Godfrey Syrett, a furniture manufacturer base in Newcastle, has invested more than £200,000 in technology to support innovation in its product line.

With its investment in a Lectra fabric cutting solution along with specialist marker and pattern making software, the company believed that it will be more responsive in order to rapidly fulfil new orders and continue to innovate with its range of products.

The new comes after the company invested £400,000 in new board cutting technology in 2015, which resulted in new contracts worth £3 million in total.

The new equipment will automate and optimise the production of a number of key products for the company, cutting in two and a half minutes what would have normally taken 40 minutes using the manual process.

Operation Director Godfrey Syrett, Michael Donachie, says that the company will also deliver consistent quality of cut parts that cannot be achieved with hand cutting.

Donachie explained: Previously, our products were designed, developed and manufactured by hand. Whilst we are very proud of this heritage, this approach did have the potential for costly production errors.

Meanwhile, Godfrey Syrett Managing Director, Neil Tweddle, said that in a market which is driven by the need for innovation, style and flexibility as well as function, the company knew that it had to transform its business in order to secure new business and achieve its ambitions for growth.

Tweddle added: Technology is playing a major part in this transformation and I am excited to see how the business will continue to grow as a result of this latest investment.

Last month, Godfrey Syrett appointed a new tender manager and bid co-ordinator after an increase in demand for tenders from both private and public sectors.

Diane Pringle has been appointed as tender manager and will be responsible for managing tenders across all sectors, while Jenny Edwards has been appointed to the newly created role of bid co-ordinator to support the tender manager.