Bellagio Stone, which employs seventy people at its factory in Leamington Spa, will now supply its products to 12 stores in the south of the UK in a boost that will help it look to build on annual sales of £10m.
The company has grown despite tough market conditions and has been assisted in this by strategic innovation advice and expert business support from the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme.
By accessing the industry-proven GROWTHmapper review, Bellagio Stone has been able to identify several key areas for improvement, including a Knowledge Transfer Partnership and investment in new £500,000 CNC machinery, handling and dust management equipment.
More assistance has followed in the form of a ‘Lean Principles’ workshop and a grant for Leadership Coaching after identifying the need to develop the skills of its managers.
The business is also committed to developing energy efficiencies and has been working to access support with the Warwickshire Business Energy Advice Service to help it deliver a raft of green improvements.
"The Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme has been really useful in helping us navigate and understand the various support systems available to us in what is often a complex field,” explained Mike Boyden, Director of Bellagio Stone.
“It’s often hard to know where or how to access these services, but Michelle Connor and her team have been fantastic in giving us a route to grants, workshops and one-on-one support.”
He continued: “The lean manufacturing session was a great way to meet other local manufacturing businesses and understand how they are dealing with challenges and how they are maximising opportunities.
“Our marketplace has been very tough recently, yet we have been able to plot a way through, culminating in this landmark deal with a major global home retailer.”
Bellagio Stone, which is aiming to grow its business by 30% between now and 2026, serves two main markets – showrooms (kitchen designers) and housing developers.
Its commitment to reliability and quality of finish has helped it build up a blue-chip customer base featuring Redrow Homes, Starbucks, Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Magnet.
Michelle Connor, Programme Manager for the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme, said: “Mike and his team have been very receptive to understanding what support is out there and how best to engage with it to grow their business. This will be especially key as they seek to finalise the merger of a second business this year.”
The Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme, which is delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, has already supported over 80 local companies to unlock barriers to growth through one-on-one coaching, consultancy, free workshops and signposting to other schemes.
Backed by funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the specialist support is available until March 2025 and, encouragingly, there is still scope to assist more manufacturing firms across North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick.
Councillor Martin Watson, portfolio holder for Economy at Warwickshire County Council, added his support: “The Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme has supported Bellagio Stone to navigate its business challenges and identify opportunities, enabling it to successfully grow which is great news for the local area.”
Councillor Ella Billiald, Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Arts & Economy, concluded: “We are proud to support the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth programme through our contribution to the county’s pooled UKSPF, helping manufacturers such as Bellagio Stone to access specialist business support.
“It’s fantastic to hear how the scheme has helped the company tackle a number of challenges to assist its growth ambitions and develop staff.”
