Doncaster manufacturers must be at heart of city growth plans

Doncaster Chamber is calling for manufacturing to be placed at the heart of the city's growth strategy as businesses mark National Manufacturing Day.

The Chamber says Doncaster has an industrial strength that is sometimes overlooked. Its manufacturers and engineering businesses support skilled jobs, apprenticeships, exports and innovation, while contributing to national and international supply chains.

With the right support, these firms can play an even greater role in delivering growth. The Government's new Northern 500 initiative, bringing together 500 of the North's most ambitious mid-sized businesses, is a welcome opportunity to help successful firms scale up, invest and compete internationally.

Doncaster Chamber is urging Government and regional partners to ensure that manufacturers from Doncaster and South Yorkshire are well represented within the Northern 500 and able to benefit from the accompanying investment and support.

The forthcoming Budget also gives the Chancellor an opportunity to back manufacturers and exporters through a stable and competitive tax system that rewards investment in machinery, technology, skills and new markets. The Chamber is warning against measures that would add further costs to businesses already facing high energy, employment and regulatory burdens.

Dan Fell MBE, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber, said:

"Manufacturing is one of Doncaster's great but sometimes hidden strengths. Our businesses make innovative products, export around the world and create the skilled, productive jobs our economy needs.

"The Northern 500 is a welcome recognition of the growth potential within Northern firms, and Doncaster manufacturers must be part of that story. The Budget should build on this by giving businesses the confidence to invest, innovate and export, rather than adding further costs.  We urgently need to see meaningful tax breaks that will help our manufacturers – and therefore the country – trade out of tough economic circumstances.

"Reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport also creates a major opportunity to attract businesses in advanced manufacturing, aviation, clean energy and engineering. Manufacturing must therefore be central to Doncaster's inward investment proposition, helping us strengthen local supply chains and maximise the economic potential of the airport and Gateway East."

The Chamber will continue working with manufacturers, education providers and public-sector partners to address skills needs and promote Doncaster as a location for industrial investment.