An engineering firm making specialist handling, production and robotic machinery is working flat out and turning orders away after doubling in size over the past two years.

Camline Products and Services was set up by directors Dave Wood and Mick McHale following the closure of their former employer. Now, the Shipley-based firm is on track for a £1.5 million turnover this year.

It has also nearly doubled its workforce to 14 over the past year, including taking on its first three apprentices after having trouble finding suitable skilled engineers.

Mr Wood said Camline was fully funding the apprentices, who this month started an engineering diploma course at Bradford College.

Mr Wood, who is this week at a major packaging trade fair at the NEC in Birmingham launching the company’s new palletiser machine, said Camline had safeguarded its cashflow through the downturn by charging advance deposits on jobs.

He said: “A lot of our work has been to design and develop specific machinery to help companies improve and automate their production processes. By taking deposits we have ensured that our cashflow remains healthy and that we operate profitably.

“After seeing rapid growth over the past couple of years, we’re now looking for a period of stability. We remain very busy and, in fact, are turning some work away at present.”

Camline, which occupies a 6,000 sq ft unit at Jubilee Way, Shipley, has been trading since 2002, designing and building special purpose production machinery, for a range of industries, including plastics, with Liversedge-based Birkby’s Plastics as a major client, and the automotive sector, including suppliers to car makers such as Jaguar.