Manufacturer lands £500,000 growth loan

A Greater Manchester manufacturing firm is boosting production capacity after securing funding to modernise its factory and expand into new markets.

Heyside Group, an injection-moulding manufacturer based in Oldham, has secured £500,000 from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) loan fund to upgrade its operations and increase automation at its production facility.

The family-run business produces high-volume PVC injection-moulded products used across the traffic management, utilities and infrastructure sectors. 

Bosses say the new investment will support a shift away from traditional manual processes toward a more automated manufacturing environment.

They add that the upgrades are expected to increase production capacity by up to 60 per cent over the next three years and generate as much as £4.8 million in additional annual revenue.

Much of the funding is being directed toward automation technology, including the installation of new tooling and a robotic arm designed to improve efficiency and product consistency. 

Older compression moulding processes are also being transferred onto modern injection lines as part of the upgrade.

Matt Pryce, managing director of Heyside Group, said: “The GMCA loan supports us in our three major ambitions: to expand our export activity; to grow our product development capability; and to expand into new materials.

“Everything we’re doing now, in both increasing our production capacity and diversifying what we can produce, is laying the foundation for a future where we’re seen as the go-to choice for injection-moulded products and recycled PVC pellets.”

The company has also received support from the Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub, which connected the business with the University of Lancashire and the University of Salford for specialist expertise in automation, robotics and materials.

Oldham Council has further backed the project with a £10,000 technology grant to install an automated feed system at the site.

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