Bar Code Data Limited

Partner:FW Capital

Region:North West

Location:Ashton-Under-Lyne

Programme:Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund

Bar Code Data Limited received a £400,000 business loan from NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, managed by FW Capital and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The 30-year-old firm is a market leading provider of barcode solutions. The company offers comprehensive label production facilities from its site in Ashton-Under-Lyne including barcode scanners, mobile terminals, label printers and consumables such as thermal labels and ribbons together with label design or bespoke software, offering a fully integrated solution.

Clients include leading brands John Lewis, Adidas and Manchester United FC and the company employs a growing workforce of 15 staff. The funding will allow the firm to ramp up its internal and external operation, appointing three new staff members in production and sales, whilst purchasing a new state-of-the-art printing press in addition to the current facility is in the pipeline.

Bar Code Data Limited has recently been acquired by long-standing associate Mike Jackson who took on the role of managing director at the beginning of 2020. Under his leadership, the business is expected to grow in turnover from £2.6million to £3.6million in the following 18 months, with projected turnover of £5m by 2023.

Mike commented: “We are a well established business within our field with a really strong brand and have built some excellent relationships. It’s important that moving forward we are able to deliver ahead of expectations in terms of our digital offering and that is very much our intention.

“We now have the resources, team and infrastructure in place to ensure that we retain a market leading position.

“The FW Capital team have guided us through the investment process and supported our endeavours to secure investment and we’ve had a very positive experience working with the investment team.  Our targets are ambitious but ones that we believe are achievable as the business evolves over the coming three years.”

FW Capital senior investment executive Andy Traynor said: “It’s really important that businesses put in place the proper infrastructure to cope with expansion.  Bar Code data have invested in machinery and staff which will enable them to continue to provide a first class service to their clients.

“Mike is very experienced in the sector.  He is ambitious and has the drive and determination to take this business forward and realise the company’s significant growth potential.”

Sue Barnard, Senior Manager at the British Business Bank said: “We are really pleased that NPIF has continued to support high-growth businesses in the North, demonstrated by the investment into Bar Code Data Limited. The funding will be used to enable job creation and ramp up facilities and production, showing how investment from NPIF can make a real and measurable difference to businesses across the Northern Powerhouse region.”

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.

FW Capital Limited is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a small authorised UK Alternative Investment Fund Manager under firm reference number 506719

Editors Notes