Member Article

Future cemented for Rotherham's Carlton Manufacturing

Carlton Manufacturing, a developer and manufacturer of sustainable construction materials, has slashed production times by 99% thanks to a £1.2m total funding package from Finance Yorkshire.

The initial investment from Finance Yorkshire’s Seedcorn Fund, in March 2012, allowed Carlton to develop an initial range of bagged products and to commence selling into the independent builders’ merchant and timber merchant market place.

Further investment, from Finance Yorkshire’s Seedcorn Fund and Equity Linked Fund, allowed Carlton to move to new larger premises on Davey Road, Goldthorpe, Rotherham, and to radically change its manufacturing process with the purchase of Europe’s newest, state-of-the-art, automated bagging and palletising equipment.

The first pallet of ready mixed concrete which took the team ten hours to manufacture this time last year, now takes just over seven minutes to produce.

Chris Blaxall, financial director of Carlton Manufacturing, said: “Our sales are currently growing at a rate of 25 percent per month, and we have increased our headcount from a standing start to more than 20 over the last 12 months.

“The investment from Finance Yorkshire was fundamental to us being able to grow in line with customer demand.

“The Finance Yorkshire team agreed with our vision and have been extremely supportive throughout the past year enabling Carlton’s significant expansion.

“We are hoping that with the long-term investment from Finance Yorkshire, we are able to double the capacity of our business again next year.”

Carlton Manufacturing was founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Max Smith, together with his brother Guy and Chris Blaxall.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .