From handmade to high tech - Pendle business forges a bright future with new tech investment

Feature Lighting based in Northlight, Brierfield, which designs and manufactures bespoke lampshades received a grant for £18,000 towards a state-of-the-art cutting machine. 

 

The machine can cut lampshades in minutes rather than hours by hand without compromising the craftmanship.

Jacqui Jones, founder of Feature Lighting, said: “All of our products are made to order, with clients ranging from high street retailers and furniture/soft furnishings brands to architects, interior designers, restaurants and hotels.

“As demand grew, so did the pressure on our production process because each component needs to be individually measured, marked and cut. For years, this was all done by hand.

“Some of our shades have a curve radius of four meters, so it took a huge amount of space and time just to mark things out. It’s very physical, very manual and very slow.

“When we secured an order for 1,200 lampshades for a Manchester apartment block, I knew something had to change.”

Jacqui sought support from a specialist manufacturing advisor at RTC North and together they explored machinery from low-cost kits to advanced industrial models.

RTC North also helped Jacqui access funding support through Pendle Borough Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Scheme to make the investment possible.

Grants of up to £18,000 are still available to Pendle businesses who also want to research and adopt new technology to improve their output.

The machine is now a central part of production, freeing up time, reducing manual processes and enabling the team to focus on more skilled and creative work.

It came with an unexpected bonus of being able to cut and crease cardboard which means Feature Lighting can also create its own bespoke packaging in-house.

Councillor Asjad Mahmood, Deputy Leader of Pendle Borough Council and Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Development and Regeneration, said: “It is wonderful to see a local business doing so well.

“The financial help we’ve been able to offer through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has made a huge difference to Feature Lighting who can now fulfil larger orders without compromising on quality.”

Mike Williams, Economic Development Officer, said: “This is a great example of how these grants can make such a difference to a business.

“Please do get in touch with us to see how we can help.

“We have funding available for this financial year and would encourage any Pendle businesses who would like to research or invest in new equipment to get in touch.”

If you are interested in applying for a grant, contact Mike by emailing michael.williams@pendle.gov.uk or calling 01282 661963.

For more information visit www.pendle.gov.uk/grants