New partnership aims to recreate Coventry’s manufacturing heyday

A NEW partnership has been created in Coventry and Warwickshire in an attempt to recreate the area’s manufacturing heyday.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has pulled together the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) to support its manufacturing and engineering network.

The idea is to develop the partnership to help manufacturers and engineers who want to grow their businesses to navigate their way through the advice and support that is available to them.

The partnership was introduced to the area’s business community at a seminar at the Coventry University Engineering and Computing Building.

The various partners were joined by Chris White, chair of the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group and MP for Warwick and Leamington, John Nollett, of Pailton Engineering, and Bill Hunt, from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the group had been buoyed by the reaction from businesses.

She said: “We all see that manufacturing and engineering has a crucial role to play in the UK – especially here in Coventry and Warwickshire – and that is why we felt it was right to pull together partners with great experience in supporting this sector.”

She said the level of inquiries was strong with many companies wanting to know who they should be talking to in order to implement growth plans.

Bill Hunt said the Coventry and Warwickshire City Deal would boost manufacturing and engineering in the region, by helping companies through the fog of the support available.

Paul Noon, UKTI regional director, said: “Our aim is to double exports before 2020. Manufacturing and engineering will obviously play a significant part in that.”