Development at heart of company's growth plans

A HULL company is placing new product and staff development at the heart of plans to increase turnover to £60m in the next five years.

Logan Teleflex is a major supplier of baggage handling systems to regional and international airports, with its products found in locations around the globe.

The Sutton Fields-based company, which has spent more than 40 years at the forefront of its field, is also a world leader in the design and development of in-line hold baggage screening (HBS) Systems.

Today, the firm employs 150 people and, along with its member companies, has been responsible for designing and implementing more than 400 baggage handling solutions around the world.

Now, following successful export orders at Vladivostok in Russia, Kunming in China and now Tianjin, Logan is planning further developments to its products and workforce as a part of a growth strategy to reach a £60m turnover in the next five years.

To help it achieve its goal, the company has acquired additional premises at the Kingston International Business Park in Somerden Road, where it hopes to replicate a live baggage handling system to validate new design concepts.

Operations manager Ian Buffey said: "The result of this development is intended to provide Logan with the most advanced sortation system in the airport baggage handling industry.

"Success with this venture and being able to produce state-of-the- art machinery will further increase the company's ability to compete in overseas markets."

Logan already has an enviable record for training and development.

In 2010, it was handed the Mail's Training Excellence Award in recognition of its efforts to nurture and develop local talent and the company has welcomed scores of apprentices and graduates over the years.

It recently took on ten new trainees across various engineering disciplines, bringing the number of young local trainees up to 25.

Mr Buffey said: "This strategy, supported by the managing director Mike Jeffery, is intended to provide the business with the higher level of skills required in this complex industry, which will facilitate the increase in growth, thereby bringing further employment opportunities at the company and providing growth to the local economy."

Situated opposite Hull Docks in Hedon Road, Kingston International Business Park is being developed by Hull firm Wykeland Group.

Wykeland purchased the site about 20 years ago, before which it was home to Priestmans crane makers, one of Hull's best-known engineering companies.

Matthew Tomlinson, of Scotts Property LLP, handled the transaction.

He said: "The scale and specification of the premises provided by local property investment company Wykeland Group is impressive.

"Building dimensions, particularly height, was a main concern, as was locality, as the premises needed to be within reasonable distance from the company's primary facility in Leads Road.

"We are pleased we have been able to satisfy all of the company's requirements with little compromise."

HDM 11th September 2013