Investment pays off at plastic products manufacturer

A Sheffield business aims to create at least 20 jobs after securing funds from the South Yorkshire Business Productivity Programme to improve its manufacturing process.

Launching production during the pandemic in 2020, PolyProducts makes plastic products ranging from aquatics and garden products to defibrillator cases and even radar components, which are manufactured using vacuum forming and rotational moulding.

The firm is part of the Poly Group of Companies, which has been trading in Sheffield for almost 40 years. PolyProducts employs nine members of staff, and is presently recruiting further employees.

Central to the company’s growth plans was the purchase of a rotational moulding machine.

However, with new machines costing from £250,000 to £500,000, PolyProducts bought a second-hand machine, which it planned to modify to improve productivity.

After securing a match-funded grant through the Business Productivity Programme, company owners Julie Garner and Andrew Oldale were able to introduce new software, allowing the cycle times and temperature of the machine to be controlled more effectively.

The improved controls helped PolyProducts automate parts of its manufacturing process, increasing capacity and generating energy bill savings.

Since implementing this technology, the business has added over seven hours of production each week.

It is now planning to invest in additional rotational moulding machines, and as a result of the increased capacity it hopes to create over 20 new jobs during the next five years.

Garner, director, PolyProducts UK, said: “When Covid-19 forced us to re-think our priorities, we used the time to review all aspects of the business. The help we received from Business Sheffield enabled us to create significant time savings in our manufacturing processes.

“The grant funding we secured has helped the business operate more effectively, and I estimate we will be able to save around £50,000 per annum due to the changes we’ve made.”

Dan Wilkinson, key account manager, South Yorkshire Business Productivity Programme, added: “PolyProducts makes an incredibly diverse range of products. However, faced with a changing marketplace and rising energy costs, the company knew it needed to invest in its equipment to meet customer demand.

“The support received through the Business Productivity Grant has helped the company to not only operate more efficiently in terms of the amount of energy it needs to manufacture its product range but has also helped create new jobs within the business as well as helping it seize new market opportunities.”

The Business Productivity Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It is delivered by Enterprising Barnsley, Business Sheffield, Business Doncaster and the Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RiDO).