Fairgrieve Compression Moulding says the past 12 months delivered one of the strongest years of growth in the company’s 113 years in business, primarily driven by increased demand from the electronics sector.
Fairgrieve Compression Moulding
The company, based in Washington, Tyne & Wear, also saw significant growth through a contract to supply a UK-based manufacturer serving the automotive industry. Success led to it committing itself to a six-month recruitment and training programme, which doubled the size of its team, helping it end the year with record monthly outputs and figures. Growth was seen across a range of applications, including electrical insulation, enclosures and precision-engineered components designed to meet stringent industry standards.
Strong orders already secured in 2026
Now, with a strong order book already established for 2026, ongoing investment in capabilities, and the strengthening of relationships with UK manufacturers supplying critical industries, the company is forecasting a further 50% growth this year.
“The growth we’ve achieved in 2025 is a testament to the trust our customers place in us and the dedication of our team,” said managing director Barry Davidson. “We’re busier than we’ve ever been and we’re managing the demand well because we were prepared to commit time and money to developing the business in 2025, and I’m really proud of that. Our work within the electronics sector and the UK automotive supply chain has created a strong platform for continued expansion, and we are confident of further success in 2026.”
Mr Davidson says the decision to make a heavy commitment to recruitment and training last year is already reaping rewards. Productivity and capacity have been increased, ensuring it can not only cope with on-going demand from its key customers, but also continue to grow and seek new opportunities.
High-calibre recruits have added quality to shop floor
Mr Davidson says recruitment was purposefully planned and completed in stages, ensuring new members of staff were sufficiently trained and shadowed by experienced members of the Fairgrieves team.
“We introduced new people to the business gradually, rather than having one single big recruitment drive, as we wanted to ensure we not only had more hands-on deck, but that we committed the right amount of time to training,” he said. "This ensured people were fully comfortable in their new roles and able to work to our high-quality standards before we began to add more new faces, as our experienced team then had to commit the time to supporting them."
He concludes, “If you do something like this too quickly you run the risk of productivity falling and missing customer deadlines, so by taking our time in ensuring we recruited people of good calibre, over a longer period of time, we got it right and we are now reaping the rewards and well placed to deal with the longer terms needs of the business. We are in a good place, and things are really positive as we plan ahead. Our order book for 2026 is strong and looking healthy which is a great way to start the new year”.