The Future of Automotive: Cameron hails West Midlands automotive success

THE Prime Minister has hailed the growth of the UK manufacturing sector and its automotive industry in particular.

Speaking on his last visit to the West Midlands before next week’s General Election, David Cameron was in Birmingham to officially open an extension to Sertec’s new manufacturing facilities – a platform he used to announce his party’s latest pledge not to increase taxation should it be re-elected.

Prior to taking to the platform, the Prime Minister heard from Sertec managing director Grant Adams about the growth of the business during the past five years.

Speaking to an audience of employees, local business leaders and party figures, Adams said: “Here in Birmingham we are at the heart of British manufacturing and the rise in fortunes of the automotive industry in particular has seen our company experience dramatic growth in recent years.

“When the Conservative Party came to power in May 2010, Sertec was turning over £40m and employing 400 people.

“Fifteen months ago, when the Chancellor spoke here about how his policies were working to get the British economy back on track, our £40m had become £137m and our workforce had more than doubled to 850 people.

“And today, almost exactly five years since our guest became Prime Minister, we now achieve sales of £182m and provide work for over 1,200 people.”

He said the firm’s customers – it is a major supplier to Jaguar Land Rover – would not invest in British manufacturing expertise if the economy could not sustain it.

“In turn our customers’ faith in what we do has given us the confidence to reinvest our millions in plant, in technology and in jobs,” he said.

“Indeed, we have just built a 40,000 sq ft extension to this building which we are officially opening today as the Mosedale Logistics Hall, so named in honour of our founder Harry Mosedale and his family.

“We believe in our future…and the future of the British workforce and British manufacturing.”

Mr Cameron said: “The story of the economic growth and regeneration of the West Midlands over the last five years has been really inspiring. During the so-called boom years before the banking crash and recession although the economy was growing, private sector employment in the West Midlands actually went down but what we have seen in the last five years is genuine industrial regeneration – some of it based around the automotive industry but other industries as well,” he said.

“We have seen 116,000 more people in work, growth in apprenticeships, skills and training. We are seeing work coming back from overseas and Sertec having gone from 400 employees five years ago going to 1,200 today is a really inspiring story.

“It is great to see jobs and investment coming back into our manufacturing industry, the automotive industry and the West Midlands in particular.”

He pledged that if the Conservatives were re-elected then the party would continue to support the manufacturing sector and to ensure there were more success stories like Sertec.

All this week, TheBusinessDesk.com has joined forces with Lloyds Bank, MHA Bloomer Heaven and Irwin Mitchell to assess the strength of the automotive supply chain whether it is capable of meeting future demands.

Our latest supplement assesses the current state of the industry, what challenges lie ahead for the automotive sector and whether the next Government will commit to the policies which can help to sustain an industry that has undergone a drastic renaissance from the dark days of 2009 when many of the manufacturers were forced to go cap-in-hand to the Government to ask for help to survive.

To download a copy of the supplement, please click here