Another big achievement for Fine Tubes, the UK’s leading manufacturer of stainless steel, nickel and titanium tubing in seamless and welded. Fine Tubes is awarded D&B’s ‘Rating 1’ for its ‘highest level of creditworthiness’ and ‘minimal risk of failure’.
Despite economic turbulences and the frequently quoted ‘credit crunch’, Fine Tubes in Plymouth achieves Rating 1 status and therefore officially ranks amongst UK’s top 15% companies. The score stands for the highest level of creditworthiness and a minimum risk of failure according to business reporting firm, Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).
“The D&B rating is recognised internationally. It is a dynamic score which is reviewed with the most current data on an ongoing basis and Fine Tubes have consistently performed at this highest level for more than the past 12 months,” explains Nicky Keyworth, customer experience leader at Dun & Bradstreet, who personally came to Plymouth to hand over the certificate to Fine Tubes.
Ms Keyworth further explains, “The D&B Rating 1 represents the top 15% of businesses in the UK with the lowest credit risk from a D&B perspective. D&B ratings consider financial stability, the company’s payment record, public filings, trade payments, business age and other factors to produce one of the most comprehensive reports on a company’s creditworthiness that exists anywhere in the world.”
Marshall Davis, chief financial officer at Fine Tubes commented, “A D&B rating can assist or prevent a business from receiving a loan or an extension to a line of credit. It can also cause investors to vanish or panic, suppliers to cease shipments or vendors refuse to stock products. In other words keeping a good Dun and Bradstreet rating is essential to the good operation of any business.”
He adds, “To have achieved ‘low risk, high creditworthiness’ status during one of the worst economic times in recent years is fantastic accomplishment. Knowing a customer’s or prospect’s long-term commercial viability is critical to any organisation. A Rating 1 will not only strengthen our position with customers but also open doors to new suppliers.”
Fine Tubes have a fully integrated facility of over 215,000ft² at Estover for the manufacture, the research and development of high quality precision tubes in seamless, welded, welded and drawn forms. The standards and specifications for these tubes and coils are extremely high and are aimed at niche applications in the most hostile operating environments. Fine Tubes products serve a wide range of markets such as the oil and gas and chemical process, aerospace, medical, and nuclear industry.
The precision tube manufacturer also invests in substantial research into the performance of the duplex stainless steels in actual service conditions. Data gained from these studies not only give the tube experts a better understanding of the metallurgical benefits of each duplex grade but also enable the company to further qualify the application of its welded super duplex tubes to critical markets, such as umbilicals for the oil and gas industry.
Their precision tubes are exported worldwide. New sales offices were opened in Germany, France and India to access further business opportunities. Other locations are currently being investigated.