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.
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Rich Dodds, Ashford's commercial director, explained: "We knew the market was there and that we could do the work by hand, but we knew that wasn’t sustainable for scaling up while keeping costs down and delivering a consistently high-quality product.
"We identified three different areas of our production process where we could introduce automation to scale our work. We bought more advanced thermoforming machinery, five 3D large scale printers and two automated aligner trimming machines."
Among the 18 new jobs created by the investment are an operators development manager and several 3D printing roles. The move is said to have freed-up Ashford's technicians to focus on computer-aided design and manufacture of products tailored to each patient's mouth.
Mr Dodds added: "For us, introducing automation isn’t about replacing people with machines. It’s about enhancing people’s jobs and allowing them to develop in different ways that also enables us to scale.
"There are aspects of the process that you could never automate because it needs our team’s skills and experience, and we always value that. Our team are seeing the benefits, commenting that they don’t know how they used to do without this technology before."
Ashford was advised by The Growth Fund team along with UMi project advisers and application support from Newcastle-based accountancy firm UNW LLP. Mr Dodds added: “The team were supportive from day one. They demonstrated a lot of skill in listening, understanding our business, and asking the right questions. They were on the journey with us the whole way.
“Applying to The Growth Fund is a no-brainer. If you have a compelling business case that will create more jobs and bring in more revenue, then my advice is to go for it. The grant massively reduces the risk, which for us was helpful for convincing our board to go ahead.
“I would advise other companies to think about what they need ahead of beginning their application, to help the process go smoothly.”
Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council , said: “Sunderland is home to so many phenomenally innovative businesses, and Ashford Orthodontics is certainly one of them. It’s fantastic to see them accessing the support available to unlock their vast potential and accelerate their growth and development. We look forward to seeing their continued growth, as they look to exploit the opportunities provided by automation.”
Mike Baker, The Growth Fund senior project manager, said: “Ashford’s bold vision for becoming an orthodontics manufacturer by embracing new technologies is a great example of how you can unlock growth even when your product is bespoke."
Lara Marshall, grant support services manager at UNW , said: “We are delighted to be part of the grant funding scheme which delivers funding to ambitious companies such as Ashford Orthodontics. The impact of the new technology is bringing in new business, creating new jobs and allowing them to dream big for the future of the company.”
The Growth Fund is a £4.5m programme of investment part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund that supports SME growth across Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland local authorities. It is managed by UMi.
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