Black Country engineering group swoops to save Birmingham jobs

The deal now created a new metal pressings group with a two-year plan targeting sales of £10 million.

Millennium Assemblies was founded last year to look for opportunities to acquire new businesses to work alongside sister company Millennium Pressed Metal.

Founded in 2000 by Anna Stevenson, Millennium Pressed Metal has grown to employ 45 people and two years ago moved to a new 33,000 sq ft based in West Bromwich after outgrowing its Dudley home of seven years.

Now Anna is working with manufacturing veteran John Faulkner, the former managing director of Tipton's Cab Automotive, to create the Millennium Manufacturing Group.

Its first move has been to buy JJ Engineering, at Garretts Green, out of administration, saving 39 manufacturing jobs. It will now be renamed Millennium Assemblies, with John Faulkner taking the helm.

The acquisition, which was supported by Crowe Clark Whitehill and the Wilkes Partnership, was completed late on Friday afternoon. The terms have not been disclosed.

John Faulkner said: "JJ Engineering has a great workforce and a long history of supplying quality metal parts. The team shares our commitment to world class manufacturing, innovation and customer service and we are very proud to have created a new platform for the future.

"Sister company Millennium Pressed Metal had picked up a number of large contracts, so the ability to further increase our capacity with the purchase of the JJ Engineering plant was too good to turn down. There is also the added benefit of now being able to offer robotic welding, a well-equipped tool room and state-of-the-art metrology lab.

"It has an enviable client base of automotive, domestic goods and construction customers, not to mention a presence in oil and gas…all areas we are looking to gain a greater market share in."

He added: "39 jobs have been saved and we are now setting our sights on growth, this will definitely involve increasing the workforce even further."

Millennium Manufacturing Group will employ 84 people across the two manufacturing sites and is set to turnover in excess of £7m in the next 12 months.

The two companies offer a single source solution for pressed metal components, machined parts, tube manipulation, wire forms and welded assemblies. This can be through long-term strategic supply, rapid turnaround and capacity relief for clients grappling with production bottlenecks.

"We now have more than 65 presses (from 25 to 350 tonnes) at our disposal," explained Anna Stevenson.

"The acquisition comes on the back of the most successful 12 months in our 15 year history and just a few months after securing one of our biggest contracts – a £1.3m order to manufacture white goods pressings."

She added: "We are just weeks away from launching the Millennium Manufacturing Group website and will also be attending the SMMT's 'Meet the Buyer' event and many other national trade shows…all perfect platforms to reinforce the acquisition."

For further information, please visit www.millpm.co.uk or contact 0121 553 7491