Expansion to see Barnsley hose manufacturer double workforce and surpass £2m turnover mark

A Barnsley manufacturing company, which exports products to over 50 countries, is looking to double its workforce after entering new markets and securing contract wins.

Xtraflex Ltd cuts and assembles bespoke hoses for customers in a range of sectors including the pharmaceutical, marine and automotive industries.

The company’s flexible hosing is used in the manufacture of products such as cosmetics, chocolate and other foodstuffs.

Currently employing a team of nine, Xtraflex is looking to double that to 18 by the end of 2017, which will also turnover grow from £1.8m to reach just over £2.3m.

This growth period is being spearheaded by the company’s recent export contract wins and moving into the milk production market in the UK and Ireland.

In the future, Xtraflex will also aim to move to larger custom-built premises from its current 6000 sq ft premises at Fallbank Industrial Estate at Dodworth in Barnsley.

Xtraflex exports to a total of 57 countries including Sweden, Spain, Canada, Australia and Singapore. The company exports 1,000 specialised safety hoses a month for the American fire brigade and also is ready to export 1.2 million metres of automotive hosing to the US and Mexico.

Most recently, Xtraflex won a contract to supply a customer involved in milk-based production in the West Midlands and in Ireland.

Simon Cooper, managing director, said: “We’re currently experiencing very exciting times here at Xtraflex. We’re always looking to push ourselves and grow as a business and we’re in the process of growing bigger and better than we’ve ever been.

“Because of this, we’ve obviously started to give some thought about moving to new premises but we’re not going far. We want to stay in Barnsley. We get great support and the transport links are great and really help a regular exporter like ourselves.”

Xtraflex was set up by its parent manufacturing company, Xtraflex NV, in Belgium. The two companies have recently implemented a system where they can work more in tandem, with a member of staff in Belgium being readily available online, live and acting as a member of staff for Xtraflex in Barnsley.

Simon added: “It’s great to have the guys over in Belgium on the screen all day as it means that we can work with each other and if they spot any tiny issues in any of our processes, we can rectify them before they become a problem. It’s allowing us to work much more efficiently knowing that we have an extra pair of eyes on our processes.”

Enterprising Barnsley, the business development arm of Barnsley Council, has supported Xtraflex with business matters and help in gaining accreditations.

Andy Arnold, business development manager at Enterprising Barnsley, said: “Xtraflex have some really exciting things going on at the moment from product innovation to new contract wins, so watch this space in the next year or so.

“They’re a great example of a company that is thriving in Barnsley. They tell me of all their products and countries that they export to and it’s hard to keep up.”

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