ONE of the country’s oldest firms is staying true to its Black Country heritage as it undergoes a rebrand.

Halesowen company Somers Forge, which can trace its history back to the 17th century, unveiled its new logo, tagline and website on Monday as part of the firm’s ‘globalisation’.

The rebrand and new website will be the biggest change to happen to the company in many years.

Samson Folkes, managing director, said: “As a company, we have stayed true to our heritage, in conjunction with developing and modernising the business to remain a world leader.

“The introduction of the trademark ‘Forging A Stronger Future’ recognises our long-term commitment to quality, delivery, customer satisfaction and our understanding of environmental factors on future generations.”

The Folkes’ family history is intertwined with forging, tracing their heritage as far back as 1697, on the banks of the River Stour in Lye, where forging began with a water helve – a water powered trip hammer.

As part of the rebrand, Somers Forge’s website includes images and information showcasing the company’s long history and the various changes it has gone through – including the increase in capacity to forge components from as little as 1kg to 80 tonnes with lengths up to 23 metres.

A spokesman for the firm said: “The new branding reflects our company-wide commitment to provide the highest quality product while continuing our role in innovation in the forging and engineering industry that we have remained at the forefront of since the birth of the company.

“While we are renowned for powering the Navies of the World and playing host to the royals, this shake up is going to give a well needed boost to all customers, old and new, by making it more targeted to their chosen industry with a lot more information.”