Sharp growth ahead for Sheffield knife firm with new multi-million pound factory

A Sheffield knife manufacturer has secured £1.56m funding to develop a new factory in the city.

Fernite of Sheffield has secured funding from NatWest to expand to new premises in Orgreave.

The company, which exports around 40 per cent of its products to Europe, North America and South America, will buy and develop a 33,000 sq ft warehouse to house its workforce of 48 staff.

James Kitching, managing director of Fernite of Sheffield, commented: “Our goal as a business is to be the best machine knife company in the world and in order to do that, we needed a bigger and more suitable space.

“A key benefit of the new factory is that we’ll be able to host our customers there so we can work ever more closely with them to develop tailored solutions for their cutting needs, while the increased space will also allow us to optimise production to provide the best service.

“Very importantly, we want the factory to be somewhere our staff are proud of and enjoy working at. This will help us to recruit the best talent in the region.”

Commenting on the new funding, he continued: “We’ve got a great relationship with NatWest and the funding package we obtained from the bank was crucial in allowing us to take this next step in our growth.”

William Islip, relationship director at NatWest, added: “Since taking over the business six years ago, James has built a really solid company.

“He’s incredibly forward thinking and is always looking to make improvements across the business to boost its profitability. I have enjoyed working with the business for many years now and I look forward to seeing what Fernite of Sheffield can achieve in its new home.”