A family-owned business is to create 30 new jobs after a £2.4m Liverpool City Region Combined Authority loan allowed it to expand its newly formed logistics company by building a new warehouse.

Kays Medical Limited, an occupational health and medical supplies company, will also safeguard a further five jobs following the investment from the combined authority’s Urban Development Fund (UDF). Kays Medical is the parent company of the newly formed 3^rd party logistics business that developed off the back of nearly 50 years’ experience in warehousing and distribution of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

Ben Ludzker, CEO of Kays Medical Limited

The loan will be repaid in full and was not available from commercial lenders. It enabled Kays to build a 33,000 sq ft warehousing facility next to its headquarters on the Estuary Commerce Park in Speke. The construction phase of the project is now complete, and the warehouse is operational.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“SMEs are the engine of our economy, they account for 99% of businesses in our area, and contribute millions of pounds of investment and generate thousands of jobs for local people. Every day, I see the value these businesses bring to our area, the opportunities they create for people – and the positive impact they have on the communities they operate in. 

“That’s why I want to ensure that we’re helping to put them in the best position to succeed; because we know that when local businesses are given the support they need to thrive, the rest of our economy flourishes too. Dozens of SMEs have benefitted from our Urban Development Fund so far and it’s because of its high success rate that we can offer even more business owners the helping hand they need to take their company to the next level.”

Ben Ludzker, CEO of Kays Medical Limited, said:

“Our move to Speke in 2017 enabled us to significantly grow the business, to the extent that we needed even more space to expand our 3^rd party logistics operations. The finance from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has meant that we could create the additional space we needed while remaining on our existing site.  Now that construction of the new facility is complete, we can put our ambitious growth plans for the business into action, creating jobs and prosperity for local people at the same time. Having this additional capacity is vitally important as we hope to benefit from increased trade associated with the new Liverpool City Region Freeport.”

Councillor Janette Williamson, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economy and Third Sector, said:

“This is a great example of how we can support local businesses to grow and create jobs and prosperity for local people.  This loan, not available to Kays Medical from commercial lenders, will enable the company to create 30 new jobs, and will now be repaid to the Combined Authority, with interest, so we can support more city region businesses in the future.”

Founded in 1976, Kays Medical is a Liverpool-based SME that supplies industry with occupational health and wellbeing services, pharmaceuticals, first aid supplies, medical equipment and first aid training. Kays Logistics offers full 3^rd party logistics solutions including order-fulfilment, inventory management, storage and distribution.

Having outgrown its former premises, the business relocated in 2017 to its current purpose-built office and warehouse facility of 75,000 sq ft in Speke. Following relocation, Kays has continued to grow impressively and now employs nearly 100 permanent staff – a headcount growth of around 50% since they relocated.

To continue with its growth plans, Kays has progressed the next stage of development by expanding its logistics and warehouse capacity through the construction of the new 33,000 sq ft detached warehouse unit adjacent to its existing office and sister warehouse, for which the LCR Urban Development Fund provided a loan of £2.4m.

The LCR Urban Development Fund is a £25m fund managed under the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund framework. The Fund is backed by the 2014-2020 ERDF England Operational Programme and aims to foster smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. All its funding is repayable and recycled back into Liverpool City Region projects.

The fund can invest in projects that support:

• Research and Innovation;
• Enhancing SMEs’ growth and competitiveness; and
• Helping our companies and organisations transition to a Low Carbon Economy