Member Article

Sign manufacturer invests in cutting edge machinery

ONE of the country’s leading sign manufacturers has made a significant investment in state of the art machinery which will improve efficiency and productivity.

Astley has added a water jet cutter to its factory floor in Gateshead as part of its commitment to national growth in 2015. Two machine operators have been recruited as part of the investment.

The high powered machine provides Astley with greater flexibility as it uses water mixed with various abrasive solutions to cut intricate shapes out of a range of materials up to 12 inches thick including metal, glass, stone and ceramic. The cold cutting process is incredibly accurate and gives a smooth edge reducing the finishing time of the product.

The machine represents another step forward for the business and comes on the back of several national contract wins for Astley which have resulted in a recruitment drive across its offices at Leeds, Milton Keynes and Glasgow, as well as its head office at Team Valley.

David Forrester, Sales Director and co-owner of Astley, said: “The water jet cutter is industry leading machinery which will certainly improve our efficiency and productivity and therefore make us more competitive as a business.

“The water jet cutter will complement our existing machines and help us to continue our ambitious growth plans in the year we celebrate 25 years under the current director structure. It’s a very exciting time for Astley.”

The company’s portfolio of clients includes many of the UK’s leading blue chip brands, including the Hilton Hotel Group, Frankie and Benny’s, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, the Co-operative Group and Esso, while it has also designed the signs for local leisure facilities including the Metro Centre and Eldon Square when they became part of the Intu Group and Metro Radio Arena.

Astley has seen its annual turnover increase year on year and in 2012 underwent a major re-brand, which saw it become known as Astley, which incorporates Astley Signs, Astley Imaging and Astley Maintenance.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Leanne English .