Manufacturing supply chain supplier Illingworths is pressing ahead with an upgrade to its IT systems after successfully securing funding from Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.
The Leeds-based company, which supplies a complete range of fasteners, fixings, tools and industrial equipment supplies, has been awarded a £7,500 Digital Growth Voucher through the LEP’s Growth Deal - after help from Made in Yorkshire.
Realising the enormous benefits the new computer could have for the business, Made in Yorkshire acted as intermediary to explain to the LEP, a fellow MIY member, the benefits of supporting the company.
Claire Brown, Commercial Manager, Illingworths said: “We have been the recipient of a Digital Growth Voucher from the LEP which will be very useful in helping us move to the next stage of our development.
“The money has been spent on new computer hardware prior to the launch of our new computer software in January.
“We would like to thank the LEP and Made in Yorkshire for the help it has provided.”
Alex Robinson, Business Development Director, Made in Yorkshire had advocated the business to the LEP.
He said: “I realised that the funding would be of enormous help to Illingworth so I was happy to talk to the LEP and advocate on their behalf.
“I’m delighted that the LEP has has seen fit to award the funding and I wish Illingworths all the best with its new project.”
The decision to move to the new system isn’t something that has happened overnight.
“We have been looking at the IT system since this time last year as we knew that if the business was to grow then we were going to need an upgraded system,” said Claire.
The transfer of data to the new system has also present the company with the opportunity to have a data cleanse.
The company stores around 20,000 different lines so keeping an inventory of everything is a massive task.
Illingworths’ customer base spreads across Yorkshire, the North East and also parts of Lancashire.
One of its busiest sectors is with electrical cabinet manufacturers.
Illingworth joined Made in Yorkshire in March this year and exhibited at the annual Expo in Leeds in May.
“Things have been going very well since we joined,” said Claire. “We had a very successful Expo and we’ll be looking to build on this as we head into next year.”