Testing specialist measures up £1m sales target

A Black Country testing specialist is celebrating its fifth birthday in style after receiving support from Business Growth West Midlands in Dudley.

Staht, which was created by former 3M Global Product Manager Rob Hirst, is revolutionising the way construction and safety sectors complete pull-testing and proof loading testing for fixings and safety eye bolts.

Its growing range of products have been designed to deliver optimal measuring performance onsite alongside the best digital app in the marketplace, giving a connected solution that provides a GPS location, videos, photos and data in real time.

The Lye-based company has accessed support from Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) in Dudley to build its brand awareness and access capital funding to buy a 3D printer – a purchase that has allowed it to bring prototyping in-house and increase its speed to market for new products.

Rob Hirst, founder, said:

We’ve come a long way since we started in my kitchen during Covid-19 and sometimes you have to take a step back and realise how far you have come as a business.

I knew there was a gap in the market for a new pull-testing and proof loading product and, five years on, we now have an industry-leading, connected solution that is sold in more than 15 countries, including in Australia, Italy, the US and South America.

Our first year saw us do about £250,000 in turnover, but that was all about laying the foundations, with 2026 set to generate more than £1m in revenues.

To cope with this expansion, we’ve invested heavily in our warehouse and workshops on Hayes Lane Trading Estate and have recently added a new training centre to educate existing and new clients on how our products work.

Staht’s first product has been the hugely successful T60 digital pull load tester, which can test a fixing and anchor bolt up to six tonnes - critical for ensuring safety on site such as fall protection systems, safety eye bolts, anchor fixings and lifting points.

Backed by Innovate UK, the company has added the digital T25 tester to its range, with both solutions featuring the Staht® Connect App for both Android and iOS, Bluetooth® capabilities up to ten metres, and sunlight-ready full-colour screens.

Business Growth West Midlands in Dudley adviser Steve Dunn (left) with Rob Hirst, founder of Staht Ltd (right).

Rob added:

When you’re growing as fast as we are, you don’t have much time to work out where to go for help, which is why engaging with Steve Dunn, local business growth adviser with Business Growth West Midlands in Dudley, has been such a godsend.

He’s helped us clearly identify where the opportunities for our business exist and how to move towards them, including how to access capital equipment funding.

This has seen us receive match-funding towards a new 3D printer that will help us speed up time to market and we’ve also attended several networking events that are boosting our brand locally.

Having a local business growth adviser from BGWM in Dudley gives us that additional sounding board to run ideas past, which is very useful when you are a small team.

Business Growth West Midlands in Dudley, which is managed by Dudley Council and funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is supporting more than 700 companies based in the borough.

This package of support includes advice from local business growth advisers, grant programmes to improve productivity and expedite the businesses’ journey towards net zero, innovation support, and assistance for entrepreneurship and start-up businesses.

Delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, BGWM in Dudley provide an information, diagnostic, brokerage, and account management service to help local businesses thrive, while also supporting entrepreneurs to progress their ideas. 

A special focus is placed on helping firms in key local sectors and engaging with harder to reach groups, such as women-led and ethnic minority-led businesses.

Steve Dunn, local business growth adviser, concluded:

The Black Country has been built on innovation and it’s great to see Rob and his six-strong team designing, developing and manufacturing products in Lye.

He is creating jobs and has a strong vision for growth through the launch of new solutions.

We are pleased to use our contacts and our GROWTHMapper® diagnostic tool to deliver tailored advice and support that will drive his firm’s expansion.

Steve and Rob pose with some of Staht's range of testing products.

For further information, please visit www.staht.com or www.businessgrowthwestmidlands.org.uk.

You can also follow BGWM in Dudley on Facebook, LinkedIn and X.