Major conference outlines £1.89m support boost fo...

Over 130 manufacturers from the West Midlands were urged to tap into a £1.89m funding pot yesterday, as part of the Manufacturing Advisory Service’s Supply Chain Conference at RAF Cosford. 

Manufacturing SMEs from across the region were given an insight into the support available between now and March 2015, with the view to helping them enter new markets, encourage innovation, boost international trade and create new jobs.

Firms can access a host of grants that range from small improvement plans to £10,000 of funding towards major transformational projects that have the potential to achieve 20% growth.

Delegates heard how nearly £500,000 had already been committed to 80+ firms and the total assistance has the potential to safeguard or create in excess of 1200 jobs. 

“The entire Conference has been set-up to explore how our manufacturing SMEs can take advantage of the upturn in the global industry and the UK’s new found popularity with international OEMs,” explained Lorraine Holmes, MAS Area Director for the North and West. 

“Automotive has obviously taken up a lot of the media headlines, but we are also seeing growth within aerospace, electronics and emerging markets, such as offshore wind…you only have to look at the recent Siemens announcement to see that.

”She went on to add: “One of our roles at MAS is to ensure that our SMEs are aware of these opportunities and, more importantly, are in a position to take advantage of them. This may involve making them more competitive, helping increase capacity, upskilling both the workforce and management team, even helping companies with relocation. 

“The £1.89m we have left – a combination of the ERDF Growth Programme and core Government funding - can really unlock potential and provide the transformation some manufacturers are striving for.

”Sponsored by Lloyds Bank, the MAS Supply Chain Conference featured keynote addresses from Jaguar Land Rover’s Rita Davey on ‘future proofing engineering skills’ and ‘meeting the expectations of aerospace customers’ by Tim Holmes of Aero Engine Controls. 

Dr Andrew Mair of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) also gave an insight into the growth of the region’s aerospace cluster and its key strengths, including propulsion systems, control systems, tools, gauges, testing equipment and metals and composites. 

John Russell, the former CEO of Manganese Bronze, compered the event:“It was great to see such a big turnout and the genuine appetite for growth that currently exists in our supply chain. 

“We have one of the biggest opportunities in decades and we can’t let it slip away. Every effort must be made to cultivate the optimism, provide support when necessary and let our SME manufacturers do what they do best.” 

He concluded: “The two examples we heard from today in Strip Tinning and Arrowsmith Engineering (Coventry) shows what can be achieved with a best practice approach, the right levels of investment and a product/service customers want to buy. Both firms have experienced growth in automotive and aerospace respectively and encouragingly they both want a bigger share of the global market.”