Littleborough business PDS goes from strength to strength over 2019

Performance Doorset Solutions Ltd

Performance Doorset Solutions, based at Greenvale Business Park in Littleborough, has gone from strength to strength in 2019, after facing an uncertain future this time last year.

The owners at the time were looking to potentially close the site in Littleborough, putting more than 60 jobs at risk. Over the month that followed, a consortium was formed between the existing and former owners of PDS; and the business was bought back from the owners, with a deal being completed in March 2019.

Tim Fairley, former and returning Managing Director said: “PDS is now an employee-owned business with 14 equal shareholders and has gone from strength to strength since the management buyout completed.

“We have invested over £500k in new machinery and we have further invested in our already wide range of door certification with EN1634 dual directional timber firedoor testing, PAS24 testing, acoustic testing and smoke testing.

“I believe we are now one of the most compliant timber firedoor manufacturers in the industry. Since buying the business back, we have taken the employee count up to 80, added our own firedoor pressing and lacquering plant and have returned to a very healthy profit.

“With lots more exciting things in the pipeline, 2020 is going to be a great year for us.”

Kevin Barnes, sales director, added: “PDS is now employee-owned and reaping the rewards.

“Everybody is more focused than ever in driving the business forward. I am pleased to announce that we have secured a number of very large firedoor framework contracts for 2020 on the back of our wide, compliant range of products and we are currently expanding to create the capacity we need to satisfy the ever-growing customer demand.

“We have, and are recruiting, more young people to work at PDS as trainees and apprentices with the aim to create a succession plan of talent to take us forward into the next decade.”