The Business Established in 2008, Ridgeway Manufacturing are a leading manufacturer of forklift truck attachments and roll on roll off skips based on Cookley Wharf, Brierley Hill. With more than 16- years’ experience, the business manufactures forklift truck attachments and roll on roll off skips together with bespoke steelwork fabrications, servicing customers across the UK and worldwide, with customers across Europe, America and the Middle East. How We Helped In 2022, long-serving company directors Melvyn Heath and Doug Jones were presented with the opportunity to take over the business when they were given the option to complete a management buy-out (MBO). Melvyn and Doug initially approached high street lenders to support the funding of the MBO but were faced with unfeasible loan terms and interest rates. This is where BCRS was able to help. Through a broker introduction to BCRS, Senior Business Development Manager Louise Armstrong worked alongside Melvyn and Doug to understand the business, find out what they were trying to achieve and hear their future growth plans. Through a combination of funding from the Community Engine Investment Facility (CIEF), and its own funds, BCRS provided Ridgeway Manufacturing with the £175,000 investment required to support the MBO. The investment secured the future of 15 jobs and would help to realise Melvyn and Doug’s ambitious growth plans. The Impact Fast forward two years and Ridgeway Manufacturing have gone from strength to strength. Turnover has grown from £1.5m to a projected £4m to the end of 2024 with an additional 100 new customers on their order books. To meet customer demand and keep lead times to a minimum, the business has leased an additional 7,000 sq ft unit on their existing industrial estate. As a result, the business has increased their workforce from 15 to 23 employees. In October 2024 they have taken on a sales manager and product / design manager with plans to recruit an additional eight welders. During the last two years the business retained all 15 of its long serving members of staff, with service milestones averaging seven- and 16-years’ service. Looking after their experienced team has ensured that the skills, and technical knowledge of their fabricators has remained in the business. Melvyn and Doug are committed to future proofing the business by upskilling the workforce of the future. They have employed a welding apprentice and plan to bring in additional apprentices to ensure valuable skills and knowledge is passed on. Innovation has played a big part in their success. Their ambitious growth plans has meant they haven’t sat still. From investment in new welding equipment to expanding their product range to target new markets, the business now manufactures water filtration tanks and auto-locking telehandler skips for the housebuilding and plant hire sectors. Ridgeway Manufacturing Co- Owner Melvyn Heath said: “We would recommend BCRS to any business looking to secure funding. Without their support we wouldn’t have been able to purchase the business. If you have a product or service you believe you can do well with then go for it. “The future looks very bright for us. It’s important that we don’t get too comfortable, we need to push forward and expand into existing markets and venture into new markets.”