South Warwickshire company, RPA Systems, has set its sights firmly on rapid growth after receiving support.
RPA Systems has created a manufacturing unit in the area to make gun barrels for rifles used for sport and leisure activities.
The firm will use CNC drilling machinery to make products sure to make it a market leader in the UK.
RPA Systems approached the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub to see if there was support available and met account manager Phil Peak.
Peak put the business in touch with Rob Bent at Coventry City Council and secured a £86,000 grant towards the new machine, which is being imported from France. Peak also introduced the company to Lloyds Bank, which is helping to finance the venture.
RPA Systems is now on the hunt for at least 10 new staff, most of whom will be manufacturing apprentices and director Michael Markham said they would not have come this far without the help of the Growth Hub. Markham comments: “They have embraced the business and have really helped us. I don’t think any of us really believed we would get a grant but that funding is now in place and the machine that will help to set us apart from any other manufacturer of barrels is on its way.
“We have existing machinery that can do the job and that will be installed into the unit very soon but the new machine will allow us to produce the same quality product but much more quickly and efficiently.
“Now we want to ensure that this benefits the local economy and, particularly, local youngsters looking for a future in manufacturing.
“This is a real opportunity because we want them to feel real ownership of the business and to share in its success moving forward.”
The Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub is a new one-stop-shop for support and advice for businesses, which was formed by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership as part of its City Deal bid to Government.
Partners involved include the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce; UKTI; local authorities across the region; Coventry University; University of Warwick, and MAS.
Craig Humphrey, managing director of the CW Growth Hub, said: “We are hearing lots of companies say that they never realised the breadth of support available to them – and certainly many are surprised when our team manage to find the right pot of money to secure them grant funding.
“Instead of business owners having to trawl through the web to see if anything is available, account managers such as Phil can find the right support for them – whether through grants or traditional finance.
“We are delighted to have helped RPA Systems in this way and wish them every success.”
