US Ambassador Robert Wood Johnson visited American-owned HydraForce Hydraulics Ltd (
www.hydraforce.com) at Birmingham’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMH) last month.
He was in Birmingham to speak at the 2018 Transatlantic Conference of the British-American Business Council, an annual event intended to encourage investment on both sides of the Atlantic.
The visit to HydraForce’s European headquarters gave him the opportunity to speak with the company’s management and to meet other employees, including apprentices and undergraduates.
Tony Brown, HydraForce managing director, said: “We were able to brief the ambassador on the company’s strong growth over the last three years. We work closely with HydraForce Hydraulics Inc to support our customers around
the world.”
HydraForce was the first company to move its factory to the AMH — in August 2015. Since its relocation, the company has created over 300 new jobs, with more predicted over the coming months.
Nicola Hewitt, commercial director at the West Midlands Growth Company, which operates the Business Birmingham inward investment programme, said: “HydraForce is a leader in high-quality precision manufacturing.
"The business is going from strength to strength, with the turnover of its UK and European operations reaching £78 million in 2017.
“The company chose Birmingham for its headquarters over a number of other international locations.
“This is testament to the world-class advanced manufacturing capabilities of the region, the skilled technical talent pool available and the strong links between Greater Birmingham and the USA, allowing companies like HydraForce to seamlessly operate between its key markets.”