Two West Midlands-based businesses are flying high after securing a role in a major renovation at the UK’s busiest airport.
Willenhall-based B.E. Wedge, part of Wedge Group Galvanizing, has galvanized 20 tonnes worth of steel that is being used in the construction of the new £1 billion Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport in London. Fabrication Facilities, a Birmingham-based architectural metalwork specialist, has used the steel to produce a series of 10mm thick brackets, which are currently being installed as part of ongoing building works at the new terminal.
“As a company we specialise in external metalwork, such as copings, fascias, and soffits with supporting bracketry, all requiring high-quality metal finishing. It is crucial therefore that our suppliers can provide the service and necessary guarantees demanded by our customers, and our partnership with B.E. Wedge on this project has proved very successful,” John Peakman, Managing Director of Fabrication Facilities, commented.
Lee Dickens, Commercial Manager of B.E. Wedge, said: “We’ve worked with Fabrication Facilities on various initiatives over the past few years, and it’s been great to team up with them again on a project as prestigious as this one.”
The original Terminal 2, also known as Heathrow East Terminal, was the oldest terminal at the airport, having first opened in 1955 before being closed in 2009. The £1 billion redevelopment, the first phase of which is set to be completed by 2014, will comprise 180,000m2 floor space and a two-level departure lounge. Once officially open, it will become home to the Star Alliance network of airlines, which includes Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, and Air China, and will cater for up to 20 million passengers a year.
A second phase of building works will see the new Terminal 2 extended to link with the current Terminal 1 by 2019, increasing annual capacity to around 30 million passengers. In addition to being the UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow also handles more international passengers than any other facility in the world.
Wedge Group Galvanizing is the largest hot dip galvanizing organisation in the UK with a history dating back over 150 years. With 14 plants strategically placed across the country, they offer a truly national galvanizing service.
