£3m investment in office furniture factory
A Bradford company which makes office furniture has confirmed it will spend £3m on its manufacturing plant at Thornbury, in Bradford.
Flexiform, which has a £29m turnover, said that for many years it has been operating at full capacity which has restricted the growth of the company.
Its Managing Director, Nick Hewitt, supported by MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre), carried out a valued mapping exercise to identify issues within the Bradford factory and any site constraints or bottlenecks.
As part of the £3m investment, the firm has bought a Bystronic Laser Cutter and a Salvagnini Panel Bender. These machines are being installed in the warehouse, with employees receiving training.
In the next three to four years the business intends to work on transforming its production facility and systems within the warehouse, increasing its production capacity by 40% and an additional surge capacity of 20% without increasing the site footprint.
As well as its manufacturing plant in Bradford, Flexiform has showrooms in London and Scotland. Its clients have included the NHS Business Services Authority, Fox Media Group, St Mary’s University and Leeds City Council.
Alongside office furniture, the company has a sister brand, Asgard Secure Steel Storage, which designs and makes high security metal shed for both the public and private organisations.
Hewitt said: “Investing in up-to-date technology and reconfiguring the current space that we have will help Flexiform and Asgard grow considerably while staying in our West Yorkshire routes.
“The business will embrace the latest production technology to deliver a lean, modern and high production facility.”
A spokesman for the company added: “We have been manufacturing high quality office furniture in the UK for more than 40 years. Over the last decade, we have grown to a £29m turnover, manufacturing office furniture for government organisations, major Blue-Chip companies, the education market and private businesses.
“With all these changes, we are extremely excited about the opportunities they will present in the future.”
