SME Of The Year
WDS is delighted to announce that it was awarded the prestigious "Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Of The Year" award at the Make UK Manufacturing Awards. The award recognises businesses with fewer than 250 employees that are setting new standards in the manufacturing sector through innovation, leadership, and best practices. WDS is honoured that their initiative, boldness, dynamism, and exemplary management practices have been recognised in this way.
“I know it’s a cliché but we were genuinely surprised but absolutely delighted to win the award for MakeUK SME of the year” said Mark Moody, Sales and Marketing Director for WDS. “We were proud just to be shortlisted, and sit amongst some fantastic British manufacturing businesses. Everyone in WDS is immensely proud of this one. To win the Make UK award recognises the amazing effort made by our colleagues, all of whom have played part in our business development over the last few years, it’s incredible.”
The category was exceedingly competitive, and the award reinforces WDS’ position as a leader in manufacturing. The award was presented at a special ceremony held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, making it a memorable night for all involved.
70 Years Of History
Founded in 1952, WDS has grown from line shaft-driven machines and manual lathes to highly trained, in-house engineering teams responsible for the designs of most of their range. For over 70 years, WDS has continuously improved and developed their customer relationships, manufacturing operations, and product quality.
Today, WDS holds stock of over 50,000 SKU’s, and provides same-day despatch across the entire range. Over 7,000 SKU's (and growing) fall under their unique stock guarantee, introduced in early 2021, which gives customers security amid growing pressures on global supply chains.
Manufacturing Investment
WDS’ commitment to being "best in class" is reflected in its ongoing investment in both technology and infrastructure; these qualities were recognised in the award. Additional CNC automatic lathes were purchased in late 2022, which are used to manufacture high volumes of smaller diameter components such as studs, nuts and bolts. A new milling machine boosts its autonomous manufacturing capacity, and facilitates shifts, allowing greater output to meet growing demand. WDS has effectively doubled its production of high-volume parts.
New machines improve capacity, but also reduce set-up time, machine cycle times and eliminate the need for manual product changeover with both ends cutting. This heavy investment is a demonstration of WDS’ continuous pledge to enhance its proposition to customers.
Systems improvements include a new warehouse management system, updated ERP, upgraded CRM and helpdesk, and a new website. Digital investment improves efficiency as well as customer service.
Looking To The Future
From investment in training and machinery to incorporating customer feedback into processes, WDS understands the importance of investment to ensure the future of the company. WDS is forward thinking in its approach to sustainability targets as well. The company maintains an established sustainability team with representatives from all departments. New recycling areas were launched in 2024 and the company hopes to further reduce waste.
Conclusion
With over seven decades of excellence, WDS Components is a forward-thinking SME with ambitious goals, employing a wide array of talent. Winning the "SME Of The Year" award as part of the Make UK Manufacturing Awards is a testament to the company’s innovation, dedication, and success, which WDS is proud to share with its customers and colleagues.
About WDS Components Ltd
WDS Components is a leading European manufacturer and global supplier of standard parts and machine accessories. With a long history dating back to 1952 when it was known as the “Woodside Die Sinking Company,” our range of products is characterised by unrivalled choice, high quality, and superior performance at competitive prices. Equipment manufacturers, maintenance engineers, small businesses and individuals internationally rely on WDS’ large selection of components, standard parts and machine accessories, and we are proud to serve some of the most prestigious companies in the world. Our “Stock Guarantee” promises that over 98% of our range is on hand, and can be shipped the same day from our global distribution centre in the UK using best-in-class couriers.
Our commitment to engineering excellence is delivered through continuous improvement. The experience of our in-house engineers spans decades, combining a highly experienced technical team and the next generation of graduate engineers who concentrate on the latest developments in design and manufacturing technology.
Our website WDSCOMPONENTS.COM offers our entire product catalgue online; customers can order at their convenience 24/7. CAD models are free to download and compatible with industry standard software. Our technical and customer care teams are committed to ensuring customer satisfaction.
WDS Components is the home of standard parts and machine accessories.