As we’re seeing a successful roll-out of vaccines in the UK, and reported cases of Covid are dropping, it’s important to keep abreast of other good news. 

In the past we have featured Good News Stories from around the various manufacturing industries in the UK and we feel this is something that we should continue to share. Despite the current lock-down which we see coming to an end, manufacturing is still growing and investment is still strong. 

Please feel free to share these stories and news articles from recent months and keep pushing to get the message out there loud and clear – UK Manufacturing is Great, Britain is Great! 

Rolls-Royce marks first engine run on £90m testbed 

Rolls-Royce has completed the first engine run on its state-of-the-art Testbed 80, which will be the largest and smartest indoor aerospace testbed in the world when it is officially opened in the coming months. 

With an internal area of 7,500 sq m, making it larger than a Premiership football pitch, the testbed conducted its first run on a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine at the test facility in Derby. The project has been under construction for almost three years and represents a £90m investment. 

Lotus Cars announces 250 new jobs with prototype built in Norfolk 

Sports car manufacturer Lotus has announced production of a new prototype which will create 250 jobs. 

The firm said it was investing £100m at its headquarters in Hethel, near Norwich. 

But three of the company’s models will cease production this year including the Elise, which launched in 1995. 

Phil Popham, chief executive of Lotus Cars, said: “Despite the continuing global challenges, Lotus has emerged from 2020 strong and on track.”

It follows last year’s announcement that it was moving some production to a new facility in Norwich from its existing plants in Norwich and Worcester. 

The company said the roles would be in engineering and manufacturing for both Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering which is due to open near Warwick later this year. 

Derby’s Bombardier secures multi-billion pound export order 

A consortium led by Bombardier Transportation has confirmed a deal with the Egyptian Government to build two new monorails thanks to £1.7 billion backing from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the largest amount of financing it has ever provided for an overseas infrastructure project. 

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss today announced the government guarantee, which will support highly skilled jobs in Derbyshire as the UK builds back better in the aftermath of coronavirus. 

Bombardier’s consortium was named preferred bidder for the project at the 2020 UK-Africa Investment Summit and, with UKEF’s guarantee, has secured the financing needed to fulfil the contract and start production. Bombardier can now invest in its manufacturing centre in Derby where the trains for the Egyptian monorails will be designed and built. 

This will be the UK’s only monorail car production line and will directly support 100 UK jobs at the company and many more in its UK supply chain. 

What More UK unveils plans for huge new factory in Altham as part of £20m investment 

Plans for a new 200,000 sq ft factory have been announced by housewares manufacturer and exporter, What More UK 

The proposed building at Altham Business Park, which is currently awaiting planning permission, will increase the firm’s overall floor space by around 40% and is part of £20m investment plan. 

What More UK is one of the largest houseware manufacturers in the UK behind the popular brand ‘Wham’ which is available in every major UK supermarket and 1600 independent retailers. 

Miles Parkinson OBE, leader of Hyndburn Borough Council, said: “We welcome this development from What More UK. They’re one of the top employers in Hyndburn and we’re proud to have such a progressive company here on our doorstep. They’ve made a great 01582 560300 mail@bruderer.com www.bruderer.com 

contribution to the local economy and with this latest piece of news it looks set to grow in the future.” 

Work to start on new factory for Historic knife maker 

Work is set to start next month on a £1.8m project to construct a new factory for a historic Sheffield manufacturer of precision machine knives and blades. Harris CM is due to start work in February on a design and build project to create a 20,100 sq ft factory and office building at Dorehouse Business Park in Sheffield for Fernite. 

The manufacturer is investing in both its workforce and new technology to grow its blade development service, which manufactures bespoke and highly specialised products for customers in a range of industries, including food, print, paper, packaging and plastics. 

Fernite, which was established in 1832, is currently based at Coleford Road in Sheffield, and is set to relocate to the new site later this year. 

The development is located on the site of a former supermarket filling station and has been designed by Sheffield companies AAD Architects and Collins Hall Green Structural Engineers. Stockarth Project Solutions will oversee the financial control of the works. 

Jason Adlam, chief executive at Harris CM, said: “This is a great project to be involved with, which further demonstrates the importance of Sheffield’s heritage in the precision blade manufacturing industry. Furthermore, this scheme provides a plenty of opportunities for both our own workforce and our supply chain, with a significant proportion of both being based in the South Yorkshire area. 

Bentley breaks sales record in 2020 despite pandemic 

Bentley has confirmed that 2020 was its best ever year for new car sales, despite the global effects of the pandemic. 

The British luxury brand claims to have delivered 11,206 cars to new owners worldwide last year. That’s a 2% increase over 2019 and the highest figure in the company’s 101-year history. 

The news is especially significant when considering the extent of production disruption during lockdowns. Bentley’s factory in Crewe was shut down for seven weeks following the first national lockdown in March, with production running at 50% of usual output for nine more weeks after that.  

Bentley was forced into a “comprehensive” redesign of its facilities to meet demand while maintaining social distancing and safety protocols, it claims. 

As with previous years, the Americas (both North and South) remained the firm’s biggest market. However, China, a market that recovered quickly after swift action to curb the pandemic, posted a year-on-year increase of 48% to become Bentley’s second-largest region. 

Iconic motorcycle company Norton relocating to Solihull with potential for hundreds of jobs 

An iconic motorcycle manufacturer is relocating to Solihull – bringing its legendary reputation to the West Midlands. 

Norton Motorcycles Company will create more than 50 jobs – with reports over 100 roles could be created by the relocation. 

The formerly-East Midlands-based maker will combine “traditional hand-crafted techniques with modern day machinery” at its new plant. 

The firm will relocate to Solar Park in Shirley, Solihull, having been founded in the 1890s in Birmingham. 

Norton Motorcycles went on to become one of the most iconic British motorcycle brands, manufacturing famous models such as the 650SS, Atlas, Commando, Dominator, Manx, Navigator and many more. 

Nissan launches major recruitment drive 

Nissan is recruiting for 100 jobs ahead of the production of its latest model, the new hybrid Qashqai. 

The Sunderland plant, which employs around 6,000 people, is on the hunt for people to join its manufacturing team, working across a range of roles. 

The Washington site, which supports thousands more jobs through its supply chain, will build the hybrid e-power vehicle following a £400m investment made in the Qashqai, including the unveiling of a £52 XL press line last year. 

The new hybrid, the third generation of the Qashqai – which will use an electric motor drive and a petrol engine to charge a battery – forms part of Nissan’s NEXT transformation plan, announced last year by the CEO and president of the Japanese car giant. 01582 560300 mail@bruderer.com www.bruderer.com 

Thales secures £98m air defence contract extension 

Thales UK has secured a £98.4m contract extension, supporting 119 jobs, to maintain Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) for the British Army and Royal Marines. 

SHORAD is made up of high velocity and lightweight multi-role missile systems that can intercept air threats including fast jets, helicopters and unmanned air systems in a matter of seconds. 

Thales UK won the initial contract in 2018, helping to modernise and develop the missile systems as part of the Future Air Defence Availability Project (F-ADAPT). This latest announcement confirms a five-year extension to the contract – until the end of 2026 – sustaining over 100 jobs at Thales UK’s Belfast site and within the wider Northern Ireland supply chain. 

Cox Powertrain to increase production with £12m investment 

Cox Powertrain, a Shoreham-based manufacturer of high-powered diesel outboard engines for the global marine industry, has successfully raised £9m from existing shareholders, together with a further £3m loan from HSBC UK Equipment Finance, to allow the company to increase production of its market-revolutionising CXO300 outboard engine and fulfil growing order books. 

Since 2007, Cox Powertrain has been backed by private investors. Production of the CXO300 began in May 2020 and since then, the CXO300 has been shipped to over 16 territories across the globe. 

The CXO300 is built at Cox Powertrain’s headquarters in Shoreham, West Sussex, where £6.7m from preceding investment was used to finance a highly advanced and state-of-the-art production facility. The facility was planned and built with flexibility and scalability in mind to ensure it could be adapted to keep up with demand. 

When the CXO300 was launched, orders were already on the books and since production began in May 2020, there has been a significant increase in demand, with Cox having a strong order book for 2021. 

Tim Routsis, chief executive officer of Cox Powertrain, said, “2020 was a year of milestones for Cox Powertrain as we entered production of the CXO300 despite the challenges of the global effects of Covid-19. This injection of capital allows us to now scale up our business and fulfil our growing order books. 01582 560300 mail@bruderer.com www.bruderer.com 

CastAlum to create new jobs with £5m investment. 

Welshpool-based CastAlum is significantly expanding production and creating up to 50 jobs with support from the Welsh Government. 

The diecasting engineering specialist, which has been based in the town for 20 years, is investing £5m in its facilities. The Welsh Government’s SMART Innovation programme has provided technical support for a number of recent projects with the company and SMART Cymru funding worth £100,000 has been co-invested in new technology. This builds on a long-standing relationship between the Welsh Government and CastAlum. 

CastAlum is already an important employer in Welshpool with 116 employees on site and supplies car brands such as Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW. Its expansion plans will see the company installing two new, state-of-the-art manufacturing cells which will increase its production capability considerably. 

Thousands of jobs on way as global giant to build huge offshore wind plant at major new port on Tees 

A major new port – and thousands of jobs – are on the way after US industrial giant GE confirmed it will build its turbine blade factory on Teesside. 

Around 3,000 jobs will be created after the Government announced an investment of up to £20m to develop the next generation of offshore wind projects on the banks of the Tees. 

Construction will start on the Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre later this year – including a heavy lift quay with the capacity for up to three offshore wind manufacturers at South Bank. 

GE Renewables Energy has signed up for its new facility to be based at Teesworks, which will sit alongside the new port. 

It will make the river a major UK hub for offshore wind, with industry experts saying GE’s arrival will turn the former SSI steelworks site into a “high-tech clean energy powerhouse”. 

Tees Vallley Mayor Ben Houchen said the deal was ‘monumental’ while Redcar and Cleveland Council leader Mary Lanigan added “this is the news we’ve all been waiting for”. 

Once complete, the Teesworks port will have the potential to support the development of 100 turbines a year. 01582 560300 mail@bruderer.com www.bruderer.com 

CarnaudMetalbox Engineering boosts capacity with new facility 

CarnaudMetalbox Engineering (CMbE) has announced a further expansion of its production capacity with the addition of a new 150,000-square-foot facility in Leeds, UK. 

CMbE is a developer and manufacturer of metal forming and finishing machinery for the production of food, beverage and aerosol cans. 

The new unit increases the company’s facilities to more than 298,000 square feet, enabling expansion of its production capacity to meet increased demand. 

Referred to as ‘Unit 12’, the additional facility will support CMbE’s “continuing machinery sales growth”, and includes capabilities for assembly, testing and despatch. 

In the last month, a comprehensive re-fit programme has begun at Unit 12, which will see ‘significant’ investment in infrastructure, welfare and capital equipment. 

“This is a truly exciting opportunity and marks a milestone in the company’s history. This significant expansion in our capacity will allow us to better serve the industry moving forward,” said Marc Hoche, vice president and general manager of CMbE. 

1,400 jobs secured in UK aerospace manufacturing sector with new investment 

1,400 jobs could be secured thanks to new investments in the UK aerospace manufacturing sector from consortiums including McLaren and GKN. 

Government-industry funding for five projects through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme aims to improve manufacturing within the aerospace industry, developing technology to make production lines quicker, more efficient, and more cost-effective. 

This investment hopes to safeguard the UK manufacturing sector, ensuring that the UK remains a competitive market for aerospace companies as the country recovers from the pandemic. 

Successful projects could help secure jobs across the UK, from Bristol to Belfast, and South Wales to Somerset, improving local growth and benefitting communities. 

Minister for business, Paul Scully, said: “This multi-million-pound cash injection will safeguard vital jobs and support the aerospace sector as it builds back stronger after the pandemic.

“Manufacturing is at the very heart of UK industry, and innovative processes will ensure that the UK is at the forefront of global efforts as we develop technology that can power a green aviation revolution.” 

A particular focus of the project proposals is on creating lightweight materials and parts that will reduce how much fuel is used and that can be adopted onto future hybrid and electric planes. This will help the wider aerospace industry build back greener as it innovates and adapts to more sustainable travel over the next few decades. 

Ford chooses Dagenham for new Transit engines 

Ford has announced that diesel engines for a new generation of its Transit van will be built at its factory in Dagenham. The company says the move will help to safeguard jobs at the site, which currently employs 1,900 people. “This is great news for the entire Ford Dagenham Engine Plant team and reinforces the strong relationship between diesel engine production at Dagenham and Transit vehicle production at Ford Otosan in Turkey,” said Martin Everitt, plant manager, Ford Dagenham. 

The next generation Ford Transit Custom range will be built by Ford Otosan – Ford’s joint venture in Turkey – in Kocaeli, Turkey, from early 2023. The next generation Volkswagen 1-tonne commercial vehicle also will be built in Kocaeli as part of the Ford-Volkswagen Alliance. 

Today’s announcement with its anticipated incremental engine volumes helps to safeguard jobs at Dagenham Engine Plant. By 2025, it is expected that up to 60 percent of the plant’s entire diesel engine volume will be destined just for the 1-tonne commercial vehicles being built by Ford Otosa 

Alpha Solway to open new Scottish manufacturing centre 

Scottish-based PPE manufacturer Alpha Solway is set to create over 300 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities at a new manufacturing facility, owing to a unique multi-million pound public-private investment partnership with South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE). 

The Annan-based company, part of the Globus Group, will begin construction this month after securing funding of £4.8m from SOSE. The new factory will have an overall build cost of £12m, part of Alpha Solway’s total investment of more than £33m in the Dumfries and Galloway region. Globus is to more than match the SOSE funds in a collaboration designed to boost the Scottish economy and cement the long-term future of manufacturing in the region.  

British watchmaker Bremont opens new Manufacturing & Technology Centre 

Despite first launching watches on the market mid-recession in 2007, Bremont is one of the leading chronometer manufacturers in the world and is the single largest British mechanical watchmaker, manufacturing watches in the UK. 

Bremont has reinvigorated the British watch industry and brought it to the fore, marking the first time since Smiths in the late 70s that mechanical watch manufacturing of any scale has been done in this country. The Bremont Manufacturing & Technology Centre is the next chapter in the brand’s story and the new site paves the way for a new era in British watchmaking with capacity for exponential growth, increased manufacturing capabilities, job creation, skills development, and a resolute intention of working with more high-quality British suppliers. 

Bremont will be creating jobs and anticipates a 20% uplift in staff numbers per year. As part of the brand’s onshoring programme, Bremont anticipates additional jobs will also be created across the UK’s supply chain. 

£54 million investment as UK automotive industry accelerates towards net-zero emissions 

More than £54 million in combined government and industry funding has been committed to three innovative projects for cars, buses, heavy goods vehicles and vans across the UK, co-ordinated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). 

In Northern Ireland, £11.2 million for the development and manufacture of low-cost hydrogen fuel cell bus technology and a hydrogen centre of excellence with Wrightbus in Ballymena, to further the development of hydrogen technology and drive product sales across the world. 

In Wales, lightweight electric powertrains for heavy goods vehicles will be developed in Cwmbran led by Meritor in a £31.9 million programme which will also see a new technology centre built in Scotland. 

In Warwickshire, £11.3 million has been committed through Shield Manufacturing Technologies to develop and manufacture an energy recovery system developed in motorsport and integrated with an e-axle and motor, to reduce energy use in cars and vans in a transformational project for the UK’s production of motors and inverters. 

Ian Constance, Chief Executive at the APC said: ‘We are delighted to have guided the latest investment of more than £54 million in the development and production of innovative powertrains to further accelerate the transition of the automotive sector to a net-zero future.  

Good Times at Bruderer UK Ltd 

Despite the issues that Covid has given us, Bruderer UK Ltd has remained fully operational throughout the Pandemic, to supports the manufacturing activities of our valued customers. 

These difficult times have also been quite fruitful for us and here are a couple of our own Good News highlights. 

DEVON MANUFACTURER INVESTS £100K INTO NEW PRESSING LINE 

A specialist in precision pressed parts and machined components has invested more than £100,000 into the installation of a new high-speed press line to boost capacity ahead of a raft of new opportunities. 

Source Engineering, which employs 32 people across its two divisions in Plympton, has tapped into the expertise of Bruderer UK to purchase a machine that can do the work of four conventional HME power presses. 

The BSTA 200M 20 tonne stamping press was identified as the ideal solution and is now up and running at its Langage Business Park facility, achieving 300 strokes per minute which represents a 200% increase in production output across a range of products destined for the automotive, electrical wholesale and oil and gas markets. 

Engineers at the firm have freed up an additional 500 sq ft of production space to use for the introduction of new projects and to help them cope with an increase in demand for its range of automation solutions. 

Andy Dunkerley, Chairman at Source Engineering, commented: “Buying a Bruderer is like buying the Swiss watch of machines…you get unrivalled precision, speed and repeatable quality, all wrapped up in a relatively small footprint. 

“We already had one in another part of the factory and were fully aware of its capabilities, so when it came to looking at how we optimised the factory floor space by replacing four machines with one high-speed line we called in its technical experts to review the options.” 

He continued: “They really understood what we were looking to achieve in space utilisation without giving up the versatility and the volumes, which basically meant we needed one machine to do the work of four.”  

Investment leads to reshoring contract for HV Wooding 

Investment in a refurbished precision high-speed press is helping a Kent-based sub-contract manufacturing specialist deliver a significant aerospace contract that has been reshored from Spain. 

HV Wooding, which offers laser cutting, wire erosion, busbars, motor laminations and presswork to customers all over the world, has invested over £120,000 into new tooling and the installation of a Bruderer BSTA 25H to produce more than 28 million precision parts every year. 

The contract will utilise the press’ repeatable bottom dead centre accuracy and 1,500 strokes per minute capability, with its RAM Guidance System ensuring unparalleled stability and longer tool life. 

Components will be used in a number of tamper-proof products for the airline sector and should account for 60% of the machine’s capacity, leaving the other 40% for new opportunities in electrification and green energy. 

Paul Allen, sales director at HV Wooding, said: “This is the second Bruderer we’ve installed, after inheriting our first when an electrical client outsourced its press shop. There are few machines in the world that can offer the speed and accuracy in such high volumes and this is going to make a major difference to our ability to meet the requirement of our aerospace customer. 

“The material we are using is really thin gauge and tolerances are within microns – that’s why we decided on the BSTA 25H. The RAM Guidance System eliminates the possibility of movement during the stamping process, prolonging the tool life and giving us consistent repeatable quality, something the customer wasn’t getting overseas.” 

HV Wooding, which exports 30% of its £10m turnover overseas, has also invested in a Unidor Multi-Sensor in die tool protection system and a Unidor Press Force Monitor. Both additions to the machine are designed to ensure the tool safety at both low and high speeds and provides protection against overload and potential damage to the tool and press. 

Simon Stewart, technical manager at HV Wooding, added: “We have been really impressed with the performance of the BSTA 25H and are already looking at ways where we can standardise the set-up process to move other projects on to it.