Funding for West Yorkshire cast-iron manufacturer

Posted on 5 Jan 2015 by Victoria Fitzgerald

Yorkshire-based, cast-iron manufacturer, Batley Foundry has received £20,000 of funding from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership to bolster investment in machinery and job creation.

The foundry has invested £150,000 in conjunction with the grant to boost innovation and revenue. The manufacturer has already purchased a furnace control system that works 20% faster and more efficiently than the firm’s previous one.

Sales and commercial director at Batley Foundry, Mike Powell, said about the funding: “This investment has been fundamental to improving our efficiency. We are now able to use the furnace to full capacity, which has created a wider market sector for the company.

“We also needed a new cooling system, and the grant has ensured that we can purchase this and continue our journey of expansion.”

Chairman of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, Roger Marsh, said: “Batley Foundry is one of Yorkshire’s most established businesses; it has been producing cast iron for nearly 100 years and remains one of the few foundries left in the region.

“We are delighted to have been able to assist in purchasing vital equipment that will allow the company to increase production and open up new opportunities for business growth.”