West Midlands Companies News

[sefton66]

Great investment

NVC to expand at Hollymoor Point

Last updated: 22nd Mar 2012 at 08:21am | |

A 49,000 sq ft industrial unit at Hollymoor Point in Rubery has been sold to one of China's biggest lighting manufacturers. The move is expected to create 170 jobs.

NVC Lighting Technology Corporation has acquired the freehold from Birmingham-based property company Hortons' Estate after committing to a £5m design-and-build last year.

NVC is headquartered at Huizhou in China's Guangdong province. Its UK arm, NVC (Manufacturing), was established in 2009 and currently operates from a 42,000 sq ft premises at Hollymoor Point, with offices, showroom, small design facility and warehouse.

The new facility has been built on land acquired by NVC next door to its existing site. It will allow the company to expand its design, R&D, technical and manufacturing capabilities, it said.

NVC (Manufacturing), which supplies NVC and other branded commercial and industrial lighting products to wholesalers in the UK and Ireland, has grown from seven to 80 staff.

Its turnover is set to hit £20m in less than three years, with new facility expected to create a further 170 jobs, the company added.

Hortons' Estate property director Richard Norgrove said: "At Hortons' we like to work with occupiers with their property requirements, and are pleased that we have been able to assist NVC with their expansion in the UK. The site met their requirements and we were able to move quickly to design and construct a unit for them."

Property consultants CBRE, Harris Lamb and Jones Lang LaSalle advised Hortons' Estate on the transaction.

http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/...int/index.html

[sefton66]

and some more good news for jobs...

Lloyds' plan for 500 jobs in Co-op deal

Last updated: 23rd Mar 2012 at 08:24am | |
Lloyds has announced the creation of 500 new jobs, including in Birmingham, ahead of the sale of 632 retail bank branches to the Co-operative Group.

The banking group, part-owned by the government, is looking to sell the branches to the Co-op Group in a scheme known as Project Verde.

About 500 new posts are to be created at five administrative centres in Birmingham, Livingstone, Gloucester, Sunderland and Swansea.

The bases will provide the bank with back office support services such as telephony and mortgage support.

The majority of these 500 staff will be based in Livingstone and, if the deal with the Co-op goes ahead, a further 1,400 staff will switch over to Project Verde at these locations.

In a statement, Lloyds said: "Lloyds Banking Group continues to make good progress on its EC mandated retail and commercial business divestment (Verde), and is today announcing the key operational sites which will join the Verde business.

"These sites, which will provide telephony, banking operations and mortgage centre support to the Verde business, are in five UK locations, in Gloucester, Livingston, Birmingham, Sunderland and Swansea. Around 1,400 colleagues in these locations will become part of the Verde business, joining around 5,000 branch staff."

http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/...eal/index.html

[sefton66]

NVC looking into a manufacturing plant in the region, Birmingham top of the list, Im not sure if there would be room near their current offices/warehouse? Longbridge must be in with a shout surely. Great news though

NVC Lighting planning expansion and jobs creation in Birmingham
by Enda MullenApr 20 2012

China’s biggest lighting company is looking to establish a manufacturing operation in Birmingham that could create almost 200 new jobs as part of an ambitious global expansion drive.

NVC Lighting revealed its plans at the opening of a new building which doubled the size of its UK operation at its Birmingham headquarters in Great Park, in Rubery. It is the third phase of expansion the site.

NVC’s UK operation opened in 2009 and supplies commercial, industrial, and exterior lighting products to wholesalers in the UK and the Irish Republic.


The new building includes warehouse, office and assembly facilities and means NVC now occupies 91,000 sq ft of space on the site.

The company originally rented an adjacent building which it has since bought.

The latest facility has been built on land acquired through a £5.5 million deal with Birmingham-based Hortons’ Estate completed last summer.

The company has seen its revenues increase from sales totalling just £5,000 in May 2009 to an estimated turnover of £25 million for 2012.

It said its latest expansion represented part of the second phase of its UK growth plan but is already looking beyond to move into manufacturing in the UK.

It revealed it is likely to be identifying an additional site in the city or region to establish a “more vertically integrated” manufacturing operation which it aims to have up and running by 2015.

Currently NVC in the UK employs around 70 people directly but the company said it anticipates this figure to increase to 250 by 2015 when it also expects its turnover to hit £50 million a year.

NVC’s parent company is NVC Lighting Technology of Huizhou in southern China, which provided the lighting for the Beijing Olympics and the South Africa World Cup. It was founded in 1998 by Wu Changjiang and in less than 15 years has gone on to become China’s largest lighting manufacturer.

Mr Changjiang, the company’s chief executive officer, who performed the formal opening of NVC’s new Birmingham facility, confirmed the company was committed to further expansion in the UK and establishing a manufacturing facility.

“At the moment we do design in the UK and do some final assembly,” he said.

“As far as jobs are concerned we are looking at employing around 250 people by about 2015 and this is going down the manufacturing route.

“So yes, we are considering it and it is most likely it will be here in Birmingham. I believe in England and believe this will be the best place for investment and for future expansion into Europe.”

The company’s Chinese manufacturing operation is large-scale with a $1 billion turnover and a workforce totalling around 100,000.

But Birmingham bosses were keen to stress the company is not about simply selling Chinese manufactured product on to UK customers, in part due to regulatory issues and the differences between the Chinese and UK markets.

UK NVC director Gary Pass said: “We are not here just to sell products made in China. Only about half the products are from China and the rest we source from Europe. We also deal with local engineering companies. We design our own products here and I think that is one of our big successes.”

Mr Changjiang’s comments about NVC’s UK manufacturing plans were echoed by product and marketing director James Hunter Johnston.

He said: “Phase three will see us start to do more heavyweight manufacturing here in the UK. We will increase local content and UK manufactured content – something that will see us bringing back manufacturing to the UK.”

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/birmin...#ixzz1sbVrFPR2

[sefton66]

Also, another medal contract for a Jewellery Quarter firm

Birmingham Jewellery Qurater medal company in rush for the Diamond Jubilee
by Ben Hurst, Birmingham MailApr 20 2012

THOUSANDS of commemorative medals are being produced in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.


Worcestershire Medal Services (WMS) beat international competition and the Royal Mint to be awarded the £7 million contract.

Some 450,000 official Diamond Jubilee medals are to be made in the Jewellery Quarter and mounted at the company’s Bromsgrove factory. They will be worn by members of the armed forces, emergency service workers and prison staff, among others, to mark the event, which will see a range of celebrations in June.

WMS managing director Phil McDermott said: “It’s been a terrific amount of work.

“Our staff have been working six days a week – at some point seven days – and 13 hours a day to deliver this on time.

“The medals were made in Britain and that’s a fabulous story.

“Britain still has manufacturing but we’ve been focusing too much on services.

“We’re seeing more and more people now wanting to come back.

“The success of winning this contract has meant we’ve had lots more inquiries when, historically, over the last 10 to 15 years, they had been moving out to the Far East.”

The medals are engraved with the Latin words which translate as ‘Elizabeth the Second, by Grace of God, Defender of the Faith’, and will be worn by those who had served a minimum of five years at the point of accession on February 6.

WMS, which owns the Gladman and Norman factory in Birmingham, joined forces with two other Jewellery Quarter companies – Toye, Kenning and Spencer and Thomas Fattorini – to compete for the business.

They won the contract ahead of the Royal Mint, which has the exclusive contract to supply all British coinage.

Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/t...#ixzz1sbdDoI7a

[sefton66]

Another win for a Birmingham firm for the Queens Jubilee

Jubilee beacons boost manufacturing
By Emma Kasprzak
BBC News

On 4 June people around the world will light a network of beacons for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Across the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, the Commonwealth and UK Overseas Territories 4,000 beacons will be lit.

As part of the celebrations religious buildings are being encouraged to light a church tower beacon to mark the occasion.

The organisers asked a Birmingham company to design a special beacon with a diamond shaped burner for the event.

The official Queen's Diamond Jubilee beacons have proved so popular that Bullfinch Gas Equipment Ltd, based in Tyseley, has had to stop taking orders after demand was higher than expected.

Bruno Peek, pageant master for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Beacons, said: "We asked Bullfinch to produce a gas-fired beacon with a diamond head on the top so it also becomes a bit of a souvenir.

"Over 600 beacons have been purchased for buildings for all different faiths."

Religious buildings planning to light beacons include the Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Hindu Temple, in Oldbury, in the West Midlands, and St Mary's Parish church, an Anglican church in Moseley, Birmingham.

Mr Peek added that another company in Scotland had been asked to supply beacons to help them keep up with demand.

21cc Fireworks, based in Edinburgh, is still taking orders for its church tower beacons after Bullfinch received 100 more entries than expected.


A total of 600 beacons have been ordered from Bullfinch

Bullfinch, which separately is also making the burners for the Olympic relay torches, was approached by the organisers of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee event after it had provided beacons to be lit along Hadrian's Wall in 2010.

The two metre (six foot) high Jubilee beacon, which uses propane gas cylinders, can burn for up to two hours.

Steve Ewer, works manager, said the Jubilee contract was the biggest order they had ever had for beacons.

The company, which normally makes blowtorches and heaters for the building industry, is hoping it will lead to further contracts from organisers of public events in the future.

Five members of staff on temporary contracts have been taken on to complete both the torch burners and the beacons.

Mr Ewer said: "Business hadn't been fantastic and we'd had to downsize over the last five years.

"We have two companies in the same factory now but at one time we had two separate sites.

"It brings it home how important these big events are to a small company - we've increased our workforce by 30% in the last six to nine months so hopefully this contract will lead to other things and permanent work for those people."

When lit the beacon's flame reaches a height of about three metres (10ft).

Each part has had to be specially designed by the company, with businesses across England being involved in producing the various components.

The beacons are then assembled and tested at the factory in Birmingham.

At present the company has completed half of the orders with the other half due to be finished in two weeks.

They will then be sent all over the UK with some going further afield to places including Canada, Ireland and St Helena in the South Atlantic.

Managing Director Andrew Williams said he was looking forward to seeing footage of the burners lit across the country.

"It's amazing to be involved in the Jubilee," he said.

"The staff have done very well in the design, production, and every part of the business. We're proud of the whole team."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17991264

[sefton66]

AEC new build approved

Aero Engine Controls to create new £60 million headquarters
Enda Mullen May 24 2012


An artist's impression of Aero Engine Controls' new £60 million facility

Aero Engine Controls is to build a new £60 million advanced manufacturing and technology facility in Solihull.

The new headquarters for the aeronauticaul engineering company will be built at Birmingham Business Park after being given the green light by Solihull Council's planning committee.

Currently based at Hall Green in Birmingham the selection process is now underway to find a main contractor and it is hoped work on the project will start later this year.

It has been estimated around 70 jobs will be created during the construction process.

AEC will start re-locating more than 1,100 staff to the new facility during 2014.

The 250,000 sq ft building will incorporate technology, design, development, manufacturing and testing capabilities, with associated expansion space.

Simon Burr, CEO of AEC said: “We’re delighted our planning application has been approved. This is fantastic news for everybody at AEC and we can now look towards growing the business for the future.

“The support we have received from Solihull Council has been tremendous. With such a large and complex project such as this, it’s vital that everyone works together to ensure everything proceeds smoothly – and that is exactly what has happened for us.”

Councillor Ken Meeson, leader of Solihull Council said: “Solihull has a world-renowned reputation as a centre of excellence for advanced engineering so it’s great news for the borough that AEC is building its new headquarters here.

“We are delighted to welcome AEC to the growing number of successful businesses, who have chosen to locate in Solihull.”

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/birmin...#ixzz1voe4c4yP

[JayPeeDee]

This is the business park located next to Solihull airport, right?

[NeilM]

Rolls Royce is acquiring the other half of Aero Engine Controls from Goodrich.

Rolls-Royce buys out controls JV partner Goodrich
ReutersReuters – 1 hour 2 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Rolls-Royce said it would buy out partner Goodrich Corp in its engine controls joint venture, gaining full ownership of its fuel pumps and metering units business.

The two companies combined their controls businesses in 2009 to form Aero Engine Controls. The joint venture employs about 1,400 people in Birmingham, Derby and Belfast in Britain and in Indianapolis in the United States.

"Engine control systems play an increasingly important part in enhancing the fuel efficiency and overall performance of modern jet engines," Rolls-Royce said on Friday.

"This acquisition will give Rolls-Royce full ownership of a critical capability that confers competitive advantage."

Rolls-Royce said the deal had been agreed with United Technologies Corp, which is in the process of buying aircraft components maker Goodrich.

The British company said it would pay half of the net asset value of AEC once the takeover had completed.

The joint venture, which was designed to break even, had gross assets of 116 million pounds ($180.7 million) at the end of 2011 and net assets of 8 million pounds, along with debt of about 54 million pounds, Rolls-Royce said in a statement. ($1 = 0.6420 British pounds)

[neon18]

Insurance giant Lockton officially opens Birmingham office
by Graeme Brown, Birmingham Post, Jun 20 2012

The US chairman of global insurance broker Lockton has flown in to Birmingham to officially open its new offices in the city centre.

Chairman of the board David Lockton joined more than 60 senior business figures, clients and staff at the launch of the 6,375 sq ft offices on the sixth floor of 45 Church Street Birmingham.

Lockton, the world’s largest privately owned insurance broker, has taken a ten-year lease, signalling its commitment to growing the Midlands operation.

Debbie Day, managing partner of Lockton in Birmingham, said the move from its former Cherry Street offices was undertaken as part of the company’s long-term strategic plans to expand its business offering across the region.

The insurance broker, which has 58 offices worldwide, including 10 in the UK, already employs 50 plus staff in Birmingham and is focusing strongly on a sector-driven expansion plan that will target mid to high-end corporate businesses, including FTSE 250 organisations and large private companies.

Since Mrs Day was appointed managing partner in September last year, she has undertaken a root-and-branch review of the business and says it is now poised to attract and retain new clients and increase staff numbers over the next two to three years.

“Birmingham is the second biggest office in the UK and our aim is to be a world class player, servicing Midlands’ clients including those who have an international outlook,” explained Mrs Day.

“With the office move, new people and growth plans now firmly in place, we are very much in a position where we can move forward and help existing and new clients with tailor-made insurance and risk management solutions.”

Mr Lockton, who guided the family-run company through rapid growth and became chief executive in 1999 and now chairman, said Birmingham was now a key office for Lockton’s UK business.

“I am very pleased to spend time with our Birmingham operation and fully support our plans for the future,” he said. “We are investing heavily in order to attract new clients and new talent to the company, ensuring that Debbie and the team have all the opportunities they need to develop in the region and beyond.

“Since 1966, we have grown from a one-person operation into a global business that thrives on entrepreneurial spirit. Our independence means that we can focus purely on the needs of our clients and Birmingham’s growing team will allow the company to maintain that ethos.”

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/birmin...#ixzz1yN2PMl2l

[sefton66]

Great win

Birmingham firm Bromford Industries lands £38m Airbus deal
by Graeme Brown Jun 21 2012
A Birmingham manufacturer has fended off a global band of competitors to land a deal worth more than £38 million to supply parts for the new Airbus A350 aeroplane.

Jobs have been secured at Erdington firm Bromford Industries after it won a 10-year contract worth in excess of $60 million – £38.1 million – with global aerospace giant Messier Bugatti Dowty to supply parts for engines and landing gear.

Chief executive Mike Smith, who led a management buyout of the firm in 2009, told the Birmingham Post he planned to invest £2 million on the back of the contract win.

He said: “The value of the contract is worth more than a year’s turnover so obviously that is pretty substantial and that allows us to invest in technology and be more competitive.

“As your paper has reported, a lot of companies have off-shored business in recent years and have now started to on-shore.

“As we have been successful that gives us a platform to invest in the business.

“It was a very competitive bid. We went up against some strong opposition so I am especially pleased we were successful.

“With the win comes substantial investment.”

Mr Smith said it was too early to say whether the deal would lead to new jobs, but it certainly provided more security to the firm.

He added: “The contract win is obviously very new so I can’t comment on future employment, but as you win contracts there is normally an impact.

“There are 120 people employed in the Birmingham facility, which is where most of the product will be manufactured, as well as our facility in Leicester.”

Mr Smith said the longevity of the contract offered security to the business.

Latest accounts filed at Companies House show the company turned over £33.5 million in the year to October 2010, an 18 per cent rise year-on-year.

The Post reported in 2009 how Mr Smith, along with well known Midland industrialist chairman John Hudson, completed a management buyout of the company from listed firm Hampson Industries for £23.7 million, backed by Darwin Private Equity.

The firm, which also supplies the likes of Siemens and Rolls-Royce, has since been on the acquisition trail, including three takeovers in 2010, including industrial firm H Beesley in Leicester.

Bromford now operates from four sites across the Midlands region in Birmingham, Leicester and Alcester, and has around 300 employees.

Mr Smith added: “Bromford Industries has a historic relationship with Messier Bugatti Dowty that has developed over a number of years, and we provide them with innovative engineering solutions using the very latest technology available.

“I am delighted that we have been able to expand on this key customer relationship and look forward to developing this association further over the next ten years and more.

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/birmin...#ixzz1yS59ZoGf

[sefton66]

This seemed the most relevant thread

Construction at i54 site progresses

Last updated: 31st Aug 2012 at 08:14am

Work is progressing at the business and innovation hub in Staffordshire which will be the home of Jaguar Land Rover's new advanced engine plant.

The automotive manufacturer is investing £355m in the facility at i54 South Staffordshire, with other businesses also choosing the hub as their base.

Moog, which manufactures products for the commercial aircraft industry, and scientific testing and analysis company Eurofins UK is already operational on the site.

Leaders from Staffordshire County Council, Wolverhampton City Council and South Staffordshire Council have toured the site to see how construction work is progressing. The three councils are working in partnership to develop the site.

Construction on a dedicated motorway junction for the site on to the M54 is also set to begin in October.

"We are currently marketing the site so that we can build on this to attract even more investment and create greater opportunities for local people," said councillor Peter Bilson, Wolverhampton City Council cabinet member for economic regeneration and prosperity.

Moog's new base on i54 is already manufacturing products for its customer base. The official opening of the centre is on 24 September, with a family open day taking place on 22 September.

http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/...ses/index.html

[DBadger]

Yes, the buses (the 6 and 6A) start using the site next week too, pretty exciting.

[sefton66]

Excellent news! Gives real hope for the Aston Advanced Manufacturing Hub

Birmingham manufacturers outperforming rest of UK – chamber

Last updated: 27th Sep 2012 at 08:20am

Birmingham manufacturers are outperforming the rest of the UK on exports and domestic sales, a new survey is expected to reveal.

The latest quarterly economic survey from Birmingham Chamber of Commerce revealed growth in overseas sales is "significantly" up on the previous quarter and above the UK average.

Birmingham is also outperforming the UK in domestic sales, although growth has softened slightly.

More manufacturers from the region are working at full capacity compared with the rest of the country, the survey showed.

As a result, Birmingham manufacturers are expected to be in the top of the sales league when the results of a British Chambers of Commerce survey are published at the beginning of October.

Chamber vice-president Steve Brittan, who succeeds president Michael Ward in November, said: "This does demonstrate the tremendous resilience of the manufacturing sector in Birmingham and surrounding areas.

"And we must not forget that manufacturing covers a multitude of disciplines in Birmingham from heavy engineering to making chocolate.

"The tremendous worldwide success of Jaguar Land Rover is also having an impact for suppliers."

The chamber survey showed 45 per cent of manufacturers had increased sales during the third quarter, compared with 38 per cent in June. Orders were up from 34 per cent to 36 per cent.

At home, 40 per cent increased sales, compared with 41 per cent in the previous quarter, and those reporting increased orders dropped only one per cent to 37.

More than half (59 per cent) said they were confident turnover would improve over the next 12 months, compared with 58 per cent in the previous quarter, and the number expecting profitability to improve was also up slightly.

The number of manufacturers working a full capacity rose from 45 per cent to 46 per cent.

http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/...ber/index.html

[sefton66]

Hopefully this will lead to us having more companies like JLR and European HQ for Indian firms

'Cash-rich' Indian corporations on Mids acquisition hunt

Last updated: 11th Oct 2012 at 07:59am

Three, large, unnamed Indian corporation are searching the Midlands for business to buy in the manufacturing, automotive and aerospace sectors.

The Birmingham office of accountancy firm Mazars is conducting the search on behalf of companies.

Midlands regional managing partner David Chapman, who also runs Mazars' Indian operation, said the firm is actively seeking companies in the three sectors for "very large, cash-rich Indian companies".

He said: "We have developed constant traffic between our offices in the Midlands and in India where we now have more than 600 staff in our offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Gurgaon and Pune."

Mazars corporate finance partner Nick Johnson added: "This is a clear and unequivocal recognition of the quality of the Midlands manufacturing offer.

"Indian businesses are looking at the success of Tata with Jaguar Land Rover and are clearly interested in establishing a base in the UK from which to attack mainland Europe.

"They are also looking for joint ventures with European partners, which is an extremely low risk, cost effective way for European companies to enter the Asia Pacific market.

"Our clients are not simply seeking manufacturing outlets, they are looking for organisations they can invest in and through which they can build partnerships throughout the supply chain."

[markmcd1976]

These are the sort of companies the city should be talking to about paradise forum.

[neon18]

Deutsche Bank to hire sales traders for office in Birmingham
Giles Turner and Matt Turner, 26 Nov 2012

London has long had to fight off threats to its status as a global financial hub from the likes of Singapore, Geneva and Hong Kong. But cost-cutting plans being considered by Deutsche Bank have revealed an unlikely new threat – Birmingham.

http://www.efinancialnews.com/story/...-in-birmingham

[hoody]

Originally Posted by neon18

http://www.efinancialnews.com/story/...-in-birmingham

Can't read the article.

[markmcd1976]

Good news, these are exactly the sort of companies the city should be bending over backwards to get into the city. High paid, wealth creating jobs that are new to the region.

I wonder what they (the council, developers, landlords) do to attract companies like this?

[neon18]

Originally Posted by hoody

Can't read the article.

Don't have access to the full article!

[sefton66]

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