Product development and investment have been key business strategies for Midlands staircase manufacturer Staircraft Ltd and this has guided the company successfully through recession, culminating in plans to expand production early next year.
A raft of new products have been launched and a temporary guardrail system is about to be released, which the company believes will be its biggest advancement yet. As with the others, it is aimed at providing an innovative product with time and cost savings that have benefits through the supply chain.
"The turnover year-on-year has considerably improved through the recession and we have continued to pick up new clients and grow existing relationships," said commercial manager Aaron Campbell. "Our strength is very much production and product innovation."
Sales have doubled in just a few years, with turnover in 2013 projected to be around £7.5m. The 40,000ft² factory produces 400 flights a week, but has a capacity for 550 flights. It recently invested about £1m in a paint line to provide three-part priming to improve finish and save builders time and money on decorating costs.
The Nuneaton-based company is planning a second factory to be operational in the first quarter of next year at a site soon to be confirmed. The company said a £1m investment on CNC production machinery will follow and up to 25 jobs, bringing the number to 100. The aim is to achieve a £10m turnover and open a third factory, not necessarily in the Midlands, and longer term to supply other sectors. Staircraft is also working on expanding its bespoke work.
Mr Campbell said the expansion would help Staircraft position itself to meet increased levels of housebuilding activity and to provide additional capacity and open up opportunities to supply new customers.
"Our key customers are the major housebuilders," he said. "We have to demonstrate to them that we are growing and can grow with them, and also that we can supply any kind of staircase for our customers and can support their growth plans."
The latest product is the Temporary Guardrail, which the company believes offers huge health and safety benefits as well as the potential to show large savings to the builder during first fix. It is based on Staircraft’s test clip system, which enables quick fitting of components by use of a male and female socket that locks in position. The Demountable Balustrades system also enables easy removal of handrail and spindles for movement of large furniture.
The guardrail is pre-cut to pitch and length, and supplied free with a staircase. The ancillary items are at additional cost but at a fraction of the cost of metal systems, the company said. The system has been assessed to European standards and integrates with the test clip system.
Working with customers
"We worked with our customers and the industry on the problem of falls from height in the building trade," said Mr Campbell. "When a staircase is fixed it will have some kind of temporary edge protection fitted, but our system is easy to fit, is tested and very cost-effective, and is an integral part of our staircase."
The increase in the building of three-storey homes with winding staircases had also led Staircraft to develop a bulk-head system to the underside, which increases headroom and provides a neat and simple finish. It uses patented corner blocks that can be factory or site fitted. Dry liners are then fixed direct and skimmed or painted as an alternative to expensive swept wet plaster or the additional carpentry costs of a boxed or stepped finish. The stairs can still be finished traditionally.
This was developed specifically because our customers weren’t happy with traditional finishing methods, and it is now standard for all Staircraft staircases," said Mr Campbell. "We have found a way to integrate it into our standard design and make it competitively priced."
Another product developed as a costeffective solution to an industry problem is a slip-resistant film for tread protection and safety. Protecting staircase flights has been problematic in balancing protection with installing and maintaining safety measures to cut down on falls. Staircraft’s Tread Protection was developed from feedback about growing safety concerns among building inspectors. Until now the most common methods have been building paper, hardwood pads or rigid PVC, which can be easily removed or damaged.
Staircraft applies a high visibility film on the full width of treads, including winders, at the factory. It is later scribed and peeled away, leaving clean stairs, which provides savings for the builder as well as the health and safety benefits.
Mr Campbell said the company identified ideas for new products through industry working groups, hearing from its customers and day-to-day contact with the housebuilding sector. "Every idea we have goes through many processes. Other suppliers are doing similar things, but we concentrate on doing it in a way that is cost-effective for us and has commercial benefits for our customers."
