Controlled Speed aiming to move up a gear

Phil Astley, business development director at Controlled Speed Engineering, which designs and makes electronic assemblies, mainly for stairlift controls, said the Batley business would grow its core market and also move into lighting technology.

Mr Astley, 42, joined Controlled Speed in February. He spent three years at Elstat Electronics, a Preston firm which makes energy saving devices for firms including Coca-Cola, and previously worked for Premier Farnell for a decade.

He filled several roles at the Leeds-based distribution giant, including European global accounts operations manager.

Controlled Speed, which has 40 staff and recently relocated from Brighouse, in West Yorkshire, to a new purpose-built facility, is currently a 4m turnover business. Mr Astley said he wants to increase this to 5m for the year to July 2011.

The firm mainly sells in Britain but has customers in Canada and China and wants to expand into continental Europe, particularly Germany, Spain and France.

"We have some very exciting new products that we are developing, particularly in LED (light-emitting diode) lighting. Fluorescent bulbs can be replaced by LEDs, which last longer and consume less power.

"Ninety per cent of lighting is fluorescent and that will change in the near future. We will be part of that growth."

Phil Burns, chief executive and owner of Controlled Speed, said: "We now have a strong management team to deliver our growth strategy and to take this business into the next stage of its development."