15th August 2023
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A third-generation family business that provides specialist paints and coatings to industry has secured £200,000 from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, to step up its nationwide expansion.
New Guard Coatings, which is based in Wetherby and had an existing warehouse in Leicester, has expanded nationally in recent years with the addition of sites in Glasgow, Hull, Warrington and Crawley. The funding will enable it to roll out trade counters or collection points at all the existing locations and create four new jobs in Wetherby and Hull. The company, which currently employs 38 staff, also plans to increase exports to the US via its existing office in Houston.
New Guard supplies manufacturers, engineering firms and other industrial users with a wide range of protective coatings, including leading brands and its own Guard range, which can be supplied in bespoke colours using its tinting machine. The company has its own fleet and operates a next-day delivery service throughout the UK.
New Guard was established in 1977 by father and son team Alan and Paul Cooper and since 2014 has been run by Paul’s son, Ben Cooper. It is the second loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance. A previous loan received in 2019 has helped to support its expansion to date.
Ben Cooper, Managing Director, said: “At New Guard, we pride ourselves on our ability to offer top brands and rapid local service while maintaining our family business ethos. We set out our national expansion strategy seven years ago and, with the support of NPIF and Mercia, have already achieved most of our original goals. This latest funding will help us to complete our national network with the launch of a South West office and strengthen our footprint in the existing regions.”
Andy Clough of Mercia, added: “New Guard is an example of a third-generation family business that is continuing to grow and has expanded well beyond its Yorkshire heartland. Thanks to its extensive stock levels and rapid service, it has become the ‘go to’ supplier for commercial coatings. This latest funding will enable it to firmly establish its position as a national operator.”
Keira Shepperson at British Business Bank, said: “Its great to see the continued growth of New Guard with new sites, demonstrated by the recent opening of four new sites, stretching to Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Scotland and increased export capacity. All of which has been made possible through funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
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