Teesside firm secures £28k funding for expansion

A Teesside supplier of workwear solutions for UK companies is set to expand with a cash grant.

Caswellsgroup, a workplace supplies firm based in Billingham with over 40 years of trading experience, has secured £28k of funding from Tees Valley Business Compass to expand its embroidery operation.

The firm has also undertaken a refinancing deal with Handelsbanken to support the expansion. Both deals were supported by accountancy firm Anderson Barrowcliff.

The firm supplies everything from personal protective equipment and branded workwear to catering supplies and cleaning products.

Caswellsgroup finance manager, David Roebuck, said: “The grant and loan will finance a 6,000 ft extension to our embroidery building, which will improve the workflow, and allow us to invest in bigger, better machinery.

“We’re seeing a huge rise in demand, especially in companies wanting their branding on all of their products, and this extension will allow us to take advantage of that, taking on larger orders and speeding up turnaround.

“The funding and expansion will give us the opportunity to seek and secure larger contracts from a variety of industries. We will also be taking on at least six extra staff members, from drivers to embroidery workers.”

The firm has gone from strength to strength since it was launched as a small shop by Derek Caswell in 1971. Now run by his son, Peter, the business has occupied its current site for 20 years and employs 40 people, serving clients across the UK.

Caswellsgroup’s commercial manager, Paul Murphy, added: “Our clients range from sole traders to global blue-chip companies.

“This is due to our ability to offer individual products and niche services such as our onsite pad printing facility and our state-of-the-art design and embroidery service.

“We’ve always been a forward-thinking firm and we pride ourselves at being at the forefront of the technology available in the industry.”