The Winning Formula: Inside Amfin’s Record-Breaking 2025

Abbey Metal Finishing Co Ltd — 25/02/2026

For Abbey Metal Finishing Company (Amfin), 2025 was a watershed moment that transformed the 78-year-old institution from a steady industry player into a force within the aerospace and defence sectors. This was not a success born of luck, but a calibrated "winning formula" that balanced technical heritage with modern efficiency. After years of post-pandemic recovery, the company emerged with its strongest sales performance to date, driven by a booming aerospace market and a strategic overhaul of operations.

Strategic Pruning for High-Performance Growth

At the heart of this transformation was a move to pivot away from a broad, "catch-all" service model toward a specialised, high-margin approach. For years, Amfin operated as a comprehensive "one-stop shop," but the team recognised that spreading expertise across dozens of plating processes was beginning to dilute profitability. By slimming down their plating offerings to focus on high-demand services like NDT (FPI), Chemical Etching/Etch Inspection and Anodising, they unlocked a new level of operational agility.

Business Development Manager Chris Peters, who has risen through the company ranks over the last quarter-century, views this focus as the primary catalyst for their record year. "As a business, we just had to look at it and see where the demand truly was," Chris reflects. "We’ve had to streamline operations to ensure that there’s real commercial success at the end of the day. By focusing our energy on the processes where we hold the strongest expertise, we aren’t just processing parts; we’re managing the chemistry and the capacity to better support our key primes.”

Expert Partnerships and Prime Approvals

The results of this "pruning" were almost immediate. By outsourcing targeted tasks to local specialists, and therefore improving operational efficiencies, Amfin preserved its reputation as a service leader while shielding its bottom line from astronomical energy costs. This shift allowed the company to focus internal resources more towards servicing global giants—customers who demand a level of precision that few other finishers can achieve.

A Cultural Shift: Leadership That Gels

This era of growth has also been fuelled by a cultural shift under the ownership of GIL Investments. Moving away from a more hands-off historical ownership, the new leadership applied a healthy pressure to modernise. Crucially, the management team itself has evolved into a more cohesive, synchronised unit. By promoting heavily from within—elevating veterans who have "grown up" with the business into senior management or directorships —Amfin has created a leadership team that truly gels. This shared history allows for faster decision-making and a unified vision that was previously missing.

"The new owners have put a spotlight on the business in exactly the right way," says Chris. "It’s made us more proactive. We aren’t just talking about positive changes anymore; we’re putting them in place. We can’t just stagnate; we have to move forward.”

The Power of Retained Knowledge

The human element remains Amfin’s most valuable asset. With a workforce now exceeding 60 employees and a Five-Year Strategic Plan projecting further growth, the company is looking toward 24/7 operations to meet the global backlog of aircraft orders. "The industry as a whole is getting better at understanding that what we do is not just an add-on; we are an integral part of the finished component," Chris notes.

As Amfin moves forward, it does so with a strong order book and a renewed sense of purpose. By honouring its 1947 roots while embracing the lean strategies of a modern SME, the company has proven that longevity, teamwork and innovation go hand-in-hand.

MANAGEMENT UPDATE

Abbey Metal Finishing Co Ltd — 10/07/2023

Following the announcement made earlier in the year that Gary Griffiths was to step down from his role as Managing Director, the Board of Amfin is pleased to announce that Glenn Oliver, currently Operations Director of Amfin, has been promoted to the role of Managing Director. In addition, Amfin is also pleased to announce that Gary Griffiths will continue to provide services to Amfin in the coming months in a consultancy capacity to help support the transition.

Glenn Oliver said “I’m very pleased to be promoted to Managing Director of Amfin. Whilst the aerospace sector has faced difficult challenges in recent years the team at Amfin has risen to them and I look forward to working with them to grow the business and continue delivering a first class service to our customers.”

Richard Banham, Director of GIL Investments, investor in Amfin said “Since the investment in Amfin in 2021 Glenn has proven himself a critical member of the management team and was the natural successor to Gary for the role of Managing Director. Glenn is well known to many of Amfin’s customers and his promotion to Managing Director ensures that they will continue to receive the exceptional service for which Amfin is well known. We look forward to working with Glenn and the wider team to continue developing the business with a view to its long term success. We’d also like to thank Gary for his support in helping to manage the transition for Glenn’s appointment to Managing Director.”

In addition to the change to the MD role, Dominika Chrzastek has been promoted to Operations Manager. Dominika has a wealth of experience within the business and this move will provide stability and continuity to our core customer base with whom Dominika has already forged strong relationships with. We wish her all the best in her new role.