A Barnsley engineering company which designs and builds bespoke polyurethane processing equipment has invested in expansion of its manufacturing and stock facilities.

CTM UK Ltd is a market leader in the supply of polyurethane (PU) processing technologies to worldwide clients in a diverse range of sectors.

It is a pioneer in the bespoke building of systems for offshore windfarm, oil and gas industries where PU is essential to seal and protect pipes and cables under the sea.

The company’s growing global reputation as a specialist in this field has led to significant growth since 2002 and it has now invested in an upgrade of its premises, to give the business more room to grow.

CTM has added a 100 square metre mezzanine floor to its existing 500 sqm unit at Zenith Park, enabling it to restructure its workshop, streamline production, expand storage space and increase the volume of spare parts it can hold in stock.

The company’s £30,000 investment has been backed by a Business Productivity Grant, secured with the support of Barnsley Council’s Enterprising Barnsley programme. The grant, which covered a third of the cost of the project, is supported by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and part-funded by UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Director of CTM UK Ltd, Shane Wootton, said: “Very few businesses worldwide do what we do, and we’ve built a global reputation over 30 years. We’ve always been committed to innovation and investment, and the only thing holding us back from doing more at this stage has been a shortage of space. So, this expansion and restructuring of our site is a huge bonus. It has allowed us to optimise workflow and dramatically increase productivity.”

CTM, which is led by Shane and his wife Ruth Wootton, estimates that the additional workspace and improved layout will enable them to work on more projects at the same time, speed up builds and increase productivity by 45-60 percent. It will also allow them to take on much larger system builds than they were previously able to handle.

The larger storage area, which can accommodate much higher component stock levels, has already boosted the spare parts, repairs and servicing side of the business, with nearly 30 percent more orders being despatched daily.

Mayor of Barnsley Cllr John Clarke JP, on an official tour of CTM’s expanded premises, said: “CTM is a small but mighty manufacturing Barnsley business which punches way above its weight in the global polyurethane equipment industry.

“It’s impressive to see the CTM team use their experience, expertise and ‘can-do’ attitude to design, build and deliver whatever their customers need. It’s not surprising the company has become the preferred supplier across many industries and especially for offshore clients working in challenging environments.

“We’re very proud to support CTM’s expansion at this time and look forward to seeing this innovative company continue to grow as part of Barnsley’s diverse industrial economy.”

Shane said: “We’re very grateful for the support we’ve received from Enterprising Barnsley to back our investment. They’ve stepped up in these difficult times to help us secure finance which has enabled us to move faster with our plans to increase capacity and efficiency and achieve significant growth sooner.”

Enterprising Barnsley has also backed staff development at CTM, supporting its new Business Unit Manager to hone skills in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, along with enabling its design and programming team to expand and update their electrical schematic software know-how.

CTM was established in 1990, has owned its own premises since 2009 and received ‘Made in Britain’ accreditation in 2020. It employs 16 people.

The company supplies standard and bespoke polyurethane, elastomer and epoxy resin processing equipment, technical support, repairs and parts to industries as diverse as automotive, refrigeration, insulation and prosthetic limb manufacture. Their research and development team has developed innovations in bespoke system building over the last 20 years and CTM has gained clients across Europe, Africa, Asia and America.

Last year, A CTM-manufactured PU processing system was installed on ‘Pioneering Spirit’, the world’s largest offshore pipe laying vessel.

Enterprising Barnsley is the business support arm of Barnsley Council and aims to help businesses across the borough develop and expand, generating economic growth and creating jobs.