Vision of a powerhouse

THE Business Growth Hub lunch at Latics, from left, Kashif Ashraf, Oldham enterprise trust, Terry Scuoler, CEO, EEF, Hilary Centeleghe, senior growth manager, Rebecca Chedd, environmental business adviser, and Stephen Lowe, Stoller charitable trust

MANUFACTURING industry spokesman Terry Scuoler, chief executive of the EEF and formerly at Oldham's Ferranti Technologies, was one of the key speakers at a Business Growth Hub event at Oldham Athletic.

Mr Scuoler, whose CV also includes time with BAE Systems, spoke at the Oldham Event Centre about his experience in promoting the growth in the UK's manufacturing and engineering sectors, which has come through with manufacturers and being a member of several ministerial committees.

A former graduate of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and an infantry officer, Mr Scuoler left the Army in 1978 and began his commercial career in publishing and the construction industry.

In 1984 he joined Royal Ordnance as European marketing manager, working in a number of countries. He became managing director at Ferranti Technologies in 1999.

At the Oldham event, he shared his vision for a modern post-EU manufacturing powerhouse. He was recently awarded the CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

The event also outlined the support, programmes and opportunities available to small and medium-sized businesses in Greater Manchester.

Other speakers included Leanne Holmes, operations director at Cranes Payment Innovations at Royton, which was formerly Money Controls.

Mrs Holmes spoke about the importance of attracting, developing and retaining skilled and talented workers, for her business and the wider Greater Manchester manufacturing sector.

She also talked about the work she has done with the Manufacturing Champions Network to encourage manufacturing leaders to take calculated risks in innovation and to be agile in response to market needs.

Paul Holt, manufacturing advisor at the Business Growth Hub, explained how the organisation can help manufacturing SMEs with fully-funded business support and grants.