Insider Media Limited

Olympus Engineering, a North Staffordshire-based engineer, has relocated to new premises in Etruria. The £8m move to on Garner Street was secured with the help of funding from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (AWM).

The new 82,000 sq ft facility is on a brownfield site and houses production facilities which create products for a customer base including Bentley and JCB.

Lord Digby Jones of Birmingham, who officially opened the firm’s multimillion-pound headquarters, said: “There is a mood that prevails in this country that we don’t make things anymore which is a complete misconception. Companies like Olympus Engineering are living proof that the UK does make things and it’s firms like this which are pivotal to the country’s future success.

“If this nation is going to succeed it has got to manufacture its way out of economic difficulties. That means exporting and that means manufacturing and engineering.

“As a country we are only going to succeed by making things and it’s small to medium engineering companies like Olympus Engineering who will help generate the wealth for the UK and create jobs for the future.”

After being aversely affected by the recession, Olympus’ workforce was cut in half to about 60 employees. However, the company has said that is has now “bounced back” from the downturn, and will form a recruitment drive in 2011.

AWM provided government grant assistance of £1.36m to remediate the Garner Street site and two business support grants totalling nearly £900,000 to help the company invest in machinery and equipment.

Mick Laverty, chief executive of Advantage West Midlands, said: “Manufacturing is a crucial sector in this region and the story of Olympus Engineering is a great example of how this Agency works with private sector businesses to direct government funding where it can achieve maximum impact, creating jobs and helping the area’s economy flourish.

“The can do attitude of Neil Blood and his workforce at Olympus Engineering, combined with our expertise and deal brokering know-how of AWM, adds up to a genuine business success story for Stoke-on-Trent and I wish them well for the future.”