Build June (2016)

Build Magazine 22 BUILD speaks to Director and Founder, Mr Harbinder Singh Kundi, about what makes his company stand out from the rest. Coventry-based A One Turning is a precision engineering firm, providing a range of specialist manufacturer of fasteners. The small family-run business was initially incepted in 1980 by Mr Harbinder Singh Kundi and has gone from strength to strength over the last 35 years. It is now renowned for producing high quality CNC machined components, as well as holding a long track record for being a specialist manufacturer of non-standard and specialised industrial fasteners to a variety of market sectors. Mr Kundi tells us more about the firm and how it has weathered the storm of economic turbulence. “We have been established since the early eighties,” he begins. “Over this time, we have gone through several recessions, but we have managed to survive due to the fact that we are a family-owned firm. This means we are able to make fast and variable adjustments in the day-to-day running of the company.” The company is proud of its reputation for producing high-quality components using a variety of materials, including brass, copper, uPVC, acetal, dilrin, stainless steel, and more exotic metals such as durehete, duplex and tuflon. Mr Kundi explains how A One Turning maintains a full complement of calibrated inspection equipment, such as surface tables, height and dial gauges, micrometers and vernires. “We are BS EN ISO9001:2000 approved,” he states proudly, “thus ensuring maintenance of our high work standards. These standards allow full tractability of material and processes, and give complete satisfaction to our clients. “We are totally committed to quality and meeting agreed delivery schedules,” Mr Kundi continues. “We are also geared to manufacture prototype, reverse engineered and one-off components, as well as production work.” It’s not simply the high standard of work that A One Turning has become synonymous with over the years, the firm is also committed to providing the highest levels of customer service possible to continually ensure the best possible outcome. “When we have a new client, first of all we introduce ourselves and establish the client’s requirements,” Mr Kundi states. “If there any queries or questions we would act quickly to assist the client and make them feel as comfortable as possible. “If a client has a problem, we would go and see them and assist if there is any way we are able to resolve the problem with the requirement. Clients come first and they always receive our best care.” Acquiring new clients is not always a straight forward process, and sometimes the demands of clients are a little more complex. Mr Kundi explains just how much work goes into some of A One Turning’s more challenging projects. “We often assist clients in producing components and parts that have no drawings at all, but may be simply broken or worn out. This can be tricky, but we tackle this by first establishing the size, material and any other processes required by the enquiring clients, as well as where the part is used and what it is used for. From this information we can then sketch the part and manufacture and supply the part to our client.” Mr Kundi puts the company’s success down to the fact that it is a small and family-owned firm and able to implement changes and processes fast to meet the client’s needs. It is this, and a vast knowledge-base, that sets the firm apart from its competitor, with the experience of the A One Turning team being in excess of 50 years. “Every project we have been involved in has been successful and this is determined by the positive feedback we continue to receive from our clients. There is room for expansion within the precision engineering industry, and this is something that Mr Kundi is keen to explore. “There are new projects that are being quoted constantly,” he says. “We would like to venture in to other market sectors that would require our assistance in development and manufacturing parts for their project, and this is something I think we will see coming to fruition”. With regards to the future, Mr Kundi has a strategy for A One Turning to ensure its continued success for many more years to come. Special Feature Precision Engineer of the Month 1605KN20