M-Tec’s Stephen Hanson and Ashley Crump with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce president Peter Burns

04/01/2015 – Baginton-based engineering firm M-Tec will take on 40 extra staff

Coventry jobs boost as firm announces expansion plans

M-Tec’s Stephen Hanson and Ashley Crump with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce president Peter Burns

A Coventry engineering firm has provided a much-needed boost to the New Year after announcing plans to create up to 40 jobs in the city.

M-Tec Group, which is based at Siskin Drive, has unveiled plans to take on extra staff during 2015 as part of its ambitious expansion plans.

The company, which uses state-of-the-art software to design and develop automotive interiors and exteriors, currently employs 75 staff at its Baginton base, with plans to take its workforce to over 100 this year.

Since being set up in 2011, the firm has enjoyed a turnover of approximately £7million each year, with plans to double this by the end of 2016.

Bosses have also vowed to continue its work in helping young people into the industry, through school work placement schemes, a graduate development programme and the sponsorship of students from Black Country University Technical College (UTC).

Ashley Crump, commercial and business development director at M-Tec, said: “As a stand-alone business, we have secured consistent growth and expansion over the past three years, supported by adopting traditional recruitment methods and by also developing young people from within the business.

“The relationship with the UTC came about through a personal relationship when we were introduced to a UTC student who we felt had a flair for engineering and design.

“We sponsored him through his university studies and, after four years, he is now an integral part of our team and working on a project for one of our most high-profile automotive clients.

“In addition to the development of UTC students, we also employ graduates direct from university and install them on a 12-month development programme working alongside our established project teams, which is also working well in terms of providing an intensive learning environment.

“Our work placements with school students are more geared towards offering the students an opportunity to experience the working environment within our sector so they can make an informed decision as to whether they would like to pursue a career within an engineering or design related environment.”

The news comes after the high-profile collapse of parcel firm City Link, also based in Baginton, where workers found out on Christmas Day they were set to lose their jobs.

Administrators confirmed on New Year’s Eve that a last-ditch rescue bid had failed, resulting in the loss of more than 350 Coventry jobs.

By Jenny Waddington [Original Article here]