Business Secretary, Sajid Javid was shown British investment and innovation in action at a recent visit to automotive materials supplier, The Autins Group.
Sajid Javid toured the headquarters of The Autins Group on March 10 with Mark Pawsey, MP for Rugby.
Javid, who is also president of the Board of Trade, was shown how Autins has expanded in recent years thanks to significant investment in new technology; premises; equipment, and training.
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The Autins Group’s CEO Jim Griffin explained that the company has increased turnover fivefold since 2012, and has set up factories in Sweden and Germany to expand its European customer base.
The secretary also learned about the company’s latest project to establish an R&D site at the Horiba MIRA Technology Park near Nuneaton.
Griffin explained: “We were delighted to receive a visit from the Secretary of State and to be able to show him how a relatively small British company can grow with the right business strategy and the right support.
“It is vital that government ministers keep in touch with what is really happening in manufacturing: the challenges that we face and the way in which the government can help us get bigger and better.”
The Autins Group has been developing and manufacturing acoustic and thermal materials since 1966.
Its 50th anniversary is being marked this year with the launch of an innovative new lightweight product.
The company is also helping to train the next generation of engineers, collaborating with Toyota, which is training Autin’s apprentices in its school at Derby, and being heavily involved with both Warwick and Solihull UTCs through the Warwick Manufacturing Group.
Pawsey commented: “The Autins Group is a real success story and I was delighted to be able to share their achievements with the Secretary of State during his visit to Rugby.
“Manufacturing is such a vital industry for our country, for creating jobs and opportunities, and Rugby really is leading the way thanks to businesses such as Automotive Insulations.”
The Autins Group headquarters is based at the Automotive Insulations site in Rugby, Warwickshire. The company also includes Scandins in Sweden and Rheinland Insulations in Germany, and employs around 200 people across the group.