A Sunderland-based manufacturer of dental products has received funding to scale up its operation, creating jobs in the process.
Ashford Orthodontics, which is part of ALS Group, has used £200,000 from The Growth Fund as part of a £1.1m project to transform the firm's handcraft production into an automated operation which has already landed it a major contract. Directors say the firm has the potential to become the biggest manufacturer of its type in Europe in the next three to five years - targeting a demand for dental products such as crowns, bridges and dentures which is being hampered by a shortage of skilled technicians in the UK.
Previously, Ashford's specialism was making retainers for use after patients had braces removed. The firm recognised a demand for aligners which gradually change the position of a patient's teeth and had been making some products via labour-intensive means, lacking the technology needed to scale up.
