Sheffield Forgemasters’ Peter Birtles has been appointed chairman of the Special Metals Forum.
The Special Metals Forum is the membership arm of South Yorkshire-based NAMTEC (the National Metals Technology Centre). It seeks to improve the global competitive advantage of special metals manufacturers.
Birtles, 63, is non-executive group board director at Sheffield Forgemasters and has more than 40 years experience in steel and engineering sectors.
He joined the Special Metals Forum in May and was elected by council members this month as chairman.
He takes over from fellow Forgemasters colleague and chairman Tony Pedder who stepped down from the position after serving a three year term.
Birtles said: “The forum brings together the strengths, unique resources and capabilities of the special metals supply chain. Producers, fabricators, component manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers are all represented as well as research organisations and the wider academic community.
“The special metals sector has never been more important to the UK’s increasingly knowledge-based economy. The aerospace, energy and bio-medical sectors are all critically dependent on special metals for their success.
“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to chair this forum and be able to contribute my ideas and help develop market strategy at this critical time for British manufacturing.”
The SMF is the membership arm of South Yorkshire-based NAMTEC (the National Metals
Technology Centre), which has more than 100 regional, national and international metals and manufacturing companies as members.
