Devoran Metals has become the first reinforcing steel company in the UK to achieve Fit for Nuclear (F4N) status after two years of hard work and continuous improvement.

The company is the county’s leading suppliers of reinforcing steel and concrete reinforcement products. The F4N programme is a unique service to help UK manufacturing companies get ready to bid for work in the civil nuclear supply chain – in new build, operations and decommissioning.

To achieve the status, companies must measure their operations against the rigorous standards required within the nuclear industry. Achieving it means not only has Devoran Metals’ hard work and commitment been recognised, but it opens up a range of new opportunities for the company - as industry leaders are using F4N to identify potential companies for their own supply chains.

Managing director, Richard Orsman, said: "Having F4N status means we have benchmarked our performance against the standards demanded by the civil nuclear industry’s top tiers. We are one of only two companies in the whole of Cornwall to receive F4N recognition, which is a fantastic achievement for us as we are committed to driving continuous improvement in all areas.”

Mark Knowlton, F4N industrial advisor, added: “It was obvious from the start that the Devoran team were fully committed to the Fit For Nuclear program, during each of my visits there was clear evidence of progress as they completed the necessary improvements identified using the F4N Business Excellence tool.”

Alongside the F4N status, Devoran Metals are the only Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels (CARES) certified company in the county, and are dedicated to producing high quality concrete reinforcement products with a focus on safety and reliability.

Richard added: "Safety and quality are extremely important to us at Devoran Metals, which is why we are so committed to achieving the highest standards and the latest qualifications and certifications.

"The team’s hard work has seen vast improvements in areas of quality management, lean manufacturing techniques and health and safety. We have introduced 5S workplace organisation onto the factory floor which is proving very beneficial. We hope to continue these improvements as the company progresses into the nuclear supply chain.”