Funding stokes up The Engine Room

Founder and design director Darren Evans said: “Running a design company is a tough game, but we’ve managed to survive and prosper over the last couple of years by honing our focus to just two key areas for our clients. The first is differentiation and the second is return on investment.

“Our turnover has increased, our export sales have risen from 0 per cent to 25 per cent and our staff numbers have doubled in less than 18 months.”

The Engine Room is working on a number of products for UK manufacturers. The Huddersfield firm recently appointed Design Council design associate Lesley Gulliver, who said: “We have exciting plans for the future and this injection from Finance Yorkshire will help us significantly.

“We’re clear on our vision; for us, growth isn’t just about size. We want to manage our growth to ensure we retain our high service levels, our customer focus, our creative edge and our attention to detail.”