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NPIF II funding opens door to growth for aluminium and security specialist

Press release 28 February 2025

A Bradford company that specialises in aluminium doors and security access systems has secured a £250,000 loan from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia Debt as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), to boost its growth.

The team at Crucial Engineering, l-r Paul Van Heeswyk, My-Ha Hoang, David Wright

The funding will enable Crucial Engineering (Crucial) to take on bigger projects, and follows its expansion into larger premises last year and a spate of new high-tier contract wins. Crucial provides facades, shutters, barriers, gates and turnstiles for commercial properties such as factories, fast food restaurants, car dealerships and educational buildings.

The company was founded in 2016 by Paul Van Heeswyk, a qualified electrician who was then aged 28, with the aim of bringing a new dynamic to the security access industry. It later expanded into aluminium doors and windows. Crucial now employs over 30 staff and serves major clients including builders’ merchants Travis Perkins, dealership chains Arnold Clark and Vertu Motors, student accommodation specialist Unite Students, and global property management company CBRE.

In addition to standard products, it has developed some innovations of its own, including a solar-powered vehicle access barrier, and an aluminium ‘vault door’ with a built-in lock that helps prevent break-ins and vandalism and is ideal for shared housing and student properties.

In October 2023, the company moved into a new 35,000 sq ft unit in Bradford, which is five times larger than its original premises in Leeds, and it has since invested heavily in new equipment and fit-out. The NPIF II funding will provide additional working capital and enable the company to create three new jobs in the coming weeks.

Paul Van Heeswyk, Managing Director, said: 

At Crucial Engineering, we aim to bring a modern approach to traditional industries. We use new technology and develop innovative products. We also work hard to create a positive workplace culture and use apprenticeship schemes to attract new people into the industry.

Our investment in the new unit has proved worthwhile as it highlights our capabilities to larger clients and has helped us secure a range of new contracts. The funding will enable us to press on with our growth plans, with the ultimate aim of expanding outside the region and building a network of depots nationwide.

David Wright of Mercia Debt added:

Paul is an ambitious and dynamic entrepreneur who is focused on growth and has a clear vision for the future of the business. We are pleased to be able to support him on the next step of the journey.

Lizzy Upton, senior manager at the British Business Bank, said:

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II was created to support innovative businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber. Crucial Engineering is one such business that is using the Fund to not only invest in sustainable initiatives like its solar-powered vehicle access barrier, but also to boost the regional economy and create jobs in the area.

James Gwynne of Commercial Expert provided fundraising advice to the company.

The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.

Further Information

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Notes to editors

About Mercia Ventures

Mercia Ventures is a proactive venture capital investor focused on being the first-choice partner for growth. Mercia Ventures makes equity investments of up to £10million across all sectors, with specialisms in Software, Consumer, Healthcare and Deep Tech.  

Mercia Ventures is a trading name of investment funds managed by Mercia Fund Management Limited and Mercia Regional Ventures Limited, part of the Mercia Asset Management PLC Group, and sits alongside the Group’s wider private equity, debt and proprietary balance sheet operations. The Group has 11 offices in the UK, and Mercia Ventures’ national footprint and 48 strong investment team draws on their experiences as founders, PhD scientists, software engineers, corporate financiers and management consultants to help our partner companies successfully achieve their ambitions. As at 30 September 2023, Mercia Asset Management PLC has c.£1.5billion of assets under management. Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic "MERC".

The Group raises its own Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) Funds, and details about open offers can be found through Mercia’s website.

Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic "MERC" and includes the following wholly owned subsidiaries -

  • Mercia Fund Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 524856
  • Mercia Regional Ventures Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 183363
  • Mercia Business Loans Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 443560
  • Frontier Development Capital Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 829697

mercia.co.uk

About the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

  • Operated by the British Business Bank, NPIF II provides a mix of debt and equity funding.  NPIF II will offer a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million. It works alongside the Combined Authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and Growth Hubs, as well as local intermediaries such as accountants, fund managers and banks, to support the North’s smaller businesses at all stages of their development.
  • The funds in which the NPIF II invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations, in: Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire & Warrington, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Leeds City Region, South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority, York & North Yorkshire, Humber and East Yorkshire, Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne & Wear
  • Supported by Nations and Regions Investments Limited, a subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the Bank is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. Neither Nations and Regions Investments Limited nor British Business Bank plc are authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

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