What More acquires toolmaker Canteen Smithy

What More UK has added to its manufacturing capabilities by acquiring local toolmaker Canteen Smithy Engineering.

What More UK is one of the largest and most important houseware manufacturers in the UK.

The Lancashire housewares manufacturer and exporter is a proud member of the manufacturing heartland of East Lancashire and prides itself on its products being Made in Britain.

It's the organisation behind the popular brand Wham, available in every major UK supermarket, DIY chain and department store, and a further 1,600 independent retailers. Prior to the acquisition, they had already invested over £1m in their in-house tool room, ensuring their engineering machinery is state of the art.

Canteen Smithy is a specialist engineering company with over 35 years experience in Precision Mould Manufacture and precision engineering. Their toolmakers have a wealth of experience, with some completing in excess of 35 years service - however they share the What More ethos of also employing apprentices, to ensure vital traditional skills are passed on to a new generation.

New technology plays a major part at Canteen Smithy, and they have invested in their own in-house design studio. This, alongside CNC mills, surface grinders, lathes, and cylindrical grinders means they are more than capable of producing the many and varied tools What More need to continue their rapid growth, and keep up with capacity and demand.

Company director Tony Grimshaw, commented: "Acquiring Canteen Smithy, who have been a supplier of ours for some time, is a great natural fit. We need the extra capacity this will give us, and it means we are working closer to self sufficiency in mould making. We firmly believe in Made in Britain and they're only a short distance away, which also helps our carbon footprint!

"This purchase will also mean most of our moulds will now be made in house and in Britain. Before the purchase our injection moulding tools were purchased abroad, and we now have the capability to manufacture them ourselves.

"We want to keep the UK's strong history of manufacturing alive, and we require so many different tools for both our Bakeware and Plastics divisions, which are two completely different profiles, that taking on Canteen Smithy and all their knowledge and expertise means we can push forward with our growth."

What More UK is one of the largest houseware manufacturers in the UK. They manufacture storage boxes and housewares of all kinds including bakeware, around-the-sink items, products for the home laundry, utility room, and items for the garden such as planters and troughs. What More's products are all made in East Lancashire and are sold in 76 countries around the world. More can be seen on their website here: www.whatmoreuk.com