Glass maker invests in new premises

A GLASS manufacturer from Birkenhead has acquired a new property and machinery with funding from Barclays.
 
K-Seal Glass makes a range of glass products for the commercial and residential sectors.

The firm, which has nearly 50 staff, has bought The McKenna Building in Dock Road which was designed by Sir Arnold Thornely, who was he architect behind the Port of Liverpool building. It has also invested in new CNC machinery which will allow K-Seal to use laser and water jet technology to cut glass. The scale of the loan and the investment was not disclosed.

K-Seal was set up by Keith Nethercott in 1994 who went into partnership with ex-Pilkington Director Stephen Woolley in 2000. Since then, the company has diversified into toughened and laminated glass and has grown revenues from £800,000 to £4m.

Mr Woolley, managing director, said: “We are a long-standing customer of Barclays, and we’ve always been impressed by their sector focus, the relationship team, and their desire to support our business moving forwards.”

Scott Monks, Barclays relationship director said: “Barclays has enjoyed a strong relationship with Stephen and Keith over the years and their appetite and confidence to diversify and invest is testament to the quality of the management team and their highly skilled workforce. It also emphasises that Barclays is committed to supporting the ambitions of quality management teams and businesses across the region and the UK.”