Manufacturer looking to expand

Apr 7 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

A SPECIALIST manufacturer is bucking the recession and looking to venture into new and larger markets, as part of its ambitious investment project.

Specialist Fitout Services (SFOS) specialises in the manufacture and design of bespoke joinery products including hardwood stairs, doors, windows, kitchens, bedrooms, office fitouts and shop fittings.

The Gateshead firm has received a £60,000 Grant for Business Investment (GBI) from One North East to help bolster its plans, which includes relocating to larger premises and investing in new machinery.

It also received assistance from Tyne and Wear Development Company. The business development agency advised SFOS on its business plan, helped it seek out and secure its new property and supported its GBI application.

The company is to relocate from two small sites at Felling Business Centre to a larger one on Saltmeadows Road, also in Gateshead, and invest in a new heater/oven used in shaping solid surfaces and additional CNC machinery.

It is hoped this will help it become better placed to cater to potential clients in the leisure industry, including hotels, bars and nightclubs.

SFOS chief executive Peter Atherton said: “We’re proud to be a very close knit company that firmly believes you’re only as strong as those you work with. I believe this is what has made the business such the success it is today, enabling us to double our turnover over the last year and we predict an even greater amount in the next.”

Funding will also be used to help create up to two new joinery jobs, adding to the already 13-strong team.

Alan Devlin, business finance specialist advisor at One North East, said: “One North East is pleased to lend its support to Specialist Fitout Services, which is a prime example of a North East business seeking to increase its share of the marketplace and expand upon its bespoke services, which is particularly encouraging in the current economic climate.”