Member Article

Tharsus pledge to create North East jobs

A North East engineering firm is bucking the trend by pledging to create more jobs and apprenticeships in the region.

Latest unemployment figures indicate that unemployment is at an all time high, but Tharsus plan to create 80 jobs over the next 2 years following their successful bid for the Government’s Regional Growth Fund.

Alongside this the first quarter of 2012 has been a strong one for the firm, who have witnessed a growth in its order book to over £10 million for the first time.

Next month the engineering business will open its third site in Blyth, where is hopes to offer employment to workers from the former Alcan plant.

Tharsus chief executive Brian Palmer said: “The announcement today shows that although unemployment rates continue to play out differently across the UK, it is the North East that continues to have the highest rate of unemployment, even if it is beginning to ‘flatten’ out.

“If the emphasis is being put on the private sector to help ease the economic situation, then assistance such as the RGF fund is vital to help us invest to compete globally.”

Looking forward to next week’s Budget announcement, Brian is hoping the the Chancellor will free up more funds for UK businesses with growth potential, which will in turn enable the creation of new job opportunities.

He continued: “We work in a global marketplace, and have already had a lot of interest from US companies seeking a manufacturing partner to take products into the European marketplace.

“To bid for these contracts we need the very best workforce and facilities, which we now have thanks to our ambitious investment programme.

“With our commitment to training and apprenticeship schemes too, we are certainly hoping to be a leading North East light in career development for young people wanting to enter the engineering sector.”

Tharsus’ overall investment of around £3m that will ensure that the Blyth and Hebburn based business has the facilities and high-tech equipment necessary to develop complex products and manufacture them for a global market.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .