Pictured above: Managing director Simon Woods

A specialist manufacturer of educational equipment based in Long Eaton is playing its part in boosting exports as the country recovers from the recession.

TecQuipment, which sells to around 70 countries, had its highest ever number of export orders in June made up from 65 different customers.

Now to keep up with demand the company for its diverse products the company is investing in its biggest piece of manufacturing equipment in 15 years - a CNC lathe or numerically-controlled turning centre, costing just under £100,000 to produce high precision components.

The Bonsall Street-based company makes around 25,000 parts for some 700 different products, ranging from simple mechanisms to supersonic wind tunnels, gas turbines and power system simulators all used in education.

These products range from the type of equipment used by A-level physics students to that used by engineering under and post-graduates at universities in the UK and across the world.

TecQuipment, whose ethos is to train others, regularly designs and produces new equipment to help turn out the engineers of tomorrow. It plans to introduce 10 new products during the coming year.

The company has not increased its prices now for three consecutive years in order to remain competitive overseas. 

To continue the growth TecQuipment, which employs 65 people, has launched a recruitment drive to increase the number of employees by 10 per cent. These jobs range from export packer and stores person to shipping manager and electrical engineer.

Managing director Simon Woods, who also chairs enterprise agency Erewash Partnership, is a strong believer that manufacturing will help lead the country out of the economic problems that it has suffered in recent months.

He thinks TecQuipment is showing the way and often travels abroad to promote the company and what it has to offer. 

"I'm delighted to be able to invest in new processes, new people and new products," he said."