Granite firm to double turnover in two years

Oct 10 2007 by Chris Knox, The Journal

ACOMPANY that makes granite and marble surfaces for kitchens in homes and even Arab palaces is to double in size over two years.

Middlesbrough firm f.jones makes work surfaces and flooring from granite, marble and quartz and is to expand rapidly after a £5.2m investment.

The money, from its profits, has been spent on a machine that digitally measures and cuts stone without the need for templates. The owners say this investment will help double the company’s turnover to £10m within two years by speeding up work and reducing errors.

The business, run by four brothers, plans to double its staff to 90 in the same period after a recent 5,000sq ft extension to its factory at Riverside Park. The factory has grown by 35,000sq ft in four years to 55,000sq ft.

The company also hopes to tie up a joint venture with Italian mineral company Antolinis to supply it with exotic granites which would more than double its range of 60 surfaces. F.jones has sold more luxury minerals in recent years thanks to more disposable income in the UK and a fashion for lavish homes.

It has also stepped up its sales to third party designers, with many of its surfaces being used by companies in places such as India and the United Arab Emirates. Last year, f.jones helped fit out the palace kitchens of a member of the ruling family in the UAE.

The company is also working with interior designers in the UK, including WardRobinson and Red Box in Newcastle, and hopes to strengthen its ties in the North-East.

Managing director Fred Jones said: “We have always supplied quality surfaces at an affordable price and that will never change. However, there is a growing market in more expensive and exotic granites and it is this market where we see most growth.”

Simon Jones looks after the machinery and technical elements, Jeremy is responsible for costings and Ian heads its marketing division. It started in 1983, when Fred ran it from the back of a Vauxhall Astra van.