Pro Stainless (Designs) Limited

The background

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Ardee, Co. Louth, PRO Stainless (Designs) Limited is a specialist stainless-steel fabricator and solutions provider serving the Pharma & Bio Pharma sectors. The company delivers high-specification bespoke products combining design, engineering manufacture, and installation for domestic and export markets.

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The challenge

In 2012, PRO Stainless operated in a highly price-driven construction environment with limited visibility over margins, productivity, and sales conversion. While technically strong, traditional fabrication delivered low margins, fragmented processes, and limited management information. The leadership team recognised the need to pivot toward higher-value sectors while strengthening cost control, operational discipline, and sales effectiveness.

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By 2020, following successful diversification into Pharma & Bio Pharma sectors, the business entered a new growth phase. Increased scale and complexity exposed constraints in factory layout, product flow, capacity utilisation, and digital systems. Supporting continued expansion required both physical optimisation and digital enablement.

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The approach

In 2012 Team BDS was engaged to support a structured transformation of the business. Using the B-PODS™ framework, the focus was on product innovation, margin improvement, and management capability. This included development of a clear business strategy, introduction of higher-margin product ranges, restructuring of the sales pipeline, improvement of the business costing model, implementation of Lean and re-engineering initiatives, and embedding KPI-based management.

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Team BDS re-engaged to support the next phase of growth. The work focused on optimising manufacturing layout to improve flow and release productive space, alongside a structured digitalisation programme. This included a digital discovery and gap analysis, development of a Business Management System (BMS) specification, management of the solution-provider tender and selection process, and advisory support through Solution Design Workshops. The programme linked the BMS to KPIs, metrics, and a B-PODS™ diagnostic to structure future growth.

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The outcome

The initial engagement enabled PRO Stainless to transition from low-margin construction work into higher-value cleanroom and healthcare sectors, delivering sales growth of over 30%, gross margin improvement in excess of 10%, and stronger management control.

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The 2020 re-engagement aligned physical operations and digital systems with the company’s growth ambitions. Today, PRO Stainless is positioned to scale with confidence, supported by an efficient manufacturing platform, clear performance metrics, and a structured roadmap for continued growth through Design, Engineering, Responsibility, Manufacturing, Delivery & Installation.