AN ILKLEY manufacturing firm has taken on 15 new staff and revamped its production processes after a 92 per cent increase in orders.

Olicana Products, which offers a high-quality tube bending design, development and manufacturing service to a variety of industries worldwide, is also expanding its factory at Drill Hall Business Centre, East Parade, Ilkley.

Managing director Rupert Pearson said: “We have worked very hard to keep bringing in the biggest and best orders for our business, but this surge was astonishing and we had to be in a position to deal with it.

“We were delighted that our success meant we could offer more jobs in the area, but we had to think very fast and get a plan in place. The company has had to go right back to basics and bring in a structure for recruitment, training and forward planning.”

As part of the process, Olicana called in management and training expert Andrew Nicholson, who runs Nicholson Consultancy.

“We needed Andrew to de-stress the situation and help us retain the orders,” said Rupert.

“Orders are still up by more than 20 per cent, but he has taught us how to embrace the challenges. It has put us in a very strong position, particularly as we are already expanding to create a new loading bay area and cutting shop.”

Andrew said: “Phase 2 is already well under way, with more coaching and lean manufacturing techniques to be implemented to increase productivity and take quality to the next level."

“Production manager Jason Beever and his team have faced a lot of challenges but they’re now beginning to see the benefits: they’re under less stress, they can cope with much higher workloads, and they’re back in control.”

Andrew and Jason rapidly identified exactly how many new people would be required, where they were needed and how to train them. The programme spelled out week-by-week how many people would be recruited and how quickly they could be trained.

“This is exactly the sort of challenge that we thrive on – and the reason that we developed our Rapid Results Programme,” said Andrew.

The Manufacturing Advice Service has been supporting Olicana, and MAS adviser David Whiteley said: “We’ve provided a mix of strategic assistance and funding.

"Olicana is a fantastic manufacturing business that, with the right amount of targeted support, is now enjoying a sustained period of growth."

A perfect example for other Yorkshire manufacturers to follow.”