Express & Star fund gets the Black Country working

The £1.4 million Green Shoots Fund, which has been praised by the Prime Minister, is offering grants of up to £50,000 to Black Country firms to invest in projects that help them take on new trade.

So far the project, set up by the University of Wolverhampton and the E&S and backed by the Government's Regional Growth Fund, has committed £753,527, creating 28 jobs and safeguarding a further 25 between 20 small and medium sized businesses.

The latest three to be announced today are Walsall's Motad, Halesowen's Richley Dental Ceramics and Dudley based Orson Equipment.

Of the money committed, £403,000 has already been paid out to companies in grants.

For almost 50 years Motad has been making replacement exhausts for motorbikes.

The company, based in Leamore Lane in Walsall, is a leading supplier of replacement downpipes and systems for bikes from Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki.

It also makes slip-on and bolt-on race and exhaust cans, in carbon fibre and stainless steel, which it sells under the brand name Venom.

Sales are growing. The company supplies the likes of Norton Motorcycles at Donington in the East Midlands.

But the motorbike trade is seasonal so Motad is looking to expand into other areas and has been a supplier to Westfield Sports Cars for more than 15 years.

The Green Shoots Fund is going to help it create and safeguard jobs by giving it a grant of £16,715 towards a robotic welding cell.

The overall £55,350 project will give Motad much more control over their costs and the flexibility to branch out into other lines of business.

New business is already coming its way from Coventry-based fire fighting equipment company Godiva, which wants exhausts for a new portable fire pump.

There is also work coming in from Bowler Motorsport.

By using the skills and experience of its workforce, working with the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, and with the new equipment installed, Motad expects to be in able to growth further.

Boss John Atherton said: "It is imperative that in order for the company to flourish investment in new technology is carried out, with out the Grant Funding the project would not have proceeded.

"Lack of confidence from customers to spend money is always a concern and 25 per cent of our sales are to Europe where it is still very difficult. We need to diversify in order to export more, or for import substitution.

"The words 'made in the Black Country' still mean a great deal to a lot of our customers. They know that this area is renowned for its Engineering heritage, we can design, develop and manufacture world class items at competitive prices."

Halesowen-based Richley Dental Ceramics wants to develop its own department for computer aided design and manufacturing.

The company manufactures dental prosthetics for surgeons across the country, everything from implants, dentures, crown and bridges to mouth-guards and orthodontic appliances.

In February this year it relocated to larger premises from Shell Corner to Long Lane, Halesowen.

And now it plans to spend £152,893 on building a milling centre and the purchase of the latest computerised milling technology.

Most of the company's work comes from dental practices all over the country, including many from within the Midlands.

The rest is from corporate dental groups and small amount is from health authorities.

A grant of £46,174 from the Green Shoots Fund will help the project get underway and create four jobs.

The company employs 19 people and has been in business for 30 years.

Managing director Shirley MacConnachie said: "This allows us to fund and purchase modern technology in terms of computer aided design and milling.

"Many dental prosthetics are made in China and we support the British bite mark of manufacturing solely in Britain.

"We're proud that what we do is made in Britain.

"The British taxpayer funds the NHS but much of their treatment is sourced from overseas.

"We want to complete the circle, investing British money in a British product and employing British workers."

Orson Equipment, a division of Concept Technical Services, is keeping some of the most iconic and classic cars on the road,

The Dudley based company makes parts for the aerospace industry as well as for classic models of Jaguar, MG and Maserati.

Some of the cars that use their splined hubs, spinners and discs along with other bespoke components have been around since the early 1900's to the early 1970s.

Now owner Dave Wood, aged 56, wants to branch out into new products that can go on more contemporary models.

There is competition from overseas but Mr Wood is confident that his brand, Orson, can see that off.

The company, based on the Peartree Industrial Estate, needs to expand both its production and administrative operations and buy a new lathe machine.

It is planning to spend £141,000 of which £42,000 is coming from Green Shoots.

Nine people work for CTS including Mr Wood and his wife, Lorraine, aged 46, who is the company's accountant.

Mr Wood said: "We applied to Green Shoots as this gave us the necessary funding to pursue the project without the need for guarantees. It has addressed a shortfall in funding which would have been difficult to bridge without this grant.

"British manufacturing and in particular the Black Country boast some of the world's leading companies. Too much has been made of low cost economies and their competitiveness. We have the abilities and strengths to succeed in these fields.

"We need to demonstrate our receptiveness and agility to meet challenges on a world stage."

The Regional Growth Fund is a multi-billion pound project to offer grants to firms with projects and plans to expand.

Earlier this year David Cameron said: "RGF has played a really good role in boosting private sector employment and getting business moving. Full marks to the Express & Star for working with RGF to fund projects that support employment."

More companies are currently having their bids assessed.

The fund is open to businesses with fewer than 250 employees. The companies must be based in either Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley or Walsall and pay their business rates to one of those local authorities.

To apply, businesses can log on here.