Shropshire manufacturers see optimism building
A manufacturing chief in Shropshire has said he sees optimism among his colleagues in Shropshire increasing.
Output in Britain's manufacturing industry rebounded in August despite a worse-than-expected performance from industrial production.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said manufacturing output rose 0.2 per cent in August, after a sharp month-on-month contraction in July when activity fell by 0.9 per cent.
Chris Greenough, director of Salop Design & Engineering in Shrewsbury, as well as president of Made In The Midlands and a key manufacturing voice in Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said the figures were reflected in his experiences in Shropshire.
"With the release of the latest business indicator figures, I see more optimism since the Brexit vote than ever in the Shropshire manufacturing sector," Mr Greenough said.
"We not only have the ability, through the weakened pound to exploit export opportunities and seize the day. We also see this optimism pushing the outputs, and we are looking to capture this in increased sales."
He added: "The pound is still down from the Brexit vote against the euro and the dollar, and this is resulting in real chances for our companies to maximise sales to foreign shores.
"So the Brexit vote is resulting in short term gains, but now we need now is the Government to assure us there is a real plan and blueprint for the months and years to come. We have real potential within the manufacturing sector in Shropshire, we can, and will push the economy forward."
The ONS said industrial production took a turn for the worse, recording a drop of 0.4 per cent in August, with economists having pencilled in a figure of 0.2 per cent.
The decline was triggered in part by mining and quarrying output, which decreased month-on-month by 3.7% over the period.
The ONS said production and manufacturing rose 0.7 and 0.5 per cent in August compared to the same month a year ago.
Kate Davies, ONS senior statistician, said: "Manufacturing output was up slightly in August with more cars built, with limited evidence suggesting the lower pound boosted exports.
"Nevertheless, this was offset by a fall in oil and gas production, with some field shutdowns contributing to the fall."
