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Mayor celebrates latest machine investment at A&M EDM

Posted on 29 Oct 2024. Edited by: John Hunter. Read 539 times.
Mayor celebrates latest machine investment at A&M EDMRichard Parker Councillor Sukhbir Gill, Richard Parker and Councillor Peter Hughes

Smethwick-based A&M EDM Ltd, a precision engineering specialist, recently welcomed Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands to commission a new CNC machining centre, which was part-funded by a UK Government grant to accelerate growth in manufacturing SMEs.

The investment in a three-axis Hurco machining centre supplied by High Wycombe-based Hurco Europe Ltd increases A&M’s capabilities to machine complex Inconel parts for aerospace customers. The grant was delivered by Sandwell Council and Business Growth West Midlands for the West Midlands Combined Authority. Richard Parker was joined by Sandwell Councillors Sukhbir Gill and Peter Hughes.

The machining centre was commissioned on National Manufacturing Day (26 September), a national event organised by Make UK to celebrate all things manufacturing. On the day, A&M EDM hosted students from Sandwell Academy school to showcase the variety of manufacturing careers available in the industry. They were given a tour of the factory and A&M EDM’s apprentices explained how apprenticeships work – following the company’s programme using experienced mentors, learning for qualifications at Dudley College of Technology, while being paid and with the potential to earn well above the UK average wage.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “I want the West Midlands to be the best place in the UK to live, work and do business. So, it is great to see companies like A&M EDM throw open their doors and give young people a taste of what it is like to work in the world of manufacturing. It is by continuing to work with our businesses in this way that we can create the valuable work experience, skills and training opportunities our young people need to enjoy the best possible start to their careers and for our businesses to thrive in the years ahead.”

Driving growth

Councillor Sukhbir Gill said: “A&M’s investment is a great example of how, working in tandem with businesses, Sandwell Council is determined to drive growth and increase employment. We want Sandwell to be the location of choice for businesses and encourage them to contact our Sandwell Business Growth Team.”

From a two-man start-up in 2002, A&M has continued to grow to a current workforce of 84 and sales over £8 million, creating new jobs by applying its engineering expertise in CNC machining, spark and wire EDM (electro discharge machining) and toolmaking with continuous investment in new technology. Complex engineering problems are solved quickly for customers in the aerospace, automotive, Formula One, food production, marine and space sectors. Since 2014 A&M EDM has trained 23 apprentices, with eight current apprentices.

Mark Wingfield, managing director at A&M EDM, concluded: “The grant support was vital to making this investment, the Sandwell Business Growth Team made it a refreshingly straightforward process and accelerated our investment in a new machining centre to increase our agility making precision aerospace components.”