For 68 years, Conway Precision has operated at the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge engineering. While many firms in the region have faded away, Conway Precision has sustained its reputation by specialising in the "impossible"—the high-stakes, high-accuracy work that keeps global giants in the air and on the move. Under the leadership of Managing Director Garry Fisher, the company has transitioned from its roots as a family-owned business into a modern powerhouse of technical problem-solving.
Beyond Drawings: Engineering a Solution
Conway Precision’s core strength lies in its identity as more than just a machine shop. While they function as expert toolmakers, their true specialty is the dual-threat capability of design and manufacture. They don't just work to a standard set of blueprints; they manufacture a solution for a specific feature or challenge. When a client faces a complex manufacturing challenge that standard tools cannot measure or hold, Conway Precision steps in to design a bespoke fixture from the ground up. "We don't just work to drawings," Garry explains. "We manufacture a solution for a feature... it’s designed to work." This "engineer’s brain" approach to problem-solving separates them from high-volume shops, as they possess the rare ability to turn a conceptual challenge into a physical, high-accuracy reality.
High-Precision Metrology and Gauging
The crown jewel of Conway Precision’s capability is their specialisation in High Precision Gauges. In sectors like Aerospace, where tolerances are measured in microns, there is no room for error. Conway Precision’s work on wing assembly components is a masterclass in Metrology. These specific gauges are used to set the profile for rivets in aircraft wings, ensuring every component is seated with absolute perfection before it takes to the sky. These tools are so accurate they can be unfathomable in their complexity. After firms across England failed to produce these parts to the required standard, they eventually landed in the Midlands, and specifically, with Conway Precision. “One of our customers tried to source this work all over the UK" says Garry. "We created a process where [the parts] are all superb... now it’s our contract.”
A Legacy of Mastery and Modern Integration
The workforce at Conway Precision represents over half a century of accumulated skills, a deep-bench of expertise that allows them to handle materials and tolerances that would intimidate less experienced teams. From bespoke fixture design—creating the "skeleton" that holds complex parts during production—to specialist toolmaking for high-durability industrial applications, their breadth of knowledge is vast. Garry is passionate about preserving this expertise, noting, "We’ve got 50 years of skills that can and should be passed on." They are currently bridging this legacy with modern technology, having recently integrated new CNC machinery to handle large-scale projects for their partners. This combination of veteran intuition and modern CNC capability allows them to solve "black holes" in the supply chain that others simply cannot fill.
Resilience as a Resource
While a major industrial fire recently tested the company's infrastructure, it served more as a demonstration of their operational tenacity than a permanent setback. Rather than folding, Conway Precision used the event as a catalyst to modernise and refocus. The fire proved that while buildings and machinery can be damaged, the intellectual property and technical intuition held by the Conway Precision team are indestructible. Garry recalls the intensity of the recovery, noting that despite the street’s power being blown, the team were back at work and looking to re-build by the following Monday morning, a feat nothing short of miraculous when one considers the total destruction the fire caused to the sister site.
They remain a vital link in the UK manufacturing supply chain—a firm that prides itself on being the place people go when everyone else has said "it can’t be done." By maintaining these rare skills in the heart of the Midlands, Conway Precision ensures that high-accuracy engineering remains a British stronghold.