Telford business set for major expansion, minister hears

The company, based on Telford's Hortonwood Industrial Estate, announced the plans for the major investment to International Trade Minister Mark Garnier, who also reassured bosses at the German-owned company about the future of the UK post-Brexit.

Craemer, a subsidiary of the Paul Craemer plastics and automotive component group, makes almost one million plastic wheelie bins in Telford each year, supplying to 200 UK councils and exporting to mainland Europe.

During his tour of the company’s Hortonwood production facility, Mr Garnier met with Craemer directors Steve Poppitt and Frank Bross, plus Phil Challinor from Enterprise Telford and Karen Ball, from the Department for International Trade in the Midlands

Speaking afterwards, Mr Garnier – who is the MP for Wyre Forest – said: "Every business I have seen has come up with three principal requirements of free trade.

"The first is tariff-free access to the single market, the second is customs-free access and the third is the ability to be able to recruit the skills that are needed in their organisation.

"What we have to do in the next couple of years is ensure that we create something that in every sense feels the same while at the same time meeting the voters who voted for Brexit.

"What's vitally important for all parts of UK manufacturing is that to secure that zero-tariff relationship with the EU, but bear in mind that 25 per cent of exports go to the USA where we trade under World Trade Organisation Rules – tariffs don't stop people trading with other countries, but what we want to do is get something that doesn't disrupt business models."

He added that the Great Repeal Bill would help businesses to export, adding that he wanted a mechanism that would allow "longevity".

On the issue of residency rights for EU nationals, he added: "There is a great argument about EU nationals in the UK, and the Government is committed to getting this resolved. We want to make sure that we get it right.

"Its a complex area as you have things like pension rights but it's priority for the Government to get it resolved quickly as people need to know how their futures will look.

"They are incredibly welcome to stay, and we value their contribution to British society."

Craemer has already invested heavily in Telford, and in 2014 completed a £6.5 million extension to the factory which saw three new machines and 95,000 sq ft of space added to the factory.

Now it is set to grow again, with details of the multi-million pound investment expected soon. Craemer employs 60 people in its high-tech factory, and turns over about £25 million at its Telford site, where it also produces plastic pallets.

"It was a pleasure to show the Minister and his team around our Telford factory and to engage in informative discussion regarding his department’s commitment to assisting manufacturing business like Craemer UK, Mr Poppitt added.

"2017 will be a challenging and exciting year for our company as we embark on our next significant expansion project at our Telford site."

Mr Challinor said: "We were delighted to be involved in this ministerial visit to show him the vibrancy of the growing number of successful business there are in the borough such as Craemer."