Firm's £5m expansion work nears completion

The £5 million expansion of a Brownhills manufacturing firm, which is poised to create 145 jobs, is due to be completed by the end of the month.

But bosses at Castings today said they were unsure when recruiting will start due to a decline in vehicle production. Work on a new warehouse is almost finished, with just the car park and electrics outstanding.

New machinery, which is expected to create jobs for operatives and skilled workers, has already started arriving.

Last year, the foundry and engineering group said sales in the six months to the end of September were up to £64 million from £44.6 million a year ago, as pre-tax profits rose to £10.1 million.

Chief executive David Gawthorpe said how soon the company could take on staff depended on the amount of orders received, and commercial vehicle production had been declining recently.

"It's very difficult to say at the moment. The state of the business depends on customers."

Around 80 per cent of the company's castings go for exports, mostly to commercial vehicle and car manufacturers.

The new warehouse is being built next to the firm's headquarters in Lichfield Road and work started last summer.

Bosses say the extra room will allow the 150-year-old company to clear stock in its machine shop and create space for new machines.

Mr Gawthorpe said: "We are expecting work on the warehouse to be finished in three to four weeks. It's virtually built now. They are still working on the car park area and on finishing the electrics inside."

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