Andrew Western, Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston, visited M&I Materials’ Westpoint site in Trafford Park on 18 August to meet employees and apprentices and learn more about M&I Materials’ business. As home to a wide range of capabilities, including manufacturing, technical, engineering, sales and customer support, the site provided an opportunity to showcase the company’s capabilities, global reach and contribution to the Greater Manchester economy.
During the visit, Andrew toured the site and met representatives from across M&I Materials, Wolfmet and Speciality Products to gain an insight into the breadth of the Group’s specialist manufacturing capabilities and its role in supporting skilled employment and investment in the region.
Discussions also focused on the opportunities and challenges facing UK manufacturers, including the factors influencing future investment and growth. Andrew heard about M&I Materials’ approach to developing its workforce through apprenticeship programmes and met some of the next generation of technical and manufacturing talent.
The visit provided an opportunity for M&I Materials to highlight the importance of a strong and competitive manufacturing sector to the Greater Manchester economy, while discussing how businesses can be supported to invest, grow and create high-skilled jobs.
Andrew Western, Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston, said:
“It was a pleasure to visit M&I Materials in Greater Manchester and see first-hand the important contribution it makes to our local economy. I was particularly pleased to meet employees and apprentices and hear about their experiences directly. Visits like this are an important opportunity to understand the opportunities and challenges facing local manufacturers and how we can support businesses to invest, grow and create skilled jobs in our communities.”
Steve Burns, M&I Materials’ CEO, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Andrew to M&I Materials and provide an insight into our business. The visit provided a valuable opportunity for him to meet and engage with our employees and apprentices, gain a first-hand understanding of our expertise and capabilities, and learn more about the materials and technologies we develop and manufacture. While the visit took place at our Westpoint site, where we produce our Wolfmet heavy tungsten alloys, it also provided an opportunity to discuss the wider M&I Materials business, including our head office at Centenary Park, where our Apiezon, Metrosil and Performance Biolubricants product ranges are manufactured. This gave us the opportunity to discuss the role M&I Materials plays in supporting critical industries, skilled employment and innovation across the UK.”
Dr. Mikael Khan, Wolfmet’s Managing Director, said:
“Andrew’s visit was an excellent opportunity to discuss the importance of tungsten as a strategically important material for the UK. We talked about the challenges posed by global supply chain pressures, impacts from a changing geo-political landscape, the need to retain valuable materials within the UK and Europe through recycling, judicious management of our resources and the growing demand for specialist engineering skills. By working together on these priorities, we can help strengthen UK manufacturing, create highly skilled jobs and support long-term economic growth.”
