Joinery manufacturer moves to bigger premises thanks to funding

A FAMILY-OWNED joinery manufacturer has moved into larger premises and won a contract with John Lewis, thanks to funding from a UK bank.MWC, based in Cirencester, has moved to a 54,000sq ft unit which will be the base to manufacture retail shop display equipment and to distribute its new, environmentally-friendly range of bamboo products.The products include flooring for John Lewis, which is being sold at 28 of its homeware stores across the UK.The company has moved to its new premises, in Swindon, with support from Clydesdale Bank's Gloucester Financial Solutions Centre (FSC).

MWC will retain its head office in Cirencester.It currently employs around 70 staff and is looking to recruit more for the joinery area of the business.Director Lisa Wooldridge, who works alongside her father, managing director David Bowers, and brother Jonathan Bowers, said this was an exciting time in the history of the company."It made business sense to move our manufacturing operation to one site because it is more efficient and we have made a number of financial savings," she said.

Furniture Manufacturing Relationships Build Growth."The new factory is big enough to cope with all the different strands of the business which now includes supplying a range of Moso bamboo flooring products to John Lewis."They have been really enthusiastic about the new range, which is now available in their stores, and we're starting to see orders coming through.John Cary, business partner at Clydesdale Bank's Gloucester FSC, said the company had entered the bamboo market at the right time.