AN engineering firm in the region has expanded by investing in new premises and machinery – and enjoying some of its best business – during the pandemic.

Turnmill Engineering, based at Washington Business Centre, works with businesses and individuals to help bring new products to market and improve production processes.

Specialising in the production of consumables, jigs and fixtures and machine components, the company was founded in 2018.

It has grown by 30 per cent year-on-year since its launch and, boosted by an uplift in orders during the pandemic, the firm is on track to record its best year to date.

The expansion, which has seen the firm increase its footprint three-fold, coincides with an investment in new machinery, including three Mazak CNC lathes machines, which will help the company achieve its target of increasing output by 50 per cent over the coming months as it looks to ramp up production.

Andrew Howe, co-founder and operations director, said: “We try to concentrate on jigs, fixtures and production line improvements but if you were to take one look at our order book then you’d soon see just how much of a wide range of projects we work across.

“We started out in 2018 by completing a handful of projects for clients primarily in the automotive sector however since then – literally by word of mouth – we have diversified and established ourselves in several key sectors including pharmaceuticals, motorsport and construction.”

Mr Howe said the firm gained new customers during the pandemic due to its production breakdown and line improvement service.

He said: “With manufacturers the world over forced to adhere to strict social distancing measures, companies began exploring new ways to reduce production costs and we have been fortunate in the fact that we’ve been able to help through the provision of new fixtures, jigs and product development and hopefully we can continue building on that momentum post-Covid.”

Turnmill moved to Washington Business Centre after being introduced to the office space by Sunderland City Council’s business investment team and being impressed by its flexibility and its ability to accommodate its future growth plans, which will see the company continue adding to its headcount over the next 12 months.

Mr Howe added: “What really impressed us about Washington Business Centre was the flexibility it offered us to grow. Since moving to the centre two and a half years ago, we’ve already expanded three times into larger units which has allowed us to continue scaling while causing minimum disruption to the business.

“Another advantage was its location, as it is situated ideally on the Nissan commuter belt. The North East is home to one of the largest automotive clusters in Europe and to be right at the beating heart of this has proven ideal for us as a company and has played a key role in helping us grow.

“We now have five members of staff and – following this latest move and the investment in new machinery – are looking to create a further two roles over the next 12 months, one of which will be an experienced engineer and one which will hopefully be at entry-level as we look to pass on our knowledge and know-how to the next generation, too.”

Sunderland City Council leader Graeme Miller described Turnmill Engineering as a 'fantastic success story' and said Washington Business Centre was launched to help SMEs scale and grow.