It's one of the toughest challenges in the UK economy - encouraging small companies to grow into the powerhouse-medium sized companies that are such a feature of successful industrial economies like Germany.
It is happening at JJ Churchill, a small-sized aerospace company – supplying parts to Rolls-Royce plc and jet engine makers worldwide – that is growing into a medium-sized company, through a mixture of agility, government support, and a laser-like focus on what it does best.
The story behind the company’s origins, at the birth of the jet age in the 1930s, is a fascinating one.
Nick Peters spoke to Andrew Churchill, the grandson of the founder, about it at the company’s headquarters in the very un-industrial surroundings of rural Leicestershire.
Other episodes in The Manufacturer Podcast series:
How does going digital delight your customers? Ask Brian Holliday
The cruel sport of politics and why industrial strategy must not be allowed to become its victim
Clydeside’s Jim McColl and the case for reviving UK heavy industry
Can Sanjeev Gupta revive the UK steel industry?
Is this person the greatest STEM ambassador ever?
Can Make UK make UK manufacturing great again?
Help! Where do big companies go for help when they need it?
