GL Joinery steps up ambitious growth plan using Staircon by Elecosoft

Quality and quantity don’t have to be mutually exclusive in manufacturing, as GL Joinery Ltd can attest to. The staircase specialist has increased its turnover by 30% in 12 months by modernising the way it creates staircases with Staircon by Elecosoft.

Digitising design and automating the production process has enabled GL Joinery to turn around customer projects much quicker. At the same time, the company can now offer new, intricate design features to attract high value commissions. Ensuring production keeps pace with demand GL Joinery Ltd has been designing and manufacturing stairs for over 20 years, for a broad-ranging customer base including building and development companies, local authorities and individual homeowners.

In 2019, the company decided to scale operations and create new revenue streams, by updating its machinery and core processes. The critical first step was to invest in a new three-axis CNC machine from Felder UK and Staircon stair design and production software. It took just four months from the initial conversations with Elecosoft and Felder to the CAM software and machine being deployed and production starting, with only two days required on-site for implementation, testing, and to fully train the team. “Prior to using Staircon, everything was designed by hand,” explains GL Joinery’s CEO, Gary Lamming. “And even then, we needed to buy-in more complicated staircases. “Now we can do everything in-house and the turnaround time is much quicker. Before Staircon we were fitting around 3-4 staircases per week; now we’re fitting 15. We can finally keep pace with demand!”

Speeding up the design & manufacturing process

One key reason for GL Joinery’s increased capacity is the rate at which Gary and his team can design staircases. Rather than taking 3-5 hours to draw each one by hand, Staircon can plan designs in 2D or visualise them in 3D in just 20 minutes – providing an immediate, clear view of what the finished product will look like. Production processes are also much quicker with Staircon. It now only takes one day to cut out and make an oak staircase; over a week less than the previous average turnaround time.

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Expanding the limits of staircase design

Investing in Staircon has enabled GL Joinery to expand its product range, as well as producing standard staircases cost-effectively. Gary and his team can custom-make even the most complicated staircase designs, bringing in new, high-end projects. “The quality of the products we’re producing speaks for itself,” Gary notes. “We get three referrals for every job we do.”

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The only way is up

After taking such a huge leap forward in its business operations in 2020, GL Joinery is keen to maintain the pace of improvement in 2021. The company has ordered a five-axis CNC machine to facilitate new design features, such as curved handrails. Additionally, the company aims to integrate Staircon into its website, to launch a ‘design your own staircase’ service. “We want to put the power into customers’ hands,” Gary concludes. Once customers have perfected their online design, Staircon software will generate a production drawing and a price to complete it. The manufacturing team will then cut out and ship all components for assembly on-site; another revenue stream to add to the tidal wave of opportunities that Staircon is creating for GL Joinery.

For more information on Elecosoft‘s Staircon software, see www.elecosoft.com.

COMPANY INFO
Elecosoft UK Limited
Parkway House, Pegasus Way
Haddenham Business Park, Haddenham
Buckinghamshire, HP17 8LJ
020 7422 8000

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