hello
about starbank
Starbank Panel products Ltd is a family owned and run business. We have been manufacturing bespoke decorative, architectural and commercial panel furniture products since 1976.
As a company, our strategy is simple. We focus on working with you as a supply only manufacturing partner. We deliver outstanding customer service and products for interior fit-out.
Our wealth of experience, innovate service offer and quality craftsmanship is what sets us apart. Our professional approach and passion has helped us to build strong customer and supply network partnerships that last.
Bringing Value To The Surface®furniture
decades of experience
decorative panels
Starbank have built up a strong industry presence as fabricators of high quality, value driven decorative panel products across three distinct areas:
- Fit-out panel furniture components
- Fire doors, frames & panels
- Lightweight composite panels.
We work with wood based products including: high pressure & compact laminates, melamine faced boards, door cores, as well as composite panels. Find out more with our material guide.
Together with these products we provide value added services ranging from laminating, cut & edged panels to complex CNC detailing, postforming and even 5-axis machining.
Our people are our greatest asset, powering our business on a daily basis to manufacture component panel furniture products for:
- Office
- Commercial
- Education
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Leisure
- Industrial
- Marine & mass transi
a brief history
During 1976 the manufacturing company that Gordon Darbyshire was employed at unfortunately fell into administration. Seeing a perfect opportunity Gordon and his wife Kath made the brave decision of pulling all their life savings together to purchase as much of the machinery as possible.
Thankfully it was a successful bid. The very same day they collected the machinery they were back producing panels!!
Starbank Panel Products was born.
Panel furniture was produced in the rented factory in Wigan until 1991. After that, the first 12,000 sq ft Starbank factory was built in Newton-Le-Willows. Throughout the years, the factory space continued to grow in line with the business.
Starbank’s current production facility is a 120,000 sq ft factory – 10x the size of that in 1991. The road wasn’t always easy to get to where we are now and we’re sure there will be more challenges to come, but our ethos of hard work to get the job done has never wavered.
Gordon & Kath Darbyshire after moving into the first purpose built Starbank factory in 1991.
The evolution of Starbank
Starbank as it is today
Starbank Panel Products truly became a family owned and run business when Kath and Gordon’s son Philip, and daughter Wendy joined the team.
Philip began working in the factory in 1987 and is now Starbank’s Managing Director. Wendy joined Starbank in 1992, working in credit control and is now Starbank’s Financial Director.
Among other family members working in various positions within the business, Starbank now has a strong workforce of almost 100.
Gordon & Kath Darbyshire along with MD: Philip Darbyshire and FD: Wendy Elsworthy in the current factory.
