Family-owned joinery firm MWC has centralised its manufacturing on a single site in Swindon and secured a contract to supply bamboo flooring to department store group John Lewis.
The firm, based in Cirencester, previously produced its range of wooden windows, doors and shop display equipment, at sites in Fosse Cross, Cirencester and Hillmead, Swindon.
It has now moved all manufacturing to a 54,000 sq ft factory on Swindon’s South Marston Business Park where it employs 70 people and is looking to recruit more staff as the joinery part of the business continues to grow.
The new unit will also distribute MWC’s new, environmentally-friendly range of bamboo products, including flooring which is being sold at 28 John Lewis homeware stores across the UK.
The relocation and expansion into bamboo flooring have been supported by funding from Clydesdale Bank’s Gloucester Financial Solutions Centre (FSC).
MWC director Lisa Wooldridge, who works in the business with her managing director father David Bowers and brother Jonathan Bowers – the firm’s business development director – said it is an exciting time in the company’s 46-year history.
“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 Moso bamboo flooring products for John Lewis. They have been really enthusiastic about the new range and we’re starting to see orders coming through.
“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.”
Business partner at Clydesdale Bank’s Gloucester FSC John Cary said: “We were delighted to fund MWC’s new premises at South Marston Business Park, which has enabled them to pitch for new contracts. The link-up with a high-street giant like John Lewis is the best possible endorsement of their products.”
MWC’s head office remains in Cirencester.
Pictured, from the left, John Cary (Clydesdale Bank) with David Bowers, Lisa Wooldridge and Jonathan Bowers of MWC
