Member Article

Telford firm sitting pretty with sales boost

A specialist seating manufacturer isn’t sitting back after seeing sales rise by a third and is now setting its sights on securing a record turnover in 2016.

Shropshire-based Nomique, which designs and manufactures contemporary and ergonomic seating, saw revenue soar to over £4 million last year on the back of a series of new designs.

The company, which prides itself on using traditional production techniques, has worked with the Business Growth Service’s Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to sharpen its shop floor processes and Operations Director Peter Cole said it was already reaping rewards.

Now, the directors have set a target of £6 million turnover within two years, which would be the highest since the firm was founded in 2002.

Peter said: “Last year was a real success. The first quarter of this year has slightly flat-lined, so we are maintaining that growth. However, we are aware there is a lot of work out there and we’re confident it will be another strong year.

“Like most businesses, the priority has to be the design, innovation and introduction of new products to the market.”

He continued: “We have many ideas on the drawing board, which have been getting a fantastic reception and we are anticipating good things will come from that. Like most industries, we need a constant stream of new products to keep the customer interested.”

Nomique secured some of its largest-ever orders last year, including a contract for 800 chairs for a major local authority and several deals with Scottish universities.

The company, which employs 34 people at its Telford headquarters, has unveiled two new ranges that the management team believes will drive even more success.

Lux is a new range of fully upholstered tub and wing back chairs and sofas, which seeks to encourage brainstorming, relaxation and discussion, while Moka Felt is comfortable and environmentally-friendly with a crushed felt seat.

Nomique staff worked with Business Growth Manager Neill Smith to access funding to improve planning, giving the firm better costing, greater stock control, integration with accounts and scheduling.

Peter added: “We worked together on some improvements we needed to make in production planning and how it all goes through the shop floor.

“It helps when you have better traceability of production and more clarity of information – you understand better what is going on and can plan production better.”

The company turned to the Business Growth Service for further support at the end of last year, accessing market research assistance and competitor analysis to help with the development of a new ‘high-tech chair’.

Business Growth Manager Neill Smith concluded: “Nomique is a fantastic example of how external support can make a major difference to the bottom line of manufacturing firms.

“We identified that the company’s growth would benefit from having greater control over production and throughput, allowing it to meet customer deadlines and make informed decisions on purchasing and scheduling.

“The results have been a much more effective workflow and enhanced communication across all areas of the business. Going forward, the next step is to turn this into annual sales and I fully expect Nomique to meet its target of £6m by 2016.”

Introducing the Business Growth Service

The Business Growth Service helps businesses with the right level of ambition, capability and capacity to improve and grow. It brings together a broad range of expertise so that businesses can get the right advice and support to fulfill their growth potential.

The service includes support from GrowthAccelerator, the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), design support from the Design Council and Intellectual Property Audits from the Intellectual Property Office.

UKTI (UK Trade and Investment) and UKEF (UK Export Finance) work with the Business Growth Service to provide export support where it is needed and the service is closely linked with Innovate UK and the British Business Bank.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .