Member Article

North West manufacturer gets RGF boost

North West manufacturer Harpscreen Ltd has secured £1.1m of Regional Growth Fund money, and unlocked £3.3m of private investment.

The funding has been awarded to the Haydock firm on round two of the RGF, and will help to reduce dependency on imported supplies with expansion of their facilities.

Existing jobs at Haydock will be safeguarded and 66 new permanent posts are expected to be created.

Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk paid a visit to the company as part of his tour to the North West, where he also met with Liverpool City LEP, to discuss opportunities for business, innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

While visiting the Harpscreen plant, Mr Prisk said: “Manufacturing plays a vital role in the UK economy and I am pleased to see the positive impact of the Regional Growth Fund in supporting business and boosting British manufacturing in the North West.

“The investment at Harpscreen is great news for the region in creating new jobs and allowing the business to remain competitive and export to new markets. I wish them every success for the future.”

Harpscreen Managing Director, Kevin McCabe, said: “This is a fantastic shot in the arm for Harpscreen as a British manufacturer and will help us in realising our growth aspirations both in the UK and globally. The RGF funding has enabled a project that would have struggled to come to fruition to become a reality.”

Robert Hough, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership added: “Harpscreen’s commitment to their Haydock site is a huge vote of confidence for St Helens. The £1.1million secured from RGF will not only create jobs but will deliver investment in advanced manufacturing techniques in Liverpool City Region.

“The LEP has worked with a number of businesses to support their bids for the RGF and it is great to see them succeed.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .