Currently operating from a 65,000 sq ft facility on a three acre site, with plans to invest in additional production space, Starbank has maintained its policy of investment in state-of-the-art machinery and technology to increase its competitive edge on service and flexibility for its customer base.
The company’s expertise expanded rapidly from laminate fabrication and postforming to value-added CNC processing and more recently compact laminate postforming, PUR edgebanding, composite machining and a growing requirement for the processing of solid surface materials and specialist decorative and industrial plastics.
To further facilitate this wide-ranging and flexible service Starbank has recently invested in the very latest gantry-mounted five-axis CNC machining centre from Homag. This new machine has a custom 7.4 x 2.25m matrix bed with overhead laser positioning and Homag’s Sorb-Tech mineral base for vibration dampening. The new machine frame technology enhances processing quality and finish with a wide variety of materials.
This £400,000 investment also includes a 72-position tool changer and the ability to work with workpieces up to 300mm in height thanks to the large Z axis.
These capabilities will give Starbank an ever-greater diversity of products and services to offer in markets that demand continued innovation and differentiation.
Starbank Panel Products was established in 1976 and remains a family-run business to this day. Philip Darbyshire, Starbank’s managing director, explains: “We currently employ 90 dedicated and skilled staff on site and we are projecting over £10m turnover for 2015.
“We recognise that continual investment is only possible by listening and understanding our customers’ needs and the market requirements.”
This forward thinking strategy has enabled Starbank to plan carefully on capital expenditure and machinery technology to offer a premium fabrication and ultimate one stop solution providing service for companies outsourcing components.
Starbank’s main markets include contract and office furniture manufacturers, shop and interior fit-out contractors, education and healthcare, as well as the hotel and leisure sectors.
One example of major projects supplied by Starbank is the company’s involvement on the Leadenhall skyscraper project in London. Working directly with one of the UK’s major joinery manufacturers, each floor was supplied with bespoke panels to meet both the architectural and contractor requirements over a challenging delivery schedule.
To facilitate this level of diversity and service the Starbank factory is logistically set up into specialist manufacturing and fabrication divisions: panel sizing with robotic storage and retrieval; laminating; postforming and solid surface fabrication; edgebanding and CNC processing.
This strategic layout and flow system has enabled Starbank to further develop a range of own-branded and specialised products with great success. These include:
• Shield – Q-Mark certified fire door manufacture with FSC environmental credentials. This includes high pressure laminate, veneer and PVC faced doors – square edged or high performance postformed leading edges.
• STARlite – Composite lightweight panels, tested by FIRA, which can be manufactured to suit a variety of end uses with multiple finish options.
• Aquaform – specialised thick compact and thin HPL postformed components that provide problem-solving solutions for washroom and healthcare environments.
• Cubico – Starbank’s own Washroom and cubicle division with systems for education, leisure, commercial and healthcare sectors.
These branded Starbank products continue to enjoy growing recognition and success in their target markets.
The company vision is very clear: To be the preferred partner for laminate and decorative panel product fabrication across all interior fit-out markets in the UK.
Together with the new corporate trademark: Bringing Value to the Surface, Starbank looks like being well on track for the future.
