08 January 2009

Sulzer Pumps up Merseyside economy

45 jobs have already been saved in Bootle thanks to a ‘Grants for Business Investment’ award recently approved by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) for £550,000.

Sulzer Pumps (UK) Ltd. is part of the Swiss company Sulzer AG and specialises in the manufacture of pump packages and associated spare parts and repairs for the oil & gas and power sectors.

Due to a rapid growth in business since 2004, Sulzer required additional capacity to increase levels of production. With its Leeds site operating close to maximum capacity, the company began to look for a new site in an alternative area of the UK.

The closure of the Rolls Royce site at Atlantic Park in Bootle and the redundancy of more than 200 skilled workers presented Sulzer with a significant opportunity to offer 45 posts to staff with the right set of skills and experience. It also meant the company could lease premises ideally suited to cope with the highly specialised operation.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive at the NWDA said:

“The demise of Merseyside’s Rolls Royce operation in Bootle was a significant blow for the stability of the local economy. With 200 jobs lost it was important the NWDA worked quickly with Sulzer to establish a similar operation to alleviate any further economic distress.

“Sulzer Pumps has the potential to grow into a significant employer for the region. If successful, the development is forecast to add £3m profits to the business by the end of 2011. Its ability to deliver improvements to the economy in terms of retaining skills and attracting new investment at a local and regional level is good news, not only for Merseyside, but the whole of the Northwest.”

Bob Foulkes, Commercial Director at Sulzer Pumps said:

“The recent growth and success of Sulzer Pumps has led to the capacity of our purpose built facility in Leeds being heavily stretched to meet the increased demand. The facilities at the former Rolls Royce site in Bootle, together with available local skilled personnel is the ideal solution, allowing Sulzer to increase production capacity very quickly.

“The investment also shows Sulzer’s commitment to the Northwest region, a move that will maintain the company’s position as a leading supplier of engineered pumps to the global Oil & Gas and Power sectors.”

Today, Thursday 8th January, Chancellor Alistair Darling visited Sulzer Pumps as part of the cabinet tour to Liverpool.

The NWDA is playing a crucial role in response to the current economic downturn, with a number of actions being taken to meet the needs of businesses during these challenging times.

To keep updated on the range of support being offered by the NWDA go to www.nwda.co.uk/supportingbusiness

For more information on business support visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northwest
 
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Notes to editors:

For further information please contact Shelley Tattersall, Press Officer on 01925 400256 or mobile 07500 128482 or shelley.tattersall@nwda.co.uk

For urgent out of hours press enquiries please call 01925 400259.

For further information and to view previous press releases visit us at www.nwda.co.uk/press

The NWDA is supporting businesses and prioritising investments to ensure that the Northwest is in a strong position to respond to the current economic climate.  Initiatives include:

• The launch of a £10m High Growth business support programme 
• A new £4m Innovation Voucher Scheme to help 1,000 businesses work with our knowledge base 
• Dedicated Access to Finance support within Business Link Northwest – now available
• £140m Venture Capital Loan Fund (VCLF) - to be launched in 2009
• £40m package of support to stimulate investment in priority skills development - to commence in 2009
• 10 day prompt-payment pledge to our suppliers to help with cash-flow
 
For more information, see www.nwda.co.uk/business

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is responsible for:

• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life