The initiative includes provision of a specialist manufacturing advisor to carry out an on-site review of key barriers and opportunities for growth, setting out recommendations and identifying particular actions that will unlock growth and help achieve improvements in productivity and competitiveness. Pure Lakes Skincare in Staveley, which, manufactures eco-friendly skin care products from natural ingredients, has benefited from the service.

Owners Gareth and Claire had ambitions to grow the business and contacted the Cumbria Business Growth Hub for help. Nigel Goodrich from the Cumbria Manufacturing Service came in to assess the businesses and identify opportunities for growth and increased productivity.

Together they devised a consultancy project, with the Cumbria Manufacturing Service providing 30% grant funding. It is being used to develop a strategy for business development and a marketing plan to reach new audiences and develop an e-commerce strategy.

Gareth explains: “We have three routes to market. Direct sales to hotels, through local retailers, and direct to consumers online. We are already growing quite significantly with new hotels on board such as Low Wood Bay and the Brimstone in Langdale. That has been a game changer. The project has helped us enormously.”
Cumbria Manufacturing Service grants can be used to cover a wide range of topics such as patents and intellectual property, design, training, quality & standards, finance, IT/software, sales and marketing strategy and operational excellence and efficiency.
For further information,
visit manufacturingnorthwest.com orcumbriagrowthhub.co.uk/cumbria-manufacturing-service