Prime Minister, David Cameron, has nominated personal protective equipment manufacturer, JSP Hard Hats, to represent his constituency of West Oxfordshire in the national campaign to raise the profile of manufacturing diversity and excellence in the UK.
Made by Britain was launched as an initiative from the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group and the 1851 Royal Commission in July 2011 with the remit of highlighting the breadth and quality of manufacturing taking place across the UK.
The programme calls for all MPs sitting in parliament to nominate a representative manufacturer from their locality as an exemplar of ingenuity, workforce and community leadership, sustainability, brand leadership and other positive business characteristics.
Apart from raising the public and international profile of UK manufacturing the campaign also aims to create a better relationship, based on respect and understanding, between politicians and manufacturing businesses in their constituencies and to mitigate against a feeling of industrial disenfranchisement in Westminster.
Mr Cameron has taken his time in selecting JSP with 286 other nominations being submitted ahead of his own. The Prime Minister is by no the last to make his submission however, as the Made by Britain campaign hopes that all of the UK’s 650 MPs will nominate a manufacturing candidate in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The ambition is to form a ‘virtual crystal palace’ exhibition to showcase UK manufacturing greatness, echoing the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Presenting the logic behind his selection of JSP Mr Cameron said: “Its mission is to develop quality and innovative safety products that help improve occupational safety and health worldwide. Established in 1964 with its headquarters and core manufacturing centre in my constituency of West Oxfordshire, JSP currently exports to over 90 countries”.
“I am proud to nominate this local company for its quality, innovative and reliable safety products,” he concluded.
Cameron made his official announcement of JSP as the Made by Witney representative during a visit to the firm.
During his tour he discussed apprenticeship growth at the organisation and enquired after the benefits being returned from a £3m industrial safety helmet manufacturing facility he unveiled in October last year. This facility has given JSP the capacity to manufacture over 4 million helmets per year.
