New Stourport furniture unit brings welcome boost to economy

Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier officially opened the 5,000sq ft Witley Jones assembly unit which is situated on Sandy Lane behind the existing factory.

The company supplies bespoke furniture of the independent education sector and the expansion will enable them to increase production by 20 per cent.

Witley Jones secured a £100,000 grant from the Worcestershire Growth Fund, with help from Birmingham-based Central Finance, for the development.

Bosses said the new unit marked a vital milestone in their growth plans over the coming years.

Guests at the opening included suppliers, long-standing clients, representatives from Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and the Boarding School Association, Councillor Ken Pollock and Louise Hewett of Hewett Recruitment.

They were taken on a guided tour of the factory to see how the bespoke furniture is manufactured.

From the inception of the design in the drawing room, guests were shown the machine shop and paint and lacquer finishing booth before visiting the new assembly unit.

Mr Garnier said: “This is a great success story of how a family business in Wyre Forest have continued to invest and innovate to create a successful business providing vital employment opportunities for our local economy.

“I was delighted to be invited by Chris Jones and Simon Downes to officially open the new unit.”

Chris Jones, chairman of Witley Jones Furniture said: “We would like to thank Mark who kindly came along to our event to officially open the new factory unit as well as all of our guests who have supported us over the years.

“The hard work and dedication of our staff has been essential to the opening of our new space and the continued growth of the business.

“This marks the beginning of a key chapter for Witley Jones as we plan for future growth.

“The new factory unit has increased production by over 20 per cent and will aid our continued growth over the coming years.”