THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

West Midlands ‘Leader of the Year’ Named

One of the 3D printing world’s rising stars has claimed two major business awards in
recognition of the way he has grown his company against international rivals. RYSE 3D’s
founder Mitchell Barnes was a double winner at Business Desk’s recent West Midlands
Leadership Awards, beating off competition from some of the region’s brightest stars to win
Company Leader of the Year (up to 50 employees) and overall Leader of the Year.
The 28-year-old impressed judges with his eye for innovation and passion for disrupting the
3D printing world, proving this rapidly emerging discipline can be used to manufacture
production parts in low-to-medium volumes. Barnes was also praised for his innovative
leadership style.
More information www.ryse3d.co.uk

JPB Système Opens Poland Plant

Aerospace manufacturer JPB Système is marking 30 years of business as it opens a 4000 m²
manufacturing facility in Poland. The new facility will increase the company’s manufacturing
capacity by over 60%, allowing it to meeting growing aircraft industry demand from the
region while paving the way for future diversification and innovation.
Located near Rzeszow Airport, close to major aircraft suppliers and JPB Système partners
like Pratt & Whitney and MTU Aero Engines, the new facility is equipped with advanced
milling machines to enhance production efficiency, along with state-of-the-art inspection
and marking technology to ensure stringent quality control. In addition, JPB Système is
intensifying efforts to digitalise its operations as part of a broader sustainability strategy.
More information www.jpb-systeme.com

Expansion at Lawton Tubes

Lawton Tubes, a manufacturer and supplier of copper tubing products, is investing £20m
into a new facility just a few metres from its current headquarters in Coventry. Within three
years, the expansion will see the creation of a 11,148 m², two-storey facility that will house
Lawton’s manufacturing, storage and office operations. The vision is to transform the entire
two-hectare site into a state-of-the-art distribution centre and new head office. The project
will be a significant step forward for the family-run business, which has an annual turnover
of £230m and a team of 140 staff across four sites in Coventry, Redditch and Poole.
More information www.lawtontubes.co.uk

Seco moves to sustainable packaging

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, cutting tool manufacturer Seco is
making a significant change to its product packaging. The company is transitioning to
environmentally friendly packaging made from 98-100% recycled materials, a move that will
result in an estimated reduction of 131 T of CO₂ emissions annually. Seco says the new
packaging, made of recycled polypropylene or polyethylene depending on the supplier,
maintains the same high standards of quality and functionality that customers expect while
contributing to a more sustainable future.
More information www.secotools.com

Sheffield Forgemasters meets PM

A delegation from Sheffield Forgemasters joined the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and
Secretary of State for Defence John Healy MP, at 10 Downing Street earlier this month.
Two apprentices, Renee Marsh and Harley Edmonds, were accompanied by people
development specialist Harriett Eccles and CEO Gary Nutter at the event, which set out to
raise the importance of skilled jobs in defence manufacture.
In addition to meeting the Ministers, the Sheffield Forgemasters team spoke to an audience
of college students about the well-paid opportunities that defence manufacturing jobs can
offer. The company’s ongoing apprenticeships programme, coupled with its large-scale
recapitalisation programme, is providing career opportunities for decades to come. 
More information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com