Hopefield Fab turn design concepts into reality

“It’s just what we do,” said Gary McClung, Managing Director of Hopefield Fab Limited, but what the company really does is take the ideas and concepts of leading designers and then turn these into fantastic installations.

The company, which is an industry leader in the production of metal bar tops, over counter glass racks, under counter units and cocktail stations has just enjoyed its busiest month ever working on projects in the Channel Islands, Ireland and London.

“When customers have seen just what we can do with a bar top this often leads to additional work,” noted Gary, who acknowledged that the real skill within the company is being able to visualise what the designer intends and then being able to manufacture this in a cost effective way, with absolute attention to detail. “If a designer can draw a visual we will figure out how to make it,” said Gary, “we have the skilled craftsmen and the experience to tackle any job – experience always gives the best way to do a job.”

Very often the company receives only a designer’s visual and then has to figure out how this can be practically manufactured. Hopefield Fab are able to suggest ways of adding additional detail, perhaps a company logo, which makes the work really stand out. On other occasions the company receives an idea and a budget and then has to work out how to match the designer’s expectations with the economic cost of production. The company has to design the work to fit the budget whilst keeping the concept of the design.

“Our long standing clients know that we understand exactly what we are doing,” advised Gary, “they trust us and are confident we will deliver the best possible job at the most competitive price.” Gary went on to explain that, even when the work is exactly to the design, sometimes the customer changes their mind and requires last minute modifications – “Hopefield Fab will always be flexible and do our utmost to help people out by working nightshifts and weekends.”

The company continually invests in new tooling and equipment when this makes the job easier or allows the work to be completed faster. Specialist equipment includes a guillotine, press brake, shrinker, section bender and tooling to roll tube, angle and flat bar. Having all this equipment and operator skills in house allows Hopefield Fab to control quality, price and speed of production. The company also has access to fibre laser cutting which is important for accurate cutting softer materials such as copper and brass.

Skilled tradesmen can weld aluminium, copper, brass, pewter and mild steel solder zinc and hand polish every material. “We can join sections of bar top so they are absolutely flat which is really important,” said Gary, “this is a skill learned with years of experience, knowing how to set the job up, how to prepare, how to weld and clean and how to get it exactly flat.”

Hopefield Fab are the only company in the country who can do castings in pewter – a technique which opens up new opportunities for example allowing a company’s logo to be cast into the design.

Hopefield Fab welcomes enquiries from designers requiring help with projects or developers with projects who require skilled, fast work from tradesmen with experience.