Jobs boost for Bridgnorth as metal firm launches recruitment drive at south Shropshire base
A Shropshire metal manufacturer is set to recruit for new roles as part of a recruitment drive - and has called for more government recognition for the industry.
Bridgnorth Aluminium employs over 330 people in south Shropshire, but is set to expand further with the addition of ten new roles at the firm.
The company is set to launch its recruitment drive at an industry event set to be held in Birmingham next month, where bosses at the firm say they will also call on the government to recognise the role of aluminium producers as "crticial" suppliers to important sectors, such as aerospace, automotive, defence and energy generation.
Earlier this year the Government launched a consultation on its strategy for steel, which will see up to £2.5 billion of public funding and finance made available to the steel industry, which it describes as "essential for a modern economy".
Bridgnorth Aluminium says it wants aluminium to have the same standing and political attention as steel, which it says attracts greater government backing.
Those calls have been backed by industry body the Aluminium Federation, which has also called on the Government to do more to support the aluminium industry after a US tariffs of 25 per cent were imposed on the sector earlier this year.
“We’re a profitable industry doing some amazing things yet always seem to fall behind other metals when it comes to attention and backing," said Adrian Musgrave, Commercial Director of Bridgnorth Aluminium.
"Working with other companies in our sector, we want to change that.
“We’re investing heavily in greening our manufacturing operations and diversifying into new markets, where aluminium offers a new lightweight option. There’s an appetite to create new jobs and expand, but there are a lot of external challenges facing us - including the EU and UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) and scrap leakage.
“Government needs to put together a joined-up sector-specific strategy by consulting with us."
The company runs cast houses, rolling mills, and multiple finishing lines alongside research and development facilities and metallurgy laboratories at its 66-acre site in Bridgnorth.
The company, which is Britain’s only fully integrated producer of flat rolled aluminium coils, is set to team up with other aluminium produers at the UK Metals Expo event, set to be held in Birmingham during September.
The firm says it will use the event to launch its recruitment drive, as well as teaming up with other producers and federation colleagues to deliver its message to government.
Earlier this month, the United States announced a significant expansion to its tariff programme, although the tariff for UK aluminium products is set to remain at 25 per cent.
Nonetheless, industry bodies have described the tariffs as a "significant burden" for exporters.
"We remain hopeful that the ongoing UK-US trade discussions will deliver clarity and a fair framework that ensures open access for UK aluminium producers and fabricators. Certainty is vital if businesses are to plan investment and export strategies with confidence," said a spokesperson for the Aluminium Federation.
