Medical school workshop reborn at Stockport incubator

University of Manchester Incubator Company has signed another tenant for its thriving Broadstone Mill complex in Stockport with the arrival of medical supplier Stopford Workshop.

Stopford designs and makes prototype instruments for medical and scientific customers, as well as providing a rapid repair service for laboratory equipment across the North West.

Stockport Council provided refurbishment grants to help create purpose-built facilities for Stopford Workshop. UMIC has attracted more than 20 companies to Broadstone in the past two years.

Barry Gleave, managing director of Stopford Workshop, said: "With the huge demand for space in the University Medical School and the pressure to reduce staff numbers regrettably the decision was taken to close the Medical School Workshop at the end of 2007. But this decision gave us a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity for the existing staff to team up and form Stopford Workshop."

Gleave continued: "We have raised funds to buy the contents of the workshop and transfer the assets to new premises at Broadstone, preserving the experience skills and technical capability of the medical school workshop team. This achievement was only made possible by considerable support from Stockport Council, UMIC and the university administration".

The company will occupy 2,500 sq ft at Broadstone with options to increase space. Broadstone is one of several incubators across Greater Manchester run by the UMIC.