New jobs to be created at Birmingham firm after £200,000 investment
A Birmingham automation specialist in robotics is preparing to create new jobs after receiving £200,000 in funding from business lender UKSE.
Mechatronic Production Systems Limited, based at Kings Norton Business Centre, will add seven new roles to its current staffing level of 35 employees after securing the funds to meet growing demand from manufacturers seeking to increase productivity by automating their facilities.
Mechatronic supplies factory production and robotic process automation to some of the world’s leading automotive, industrial, medical device and aerospace companies. Mechatronic aims to expand its operation following the backing from social impact funder UKSE, which works with companies across the West Midlands unable to secure investment from mainstream banks.
Celebrating 35 years of trading, Mechatronic offers customers full turnkey and automated solutions from concept to installation through to training and service support. This year also sees the 10 year anniversary of the launch of Robopod, Mechatronic’s flagship product providing customers with a modular and portable ”plug and play” robotic solution which can be linked to form a flexible production line or operated in isolation to automate a process.
Managing Director Tony Parker-Watkins, who led a management buy-out in 2022, said: “We have a strong sales pipeline and want to focus on business growth with more personnel. With this investment we can grow as a business as we continue to serve our clients, many of whom are or supply leading blue chip companies.
“We have a strong, experienced and loyal team here at Mechatronic. We continue to look for and support engineers of the future by offering work experience placements, employing young apprentices and university placement students to develop their skills in automation which is an exciting and interesting industry.
“The team at UKSE have been great to work with. Knowledgeable about funding, they understand how our orders can fluctuate and recognise the opportunities ahead which we are trying to harness.”
Providing strategic loan and equity packages of up to £1m to generate growth, create jobs and bolster the economy, UKSE’s team based in Cannock supports SMEs across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry, Staffordshire and Telford.
UKSE Midlands Area Manager Steve Grice said: “We are pleased to have taken this fantastic opportunity to support Mechatronic in the next exciting phase of their growth story. With a strong track record in innovation and a pipeline of new business to realise, Tony and the team are the kind of business we aim to support to benefit the West Midlands economy.
“UKSE has a mission to enable businesses and the people behind them to create jobs, grow and prosper, so we look forward to seeing Mechatronic build further success.”
The UKSE support for Mechatronic comes after the firm secured £350,000 of Midlands Engine Investment Fund II funds through manager Frontier Development Capital (FDC).
To find out more about UKSE, visit www.ukse.co.uk.
