Key turned on Fife door factory as CMS grows

MANUFACTURING: Group invests more than £500,000 in new Kirkcaldy facility

A major door manufacturing centre has opened in Fife following an investment of more than half a million pounds.

The new 8,500 square foot CMS Window Systems facility at Kirkcaldy will initially produce around 200 PVCu door sets a week.

Longer term, the site will also produce a range of composite doors and fire doors capable of providing protection to trapped occupants for up to one hour.

The investment has also boosted capacity at private equity-backed CMS’s existing recycling plant in the Fife town.

The group, which said a number of jobs had been created at the Fife site, including two modern apprenticeships, signed off on the investment in response to the record growth it has had on the back of rising demand for its products from housebuilders, social housing providers, trade customers and contractors.

The facility was officially opened by MSP David Torrance.

He said: “It is fantastic to see this investment in new manufacturing jobs here in Kirkcaldy and I’m delighted that CMS Window Systems has chosen the town as the location for its new factory.

“It’s an extremely welcome move which will enable CMS to benefit from a high quality local workforce and Kirkcaldy’s excellent location for serving the whole of Scotland.”

The opening of the Fife factory has coincided with a switch in leadership at CMS as founder and chief executive Andy Kerr moves to a new role as group deputy chairman.

Chief operating officer David Ritchie has replaced Mr Kerr as the Cumbernauld headquartered group’s new CEO.

“We’re delighted to be opening our new production facility in Kirkcaldy and providing career opportunities in this area,” Mr Ritchie said.

“Our investment strengthens our place in a community that we have been part of for more than a decade as the main window and door partner to Fife Council for its social housing programmes, as well as being involved with many local school building projects and the construction of the Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries.”

CMS is one of Scotland’s fastest growing manufacturing firms, with annual revenues of £35.3 million in 2017 and over 250 staff on its books.

Picture: Stuart Wallace. Chief executive David Ritchie with staff and guests including David Torrance MSP at the opening of the new CMS Windows facility in Kirkcaldy.