Worktop manufacturer Bellagio Stone has landed a deal with a global home retailer, aided by the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme.

Pictured left to right: Programme manager for the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme Michelle Connor, director of Bellagio Stone Mike Boyden and Cllr Martin Watson

Bellagio Stone provides granite, marble and engineered stone worktops,  employs 70 people at its factory in Leamington Spa, and has annual sales of £10million.

It will supply its products to 12 of the global retailer stores in the south of England.

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The company serves kitchen showrooms and housing developers, including Magnet, Barratt Homes and Redrow Homes, and aims to  grow its business by 30% up to 2026.

By accessing the GROWTHmapper review, Bellagio Stone identitied key areas for improvement, including a Knowledge Transfer Partnership and investment in £500,000 CNC machinery, handling and dust management equipment.

Further assistance was provided in the form of a ‘Lean Principles’ workshop and a grant for Leadership Coaching to develop the skills of its managers.

The business is committed to developing energy efficiencies and has also accessed support with the Warwickshire Business Energy Advice Service to help it deliver green improvements.

Director of Bellgio Stone commented: “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.

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.”

Programme manager for the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme Michelle Connor 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 is delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, has already supported over 80 local companies.

It helps 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 support is available until March 2025 and there is still scope to assist more manufacturing firms across North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick.