Joinery Manufacturers Help Made Smarter Reach 400th Project

Furniture and joinery manufacturers have helped Made Smarter North West reach a major milestone — funding its 400th technology adoption project.

The milestone was achieved after four more companies secured support to invest in digital tools and systems:

• Creative Joinery + Design in Brampton, specialists in bespoke commercial furniture and interior play areas;
• Parkdale Joinery (trading as English and Wood), based in Preston, producers of high-end kitchens and architectural joinery;
• H Miller Bros in Liverpool, manufacturers of hardwood kitchens; and
• Doorstore (Wirral) Limited in Birkenhead, specialists in UPVC, composite, and wooden doors.

Over the last seven years, manufacturers have accessed £7.4 million in matched funding from the government-backed, industry-led programme. This has unlocked £26 million of investment in technologies ranging from sensors and robotics to 3D printing and artificial intelligence.

These investments are forecast to generate more than 1,850 new jobs and upskill 3,300 existing roles, while delivering a £276 million boost to the regional economy over the next three years.

A ‘proud milestone’

Commenting on the milestone, Donna Edwards, Programme Director of Made Smarter, said: “Reaching our 400th funded technology project is a proud milestone for Made Smarter and a powerful demonstration of what manufacturers in the North West can achieve with the right support.

“Over the last seven years, we’ve seen hundreds of SMEs take confident steps towards digitalisation, boosting productivity, creating jobs, and laying the groundwork for long-term growth.

“What excites me most is that this is just the beginning. With every new project, we’re building a stronger, smarter manufacturing base — better equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow and lead the way in innovation, resilience, and sustainability.”

Creative Joinery + Design was awarded a £16,000 grant towards a £32,000 investment in a large-format 3D printer — a move that marks the next step in the company’s digital transformation journey.

A new level

Peter and Christopher Johnson, Co-owners of Creative Joinery, said: “Made Smarter’s guidance was instrumental in helping us identify the right technology to invest in. We’ve always prided ourselves on innovation and creativity, but introducing large-format 3D printing has taken that to a new level.”

“This technology unlocks new design possibilities, halves the time it takes to produce certain components, and reduces the labour required by up to 75%. We can now offer more complex, custom solutions at a lower cost, with less waste, and in a way that supports our ambition to reach net zero by 2035.”

“The impact on our business is huge. It increases our production capacity, gives us the confidence to explore new markets and offer rapid prototyping services, and will support the creation of new jobs while upskilling our existing team.”

“It’s a transformational step — one that puts us at the forefront of our industry and strengthens our reputation as forward-thinking manufacturers.”

Enhancing not replacing

Parkdale Joinery, trading as English and Wood, secured a grant of £20,000 towards a project to invest £45,000 for an AES Sirius 950M CNC Drilling and routing machine, and design software package.

Joel Parkinson, Managing Director, said: “We’ve built our reputation on crafting beautiful, bespoke products by hand. But as demand has grown, we recognised the need to evolve. With support from Made Smarter, we’ve been able to invest in a CNC drilling and routing machine and advanced design software, bringing a digital element into our process for the first time.

“This technology hasn’t replaced our craftsmanship – it has enhanced it. The new system speeds up the dull, repetitive elements of production, such as manufacturing carcasses and sheet material processing, while allowing us to preserve the hands-on approach and design flexibility our clients value in our frontages and finishes.

*It means we can now produce the same work in a third of the time, increasing capacity and throughput with a greater degree of accuracy without compromising on quality. It’s a big step forward that will help us grow the business, create new jobs, and upskill our current team.”

Transforming the business

Miller Bros accessed a grant of £19,000 towards a project to invest £39,000 into a Dynamics CDS 1530 nesting CNC router and Cabinet Visions parametric CadCam.

Howard Miller, Director, said: “Taking part in Made Smarter introduced us to a raft of ideas that completely transformed our business.

“We’ve adopted LEAN principles, upgraded software, introduced new admin and sales systems, invested in up to date machinery and streamlined our products.

We  at least halved the time it takes to complete each project. We’ve still got the same staff, but everyone is significantly more productive.

“The value from Made Smarter was in the detailed, bespoke advice for our business and in giving us the confidence to make big investments.”

As well as grant funding, Made Smarter offers SME manufacturers a range of support, including digital transformation workshops, impartial technology advice, leadership and skills training, and a digital internship programme.

To learn more about how Made Smarter can help your business to innovate and grow, visit www.madesmarter.uk