Bright future as lighting company makes the switch

January 16, 2023
  • £30,000 Business Growth Programme funding helps create eight jobs 
  • Business growth of 50 per cent in two years 
  • Equipment purchased has brought manufacturing process in-house 

Bright future as lighting company makes the switch

A specialist lighting company from Herefordshire has transformed its production process and expanded its workforce thanks to support from the Marches Growth Hub. 

Hector Finch Lighting Ltd received a £30,000 Business Growth Programme grant to help owners Hector and Emma Finch expand into new premises in Leominster. As a result of the move, the business has brought its manufacturing processes in-house and created up to eight new jobs.

It was supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership’s business support service, the Marches Growth Hub, delivered in Herefordshire by the LEP’s partners, Herefordshire Council.  

Emma said: “The grant from the Business Growth Programme (BGP) supported the purchase of kit-out costs in our new home at Easters Court as well as creating a new loading bay and bringing the production in-house. 

“The Marches Growth Hub was hugely helpful in supporting us to access the funding and we initially aimed to create three jobs but we’ve created more than that. The whole experience has been extremely positive for us. 

“Our ability to grow since we have been at Easters Court has helped to deliver 50 per cent growth in the last two years. We would never have managed that in our old premises because we just physically didn’t have the space, either for the stock or the production, the boxes or the staff.” 

Emma said contract details for the new premises meant that the BGP application process was very time sensitive. The company was supported in the application by the Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire team from Herefordshire Council.  

She said: “We worked closely with the Marches Growth Hub to put the application together as it can be demanding but it was an interesting process. In many ways, it helps you discipline yourself to really think about what you are wanting to achieve out of the project and to put together a business plan and really work the figures through in a meaningful way. I would say it was a pretty positive experience all round.” 

Hector added: “With the new investment we have tried to make it much more of a full manufacturing process. What we buy in is the basic raw material, which is mainly brass, and we manufacture most of our components here on site with our new CNC machinery. 

“The lights are then metal-finished and wired in-house. This is a big change on where we were a short time ago, when a lot of all the components, and the finishing and any painting, were all outsourced.” 

Amongst the new employees are skilled local engineers who had previously been made redundant. Emma said the new premises were also helping to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, both by reducing the number of miles components were being transported and through better insulation and energy saving. 

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Birmingham City Council, the Business Growth Programme offers grants of £2,500 to £1,000,000 and is designed to strengthen supply chains, stimulate innovation and help businesses grow. The programme is available to both start-ups and existing B2B SMEs in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.  

Grant funding is limited and subject to availability for companies which meet the eligibility criteria.  

For more information about the Business Growth Programme and other grants available to businesses, visit www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/  

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The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership has now ceased trading and transferred all its functions to Shropshire Council working with Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council, in line with the UK Government's plans for devolution.

The Marches LEP was established in 2011 and hands over an impressive legacy from its 13-year life. In that time the LEP invested over £196m in projects across the Marches, securing in excess of £100m of match funding and supported more than 66,000 business interactions.

The schemes supported have made tangible differences to local communities, increasing skills, creating jobs and improving the physical appearance of many towns.

We would like to thank all the LEP Board Members who have given their time freely over the life of the LEP, as well as all the staff who worked for the LEP over the years. We also want to thank our delivery partners, local education providers and local, regional and national stakeholders who helped us achieve so much.

The Marches Growth Hub will continue to support businesses and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Each of the three Local Authorities will also continue to provide direct business support locally. Details of this support will be available through the Marches Growth Hub website and from the Local Authorities directly. Website: www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk | email: enquiries@marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

The Marches Careers Hub will continue to be delivered and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Website: www.marchescareershub.co.uk | email: info@marchescareershub.co.uk

For any queries about Getting Building Fund (GBF), Local Growth Fund (LGF) and Marches Investment Fund (MIF) projects supported by the Marches LEP please contact: gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk

For any finance queries please contact: michelle.hodgkiss@shropshire.gov.uk

The solvent liquidation of the Marches LEP is being managed by the Evelyn Partners Limited. For any matter related to this please contact: Camilla.Mulholland@evelyn.com

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