Geoffrey Robinson MP To Help Steer Pailton Engineering

The Coventry North West MP brings a wealth of experience to the role - he is a former Chief Executive of iconic Jaguar Cars in Coventry and also served as Paymaster-General in the Treasury in Tony Blair’s first Government. For much of his 36-year Parliamentary career Mr Robinson has continued with business interests, mainly in manufacturing. His commitment to the area was recognised in 2010 when he won a Lifetime Contribution to Midlands’ Business award.

Pailton’s five-year expansion plan should create 241 extra jobs at Pailton alone, along with an additional 150 in the supply chain, and will see the company move into a new £9 million purpose-built manufacturing facility in Coventry. Mr Robinson is joining the board at a critical time in Pailton’s history and will to help steer the company through applying for £ 5 million of support from the Coalition Government’s Regional Growth Fund.

Mr Robinson said: “Manufacturing is the lifeblood of the UK economy and Pailton Engineering is a marvellous example of a company which is exporting UK engineering excellence around the world. “It’s doing everything that the country needs: creating jobs, training apprentices and adding to Britain’s balance of payments by exporting. It is exactly the sort of enterprise which will help the UK to come out of recession.

“Funding from the Regional Growth Fund will help Pailton Engineering to grow and thrive, and make an invaluable contribution to the vitality of Midlands manufacturing in the future.” John Nollett, Managing Director at Pailton, said: “I am delighted that Geoffrey Robinson has agreed to become a non-executive director of Pailton Engineering and I am sure his advice will be invaluable in the months and years to come.

“These are exciting times for Pailton Engineering: I have long believed that the UK leads the world in engineering excellence and our expansion plans are the next step on our way to becoming a truly global brand. “Support from the Regional Growth Fund will enable us to carry out our expansion plans in half the time that we would otherwise be able to – in five years instead of 10, bringing a welcome boost to the local economy.”

With a world-wide reputation for the design and manufacture of steering systems, Pailton enjoyed considerable success during the recession, recording growth of 17% in 2010, and of 7% even in the doldrums of 2009. In 2010 it also landed its biggest-ever single purchase order, for military vehicle manufacturer Force Protection.

Its remarkable achievements led to Pailton being named as Company of the Year and Manufacturing Company of the Year in the prestigious Birmingham Post Business Awards as well as Manufacturing Company of the Year in the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards. Mr Nollett was earlier listed in the “42 Under 42” roll of young business leaders in the Insider Media awards, where he was named International Entrepreneur of the Year.

Mr Robinson’s association with Pailton goes back a number of years. Pailton’s headquarters in Coventry are within his Coventry North West parliamentary constituency and he has helped to advise them in the past. The expansion plans require total investment of more than £32 million and will include the development costs for new specialised power steering, wiper systems and axles, as well as investment in new premises, plant and machinery.

In line with Pailton’s ethos of investing in people as well as equipment, there will also be a company-wide training programme to ensure the skill set is increased, and a boost to the management capabilities of the sales team. Mr Nollett said: “Pailton’s directors have confidence in their ability to deliver the plan over an accelerated five years period. The plan is ambitious but achievable.”