Adapting principles used in a favourite children’s toy is helping a local company to slash delivery times and boost turnover in the UK and overseas markets.

Acorn Stairlifts, based at Steeton, has stolen a march on its competitors by using methods familiar to fans of the Meccano set, which enable a speedy installation service for curved staircases Acorn’s ability to install stairlifts on standard straight staircases within 24 hours has enabled it to achieve a higher UK turnover than its competitors.

Now the £80 million turnover company can achieve a similar quick response time for more complex installations.

Curved staircases require specially- designed rails which are tailor-made for a particular job. Through its new Fast Track service, Acorn is able to tackle such jobs in a way that has brought delivery and installation times tumbling.

Bespoke rails made at the Acorn’s 45,000sq ft Steeton factory are put together by installation engineers at the customer’s house from a number of straight, curved and angled pieces, similar to constructing a Meccano set, rather than in the factory.

Acorn has also launched the Fast Track service in the United States, France and Italy and Germany – which is set to become one of the firm’s fastest growing markets. Acorn’s subsidiaries in France and Italy were opened last year.

Two specially-adapted vans have been sent out to Germany to implement the Fast Track service there.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins praised the firm, which employs more than 400 people at Steeton and another 600 in Scotland and overseas. He said: “It is firms like Acorn that will really help to get our local and national economy moving once again.”

Nick Wilson, operations manager, said: “Acorn now has the proven ability to install stairlifts very quickly on all types of staircases, unlike any of our competitors.”

Acorn Stairlifts has invested more than £1m in upgrading production and created 80 new jobs in the process.