Newcastle manufacturer speedily scales up sanitisation system production

A Newcastle-based manufacturer’s has exponentially ramped up production after demand for its sanitisation system increased by ten-fold during the pandemic.

Biofresh Group Ltd, which is headquartered in Stocksfield, Northumberland and has production facilities in Gateshead and Huddersfield, has seen orders for its Cubo3 equipment rise rapidly since the beginning of March.

Designed to disinfect a range of internal settings from care homes, hospitals and ambulances to hotels, schools and public transport, it emits a high concentration of ozone gas that decomposes to ordinary oxygen on release – a reaction which decontaminates the air and all surfaces.

Biofresh, which was founded in 2003 and employs 20 people, is now using a £160k Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loan sourced through Lloyds Bank to shift its manufacturing model and acquire the raw materials to quickly increase production of Cubo3.

Jonathan Caisley, founder and managing director of Biofresh Group Ltd, said: “Our company changed completely, almost overnight; there was simply no time for a period of readjustment.

“We had to respond immediately to be able to build the products and protect the future of our business.

“The Lloyds Bank team understood that a delay of a couple of weeks would have had a fatal impact for the business and were fantastic in working to get the funding through in a matter of days.”

Chris Middleton, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, added: “When Jonathan and his team got in touch with us, we knew time was of the essence.

“Not only did the business need to buy-in the materials to guarantee supply to its customers, it had to be in a position to pay its suppliers quickly.

“These innovations will go a long way to helping organisations in the UK and across the continent keep people safe and we look forward to continue supporting the business as it makes a meaningful difference.”