Southampton-based CJR Propulsion Ltd (www.cjrprop.com), a marine propulsion specialist, is to invest £4 million in new manufacturing and automation equipment to meet demand.

Managing director Mark Russell said: “This investment is about delivering better products to our customers, and on that front, the impact will be significant.

“Accuracy, performance, efficiency, longevity and ride comfort can all be improved, and we are looking to reach a level of precision that is above even Class S standards.”

The new equipment includes robotic mould-making, multiple five-axis CNC machining cells, pick-and-place delivery and storage technology, and the automation software required to integrate each stage of the process.

Mr Russell said that it will enable CJR to cut the time from initial contact to delivery by over 60% on new projects, without adding anything to the final cost.

To house the new equipment, CJR Propulsion has acquired an adjacent facility in Southampton, increasing its manufacturing space by more than 50%.

The company is also giving existing staff the opportunity to retrain to ensure that the increased levels of automation do not result in job losses.

Mr Russell added: “We are delighted that even as we automate parts of the design and manufacturing process, we will ensure the continued employment of our team.

“We actually expect to be increasing our head count further to ensure that our growth continues.”