MP Heather Wheeler has paid a visit to one of South Derbyshire’s fastest-growing engineering firms to help celebrate its inclusion in an influential national report.
The district’s MP enjoyed a tour of the Carfulan Group’s headquarters in Foston, near Derby, after it was named one the London Stock Exchange’s ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ 2019.
Only businesses demonstrating consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, and significantly outperforming their industry peers, are selected to appear in the report.
Made up of OGP UK, SYS Systems, ZOLLER UK and VICIVISION UK, the family-owned Carfulan Group provides the full range of the most advanced manufacturing technology solutions available and employs around 50 people – a staffing increase of 400% since 2002.
With more than 1,500 machines supplied to the UK market, in excess of 700 customers and a turnover approaching £15 million, it specialises in multi-sensor part inspection equipment, 3D-printing technology, tool presetting and inspection devices and turned-part measurement solutions.
Its engineers work with world-leading names in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, medical, education and design, providing after-sales training and support on often complex and ground-breaking applications.
Mrs Wheeler, a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: “I was delighted to visit the Carfulan Group to meet some of their fantastically talented employees and to learn more from the company’s senior management about their plans for the future.
“I was amazed by the range of complex engineering processes that the businesses that form Carfulan were carrying out at Foston, and I was very impressed by the drive and energy that the Managing Directors have to keep the group at the top of its game.
“Carfulan is certainly a company with a bright future and its presence in South Derbyshire is another great example of our reputation for being one of the leading areas in the country when it comes to engineering innovation.”
Carfulan Group Managing Director Chris Fulton said: “We were delighted to welcome Heather and give her an insight into what we do and who we do it with. Her passion for local businesses and their contribution to the economy really shone through.
“Derbyshire boasts such a diverse range of companies and has an international reputation as a hub for manufacturing excellence, and we feel proud to be playing our part in that.
“The ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ recognition was a deserved accolade for our workforce and their expertise in helping UK manufacturers make parts of the highest quality with maximum efficiency.”
A fully searchable database of all of the companies featured in the London Stock Exchange’s report, along with a downloadable pdf of the publication, can be found online at www.1000companies.com