Cable hails future of manufacturing

After seeing strips of steel punched and formed into drainage grilles at Hadley Industries in Smethwick, Mr Cable saw the precision aeroplane components being made at Moog's aerospace factory on Wolverhampton's i54 site.

He also met with the Black Country's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the body made up of business leaders and council chiefs with the role of encouraging investment in the area.

During a lunchtime private meeting with the LEP board Mr Cable heard about the plans to deliver the Black Country's Growth Deal, the £138.7 million Government funding intended to kick-off £450m of investment to create 6,000 jobs, 1,000 new homes and hundreds of training opportunities in engineering and construction, as well as opening up sites for development and improving Junction 10 of the M6.

During his visit yesterday Mr Cable heard how the Growth Deal is designed to support the growth of industry and engineering in the Black Country, in particular as a UK centre for high-value manufacturing.

He was also given an update on the progress of the Black Country's Enterprise Zones in Wolverhampton and Darlaston.

The meeting was held at the Hadley Group's factory in Downing Street, Smethwick, following Mr Cable's tour of the factory, when he was accompanied by Hadley boss Stewart Towe, who is chairman of the Black Country LEP.

Following the visit Mr Cable said: Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The UK needs more companies like Hadley, a successful family exporting business using its own advanced technology and training its apprentices.

"The Black Country has real strengths in engineering which can help provide the balanced economic recovery the country needs.

"The partnership work of the LEP and the arrival of Jaguar Land Rover's engine plant in particular has engendered real optimism about the future."

During his visit the Business Secretary said his work to help bring JLR's new £500 million engine factory to Wolverhampton had been one of the single biggest successes of his time in office.

Mr Towe said after the meeting: "It has been a privilege to welcome the Secretary of State to the Black Country and Hadley Group.

"The LEP Board appreciated the opportunity for detailed discussions with Mr. Cable which covered the delivery of our Growth Deal, High Value Manufacturing and supply chain and skills development and the progress of the Black Country Enterprise Zone."

Hadley Group is Europe's largest privately owned cold rolled steel manufacturer and was recently awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise Innovation

As well as its base in Smethwick and sites across the Sandwell borough it also has manufacturing centres in Germany, Dubai and Thailand, employing a total of 520 people.

Mr Cable's visit to Moog took him to a US-owned company employing 450 people and with sales of 100 million US dollars, dealing with highly technical aerospace components.

But both firms were 'highly sophisticated', said Mr Cable. "This is an extremely positive story," he said. He described Hadley as 'British manufacturing at its best; a family company, taking a long-term view'.

The success of Moog, he said, justified the Government's investment in the UK aerospace industry.

Apprentice

During his visit to both sites Mr Cable talked to staff on the shop floor and discussed training and the issues facing recruitment in industry.

He also met with 17-year-old Alistair Head Hadley, a first year apprentice who gained experience spending one day a month working at the Severn Valley Railway. "I've always been more hands-on," said Alistair. "It's really encouraging," said Mr Cable. "We need people like him." And he urged schools in the Black Country to do more to guide youngsters towards vocational courses as an alternative to more academic studies. "We have to overcome snobbery about this and encourage people to pursue the vocational route," he said.

Mr Cable said the strength of manufacturing in the region had followed decades of industrial decline in the lead up to the crash of 2008. Since then, he said, 'the tide has turned'.

The success of efforts to persuade Jaguar Land Rover to build its new engine factory in Wolverhampton had helped strengthen confidence in the future of UK manufacturing, he said, adding: "We are now building on a bedrock of excellent companies and seeing a real turnaround."