New Telford factory will help visually impaired people

Flooring company J&A Stevenson has completed the buyout of a new product from a company in Leicester allowing it to make the SureGRP Tactile Surface Mounted System which warns visually impaired people of the dangers and obstacles ahead.

The new product will allow the company to set up a factory for Tactile Systems, based near Stevenson’s existing premises on the Tweedale Industrial Estate in Telford.

The move will initially create 10 jobs and will be the only UK manufacturing base of the product, while bosses say the acquisition could potentially create further jobs in the future.

Adrian Stevenson, director of Tactile Systems said it was an exciting development in the expansion of J & A Stevenson’s existing business portfolio.

“The new factory will see the manufacture of a wide range of surface products for visually impaired people,” he said.

“We will be producing Tactile Surface products including guidance path surface mounted pavers which guides visually impaired people along a route as they follow the surface or use their white stick to follow it.

“Other products include the corduroy hazard warning surface to warn people of steps or a level crossing and also blister red tactile surface for people to differentiate between the pavement and the road and also platform edge warning to tell people they are close to the edge of the platform.

“All of these you will have seen on pavements every day and now they will be produced here in Telford.”

The company has already won a contract to improve the entrance of Action for Blind People charity’s central office in Southwark by installing the SureGRP Fastac surface mounted hazard warning system at the top and bottom of each of the entrance ramps.

“It is safe to say J & A Stevenson Ltd is beating the recession and the company portfolio is going from strength to strength resulting in new jobs here in Telford which is fantastic news for the town’s manufacturing industry,” Mr Stevenson added.

“Between our two factories on Tweedale we have become one of the biggest manufacturers of non-slip and specialist flooring in the UK.”

J & A Stevenson’s existing factory on Tweedale Industrial Estate designs, manufactures and installs non-slip flooring, warm to touch coated handrails and modular ramp systems.