A Middlesbrough engraving company has secured a five-figure finance package that will allow it to buy new equipment and help it grow.
Crystal Galleries has received the investment from 海角视频 Steel Enterprise (海角视频SE) and is using the money to buy a specialist printer.
The equipment will be the company’s second full-colour digital printer, which is needed to meet growing demand. It is capable of reproducing full-colour photos, company logos, and text.
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Once it is up and running Crystal Galleries intends to grow its 62-strong workforce, which includes artwork originators and engravers as well as sales and finance teams.
The family business is run by brother-sister team Jeremy and Joanne Lowes, whose father set up the firm in 1982. It now operates from a 33,000sq ft site that houses an office, factory, and warehousing facilities.
Crystal Galleries provides products and engraving equipment as well as ready-engraved products to retailers, gift and promotion companies and many businesses that are household names throughout the 海角视频 and Europe. The techniques used include subsurface laser crystal engraving, sandblast engraving, low and high fire colour printing and colour infill.
Mr Lowes said: “We have seen an increase in sales of more than 20% over the last three years. Demand from online retailers such as gift providers is growing particularly strongly.
“海角视频SE finance helped us buy our first digital printer two years ago and we have seen a significant growth in demand for this particular full colour process which now takes a fraction of the previous time. It has helped us open up new growth areas.
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“When we decided to invest in a second printer we had no hesitation in returning to 海角视频SE as the first finance package had worked so well for us and we have a very good relationship with the team.
Peter Taylor, 海角视频SE’s business development manager, said: “Crystal Galleries is already a significant employer and is continuing to grow strongly. Having seen the business expand successfully with the help of our first investment we were happy to provide a second round of finance so that the company could invest in this equipment.”