S Norton has prioritised investment in new materials handling equipment and supporting its independent customer base after reporting a healthy return to profitability in its latest published accounts for 2016.

New cranes are arriving at Barking as part of a £10 million overall investment programme in efficiency and capacity at their London site. Similar investments are also planned over the coming months across the Group’s Liverpool, Manchester and Southampton sites.

Robust performance over the past 12 months has put the Group into an ‘excellent position’ to push forward with their five-year plan aimed at driving future growth and enhancing service to its independent scrap producer partners, according to Chairman John Norton.

He says: “As a strong and forward-looking company, we are investing for the long term by making each of our four sites even more efficient and productive, enabling us to offer our valued suppliers competitive prices and fast payment terms.”

“Having built long-standing relationships based on trust with independent scrap merchants and industrial scrap producers across the UK, we are maintaining our focus on supporting and strengthening these partnerships as we move forward,” continued John.

Charlie Norton, Purchasing Director, commented: “Our business is built on the trust shown and received from independent suppliers around the country. We value their loyalty and this is a key attribute upon which we will always strive to build and maintain in the interests of all parties.”

Charlie continued: “‘We are seeing increasing numbers of suppliers being attracted to our Barking and Southampton sites, where we can offer rapid turnaround and competitive prices because we are able to export direct from these sites by sea. In the Midlands we are offering road collection services direct from supplier yards to our Liverpool export site.”

He added: “In supporting the independent operators with prompt payment and friendly customer service, they in turn can thrive and prosper.”