Joinery manufacturer joins Clydesdale Bank and invests in expansion

11th June 2012

A family-owned joinery manufacturer based in Cirencester has moved into larger premises and won a contract with John Lewis thanks to support from Clydesdale Bank.

MWC previously manufactured a wide range of joinery products including windows, doors and retail shop display equipment over three sites at Fossecross, Cirencester and Hillmead in Swindon.

The company, which started trading in 1966, has now moved to a 54,000 sq ft premises in South Marston Business Park, Swindon, with support from Clydesdale Bank's Gloucester Financial Solutions Centre (FSC).

The new unit will be the base to manufacture retail shop display equipment and to distribute its new, environmentally friendly range of bamboo products including flooring for John Lewis, which is being sold at 28 of its homeware stores across the UK.

MWC will retain its head office in Cirencester.

Working alongside her managing director father, David Bowers, and brother Jonathan Bowers, who is business development director, Lisa Wooldridge, who is a director at MWC, 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.

"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.

"We currently have around 70 employees and we're looking to recruit new staff for the joinery area of the business.

"We are a new customer of Clydesdale Bank, and we have been really pleased with the support and advice we have received. The team there is easy to work with and they had an innovative way of looking at the funding we needed."

John Cary, business partner at Clydesdale Bank's Gloucester FSC, said the company had entered the market for bamboo products at the right time.

"This is an expanding market with more and more consumers considering the environment when buying products. Bamboo is not only highly durable for flooring but it is one of the fastest growing plants in the world which makes it environmentally friendly," he said.

"We were delighted to fund MWC's new premises at South Marston Business Park, which is making their production more efficient.

"This has enabled them to pitch for new contracts, and the link-up with a high-street giant like John Lewis is the best possible endorsement of their products. I look forward to working with MWC as they look to expand further."