A Cumbrian stone manufacturer has invested £1m over the last 18 months as it grows its business across the UK.


Cumbrian Stone, based on Gilwilly Industrial Estate, Penrith, began trading in 2006 with just three members of staff.
It now has a team of 14 and supplies sandstone for use in building projects up and down Britain, predominantly sourced from quarries within a 70-mile radius of its production facilities.
The company’s work can be found in towns and cities across the UK, with recent work including providing natural stone to several luxury new builds across Manchester and Cheshire and supplying stone cladding on two new Virgin Hotels in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Closer to home its natural stones can also be found on projects including The Fratry at Carlisle Cathedral, restoration works at Carlisle Castle and on The Edge Coastal Activities Centre, in Whitehaven.

(Image: Cumbrian Stone)
Sales and marketing manager Sam Morris says as the business has grown over recent years it has allowed the company to invest heavily back into the business, driving production efficiencies, reducing staff turnover and building up its reserves to continue moving forward. 
Cumbrian Stone moved to a four-day working week with no loss of pay two years ago which, Sam says, has led to a more efficient operation when combined with its investment in new equipment and a review of its processes. 
"Everyone knows they've got a certain volume of work that they need to get through by the end of the week and I think people are just a little bit more focused on getting the job done and it does a lot for staff welfare as well,” he said. 
“What we do isn't an easy job by any stretch of the imagination, so being able to reward our team with a three day weekend each week is a major perk for all of us. Plus, only using four days of holiday a week makes your annual leave go a lot further too.”
Over the last 18 months the company has invested £1m in new machinery and new systems, including installing a new 10 metre line for polishing stone as well as new cutting saws with more capability for CNC work and automated profiling.

This is in addition to a three metre diameter circular saw that has increased capacity for processing stone from rough 10 to 20 tonne quarry blocks into workable stone slabs at the early stages of production.