A START-UP engineering businesses filled its order book from customers around the world just an hour after publishing its first post on social media.

Topcliffe-based K2 Design & Fabrication Ltd, which fabricates specialist car parts, set up a Facebook page with help from the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP).

Within an hour of posting the business had secured 80 orders from as far afield as Australia and Singapore.

The company, founded by friends Duncan Oakes and Dominic King in January, has reported it continues to be swamped with enquiries and is already taking £25,000 per month in orders after it received specialist advice from a marketing expert funded by MGP.

It has now taken on an extra member of staff to cope with demand and is looking at employing another person because of the strength of its future order book.

From its 2,000 sq ft workshop, K2 Design & Fabrication fabricates roll cages, bumpers, footplates, tubular side rails, engine shields and guards for cars such as Land Rover Defenders. Its move into social media means that it has tapped into specialist vehicle enthusiast communities online around the world.

Mr Oakes said the company worked with Manufacturing Growth Manager James Smith and Linden Kitson from Leeds-based Swalk LLP, who advised the firm to get online and showed it how to use Facebook to generate orders.

“To say we have got off to a flying start is an understatement,” said Mr Oakes.

“Within weeks of starting up, we have gone from worrying about how we can get orders to worrying about how quickly we can fabricate parts and ship them all over the world.

“We’re already putting Topcliffe on the map around the world as the place to order high-quality specialist vehicle parts. One customer in Australia was so happy that they even made a promotional video for us, which is being posted on all sorts of car forums.”

MGP Manufacturing Growth Manager James Smith added: “This is one of the first successes for the new Manufacturing Growth Programme, which was only officially launched in October.

“K2’s growth highlights that British manufacturing is the best in the world. It’s important that UK businesses, particularly SMEs, are given the support they need to thrive and continue to be the backbone of a strong and prosperous economy.”

The MGP is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions.