News: Rotherham all set for advanced manufacturing growth

The pioneering public sector team helping Rotherham and the rest of South Yorkshire capitalise on the growth in advanced manufacturing is up to full strength.

The Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (AMM) business development team is working to attract some of the leading names in the manufacturing sector to South Yorkshire as well as assisting in key research projects.

The past six months alone have seen metals technologies company Siemens VAI establish its headquarters in Sheffield, the announcement of the £25m Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC) in Rotherham and home grown companies such as Forgemasters are going from strength to strength.

During the past year the project has already attracted eight inward investments to the region, creating 131 jobs and securing £2.3 million of private sector investment.

With the addition of Anthony Cundall as a Business Development Manager, alongside Philippa Hedley, Joe Anwyl and Anne Brennan as the customer facing members of the team, the project line-up is now up to full strength, and has a business development strategy in place to ensure the sector continues to develop at pace.

Joe Anwyl, Head of Business Development for the AMM project, said: "Partnership working is the key to making sure manufacturing stays part of the heart and soul of South Yorkshire. The region is renowned worldwide for its ability to manufacture high quality materials and advanced manufacturing will play a key role in the economy as we move out of the recession. It is important that the region pulls together to put us in a strong position to lead the UK into the future.

"We have started from a strong position as there is already an impressive array of companies in the region - the fact that eight new leading manufacturing companies have decided to set up business in South Yorkshire in challenging economic times illustrates how attractive the skills of the people of our region are - and we are continuing to focus on helping more big name companies relocate to the area."

The team offers a range of services to potential investors, including support with finding a property, financial advice and access to funding, a HR consultancy and broker introductions to other specialist organisations.

Tim O'Connell, Business Development Manager at RiDO (Rotherham Investment & Development Office), said: "South Yorkshire has a unique mix of leading companies in the sector, pioneering research, an excellent range of quality property options and a strong supply of skilled and experienced employees and engineering graduates.

"This offer combined with an international reputation for excellence in manufacturing and engineering means South Yorkshire offers potential investors a unique and attractive proposition."

This initiative is funded by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward and managed by staff from Creativesheffield and the Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RiDO), and operates on behalf of the four local authorities in South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley).

Rotherham Investment and Development Office
AMP website
Creative Sheffield website

Images: creativesheffield.co.uk