News: Sandvik celebrates 150 years

Sandvik, the Swedish high-technology engineering group with sites in Rotherham has celebrated 150 years in business.

The company was founded on January 31, 1862 in Sandviken, Sweden by Göran Fredrik Göransson, who was first in the world to succeed in using the Bessemer method for steel production on an industrial scale.

This was Sandvik's first link to South Yorkshire as it was in Sheffield that Henry Bessemer established his own steelworks using his own steel making process.

Sandvik quickly became one of the world's leaders in its industry. The group currently has 50,000 employees with operations in 130 countries and annual sales of approximately SEK 83 billion (£7.7 billion).

In addition to organic growth, Sandvik's expansion has also involved a series of company acquisitions over the years.

A spokesperson for the company said: "Sandvik has successfully operated and evolved by continuously being innovative and identifying new opportunities in the markets and through various shifts in technology.

"With the talent, experience and commitment of 50,000 employees across the globe, we now cast our gaze to the future and continue our journey."

Rotherham is home to the global headquarters of Dormer Tools. The firm is part of the Sandvik Group and has developed from a traditional cutting tool manufacturer to one of the world's largest producers of solid carbide and high speed steel cutting tools. Their tools are used in cutting edge industries including the tooling designed specifically for cutting composite material in the aerospace sector.

Opened in 2009, the purpose-built facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park incorporates a state-of-the-art training suite and a major research and development facility - one of only four such facilities worldwide.

Rotherham is also home to the state-of-the-art Sandvik European Centre of Excellence (SECoE).

The 112,500 sq ft facility at Beighton Link Business Park became fully operational in early 2010. The £4m centre has brought together all the finish processing and supply management activities for the production of medical products from Sandvik's Sheffield facilities.

It has an area dedicated to rapid production and prototyping for the development and manufacture of orthopedic implants, instruments and medical material.

Sandvik website

Images: Sandvik