the Rubb name by providing facilities like these to clients with ever changing requirements, due to the industry they work in.

“Rubb provides the ideal affordable solution that can help these businesses grow.

“Our fabric buildings can be designed to suit the site, quickly constructed and can be taken down, stored and relocated as required.

“They are tough, durable and a cost effective long term investment, with low running and maintenance costs.

“We have had a long standing relationship with Barrier Ltd, and I am delighted to see a business like that expanding and that Rubb has been a part of this process.

“I am happy that Rubb has been able to create a much needed solution to meet their requirements.”