A Cornish manufacturing company is creating up to 20 new jobs having secured a £380k Government grant to support export growth and strengthen its competitive edge.
Penryn-based Kernow Coatings, which has been established for more than 40 years, designs and manufactures specialist materials primarily for the retail graphics market, with the largest proportion exported to Europe and North America.
The Grant for Business Investment (GBI) funding is part of a £960k expansion that will increase the manufacturing capacity at Kernow Coatings and support the development of new products. The company, which employs 90 staff, is taking on up to 20 more people across the business to support its growth plans.
Kernow Coatings is the latest south west company to be advised by the grants team at accountants Francis Clark.
Kevin Boyes, operations director at Kernow Coatings, said: “Securing this grant has been a real boost because it’s a vote of confidence in our achievements to date and our plans for future growth.”
However, the business said it initially had reservations about applying for grant funding and welcomed the support of the Francis Clark team.
Boyes added: “Your heart can sink a bit at the prospect of having to fill out paperwork and put together a case for funding because when you are busy it is challenging to dedicate resource to an application with no indication of whether you will get a return for your efforts.
“Dave Armstrong, corporate finance director at Francis Clark and his colleague Aimee Jones, navigated us smoothly through the process while understanding our daily operational demands and priorities.”
