A BROMSGROVE engineer has swapped cars for staircases - and business is going through the roof!
Advanced Engineering Solutions is the brainchild of John Dodd, an engineer who spotted a gap in the market for premium architectural products such as spiral staircases, electric gates and balconies.
The project began when Mr Dodd produced some unusual staircase designs for his brother Steve Dodd, managing director of residential developers Dodd Homes, in Worcestershire.
"About 18 months ago, I was designing and building automotive machines, mainly for the US market, when Steve asked me to use my Computer Aided Design (CAD) skills to design staircases for particular properties he had in mind," said Mr Dodd.
"I then got involved in the costings for the project and quickly realised that the most economic way of proceeding was to make the products ourselves."
The company, based in Stoke Prior, near Bromsgrove, is now targeting prestige developers in the West Midlands, in particular those involved in the current boom in luxury apartments in central Birmingham.
Notable projects have included the external spiral staircase at The Fish Hook Factory development, in Mount Pleasant, Redditch.
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