A FIRM manufacturing washroom supplies is set for a major move.
Disposables UK plans to bring all its operations and its 92-strong staff under one roof next year.
The relocation is part of a drive to create a “truly European” business by the firm, which was formed in 1987 and operates from five sites – its headquarters at Huddersfield Road, Meltham, three sites at Meltham Mills and a distribution centre in Milnsbridge.
Disposables UK is set to move to the former tractor plant at Meltham Mills, which will be vacated by Fred Lawton following its merger earlier this year with fellow textile company, William S Graham, of Dewsbury, to form Lawton Yarns Ltd.
Emma Wood, marketing manager at Disposables UK, said: “It was always our intention to get everyone under one roof. We have great staff, but it will help promote morale further to get everyone together. It will also enable us to run the business more efficiently.”
Sales director Paul Halliwell said the company had been “courted” by South Yorkshire authorities to move to Dodworth, Barnsley, at a time when grants were being offered to help regenerate the former coalfield areas, but added: “We are not going to move out of Meltham. Our staff are important and a lot of them live in this area.”
Emma said the move would start to happen in the first quarter of 2013 and would be completed over three to five months. “We have to be able to maintain production, service levels and delivery schedules,” she said. “We have a management team in place responsible for making sure it all goes to plan.”
Meanwhile, the company is focusing on promoting its two major ranges at events including The Cleaning Show at Birmingham’s NEC and Inter Clean, a major European event in Amsterdam – where it hopes to “max out” on the publicity gained as a supplier to the Olympics.
Disposables UK has launched Optisilk, a range of toilet tissues for the £240m away-from-home market, which supplies premises such as pubs, clubs, hospitals, hotels and universities.
The new range runs alongside its well-established Bay West value-added brand.
The company has invested a seven-figure sum in new machinery, including a laminating machine, to meet rising demand for its products – which has allowed it to bring Optisilk to market faster than expected.
Disposables UK already supplies washrooms at venues such as Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, the O2 Arena and Twickenham.
It also distributes to Europe with France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Rumania key markets. At present, almost 95% of export business is for Bay West products.
Paul said: “Over the next three years we are looking to grow between 10% and 12.5% year-on-year. We have expanded through natural growth rather than acquisition.”
The company is also recruiting more staff in light of its drive into Europe and planned growth in sales.
Said Emma: “We came out of 2008 having made our best-ever profit.
“The investments we are making mean we can continue to take on more business.”
