Cushy numbers up for upholstery firm

INDEPENDENT upholstery company GNG Foam Converters (Lancs) is embarking on an investment programme which will bring 40 new jobs.

The business, based in Littleborough near Rochdale, will use £530,000 of its own funds – boasted by a further £170,000 from the Textiles Growth Programme – to refurbish an existing 18,000 manufacturing facility and purchase the latest foam production machinery.

The investment will allow GNG to increase the number of cut foam and fibre seating products it produces for many of the UK’s major furniture manufactures and retailers.

It will also enable GNG to further expand its production of memory foam mattress toppers, as well as introduce a range of memory foam mattresses.

Latest figures for GNG (Nov 2013) put its turnover at £10m with a pre-tax profit of £333,429.

“This is a particularly exciting time for everyone at GNG Foam Converters,” said managing director, Mark Needham. “With growing orders from our existing customer base, combined with our plans to further develop the business, we either had to increase manufacturing capacity at Littleborough, or relocate to new premises.

The company has had guidance from Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) which helped his application to the Textiles Growth Programme.
 
Needham said: “We have almost completed the refurbishment of one of our existing manufacturing facilities to provide new sewing capabilities, and have invested in new CNC foam slitting, gluing and production machinery.

“This represents a substantial investment for our business and underlines our longstanding commitment to the Rochdale area and to strengthening textiles and furniture manufacturing in the UK.”