Directors at Dundee processor and manufacturer Ravensby Glass say they have placed their faith in the company’s workforce after investing £6 million to expand its presence in the city.
The firm which specialises in toughening glass for use in the construction sector, and the manufacture of the sealed units which are in turn used to make windows has opened a new factory on the city’s Tom Johnston Road as it seeks to target larger commercial markets more aggressively.
The move has already created 25 new jobs, with hopes that new employment can increase to 35 by the middle of next year and 50, with the addition of a second shift, inside 36 months.
The new plant, which includes significant investment in sector-leading machinery, also increases the company’s Dundee manufacturing footprint by 40,000ft2. It can handle panes of up to six metres by three metres, and of the kind increasingly used in larger office and other commercial developments.
Ravensby, founded in 1985, hopes the new facility will enable it to win more business as the construction sector continues its resurgence.
The increased capacity is expected to boost output, while the increased size of the glass panes the company can handle will also help unlock supply deals for larger projects.
While the company already has a network of sales agents throughout England and delivers orders for projects in a string of major cities south of the border, it hopes to take a bigger slice of London’s burgeoning property market.
The chairman, Nicholas G Cunningham, said Ravensby, which saw turnover climb to £7.2m during the year to October, was benefiting from an architectural trend to increase the amount of daylight introduced into buildings without the loss of heat.
The sophistication of Ravensby’s offer is unmatched in Scotland, with major competitors based in the south of England, Ireland and Germany.
Its product ranges including glass products which can be used in museum showcases, for kitchen surfaces and splashbacks and as wet walls in bathrooms, as well as for glazing are all benefiting from good growth in their markets.
Mr Cunningham said the investment showed the firm, which has been supported by a £475,000 regional selective assistance grant from business development agency Scottish Enterprise, was continuing to back its workers and trading partners.
“We are placing our faith in the people we have working for us, the industry, our customer base and our potential customer base,” he said of the expansion.
“It’s a customer base which has been loyal to us and which we endeavour to service at the highest possible levels.”
Ravensby already employs around 80 people at its plant on nearby West Pitkerro Industrial Estate, a site which handles the smaller panes primarily used in domestic and smaller-scale commercial markets.
Its expansion has been backed by RBS, with help from the UK Government’s Funding for Lending scheme.
The company’s efforts were recognised with a major industry award last month, as one of a number of Tayside and Fife firms to be handed a President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement by industry body Scottish Engineering.
Ravensby Glass forms part of the Malcolm, Ogilivie & Company group, which has been trading in the city for 167 years, alongside solar panel supplier and installer Discovery Solar Systems.