Business Growth Wolverhampton

These continue to be challenging times for us all, however we are committed to continuing to provide the best support we can to businesses and jobseekers. We are here to help you plan your current and future workforce needs as you navigate the current  economic difficulties.

Wolves at Work business services are ready and available to offer support to businesses looking for assistance on the following:

• Recruitment - we can advertise and promote your vacancies and assist with sourcing new talent through the highly successful Wolves at Work project
• Redundancy support
• Advice on upskilling your workforce to meet future business needs
• Useful connections to further business support

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for recruitment or workforce support: recruitment@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Or call the Business Support line: 01902 290242 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays

Useful links

There are several useful websites to further explain the support available to businesses and their employees:

• GOV.UK
• Black Country Chamber
• Institute of Directors (IOD)
• Business Support
• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
• Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)
• CBI Events

Black Country-specific advice and support for businesses is available through the Black Country Growth Hub.

The Federation of Small Businesses has also published guidance on what you can do to protect your business and employees.

The Black Country Chamber of Commerce have also published a number of interpretative and advice documents on the Government support schemes.

Guidance for food businesses reopening and adapting their businesses during COVID-19 can be found on the Trade with Confidence website.

The University of Wolverhampton Business School has a range of courses for managers and a dedicated COVID-19 Business Support Hub.

Founded in 2011, Stone’s Throw Media has grown into a thriving business that continues to flourish today.

The Wolverhampton Council's Business Growth Team has supported Stone’s Throw Media since 2017. Over the years, the company has expanded to a team of nine, delivering a wide range of creative services, including video production, animation, live streaming, podcasts, and more. Their impressive client list includes renowned names such as Collins Aerospace, the University of Wolverhampton, DX Delivery, Easy Group, and Joblogic.

Recognising the need to stay ahead in a competitive market, where clients are increasingly budget-conscious, Stone’s Throw Media made a strategic decision to enhance their live-streaming capabilities. Central to this effort was the acquisition of high-performance cameras and camera controllers. To manage costs while making this investment, the company sought grant support. With the guidance of the Business Growth Team, they developed a robust business case and successfully navigated the grant application process.

Thanks to this collaboration, Stone’s Throw Media secured funding to purchase two advanced 4K Auto Tracking PTZ Cameras with HDBaseT and one Datavideo HDBaseT Robotic Pan Tilt Head. These state-of-the-art tools significantly enhance their capacity to handle larger, simultaneous events, enabling them to expand their market reach and boost revenue.

Reflecting on this milestone, Director Matt Weston said:
“In 2022, our live-streaming revenue grew significantly, but we missed out on high-profile opportunities due to limited capacity. This funding directly addresses that challenge, allowing us to seize every opportunity and safeguard current jobs while paving the way for future growth.”

Beyond the immediate benefits of live streaming, the company has seen how comprehensive event coverage often leads to increased demand for their other services. By enhancing their core capabilities, Stone’s Throw Media is not only meeting client needs but also unlocking cross-selling opportunities that further strengthen their business.

Matt added:
“We’ve worked closely with the Business Growth Team for the past seven years, and their support in helping us invest in advanced live-streaming technology has been invaluable. This project positions us for significant growth, enhances our service delivery, and ensures we can continue to provide exceptional value to our clients and stakeholders.”

With their innovative approach and strong partnerships, Stone’s Throw Media is well-equipped to build on their success and continue contributing to Wolverhampton’s thriving business landscape.

Barr and Grosvenor Ltd manufactures calibrated weights in all classes from 1mg - 1 tonne and also produces specialised castings in iron, brass, bronze and other white metals in order to carry out important conservation work to historical architectural structures. 

We helped them secure a £14k grant toward an investment critical to securing a contract to renovate Blackfriars Bridge in London, and then helped them secure support from Innovate UK and from the West Midlands Resource Reuse Centre.

The City Council have been working with the company for the past 5 years and its impressive list of conservation projects includes the restoration of The Iron Bridge in Shropshire, the production of a new Shrine to St Chad in Lichfield Cathedral, the casting of bronze door locks for galleon lighting columns down the Mall for the Queen Mother's funeral, door hinges for the Palace of Westminster and bronze handrails for Westminster Cathedral.  The company also played a key role in the regeneration of the Springfield Brewery site in Wolverhampton.

In November 2024, Barr & Grosvenor Ltd worked with the City Council’s Business Growth team to secure grant funding of £14,685 towards the cost of a new 75kW inverter to upgrade the power supply to its small furnace.  This investment replaced an increasingly unreliable power supply that was over 40 years old and becoming difficult to repair because of scarcity of parts. The new furnace will be used immediately to provide replacement balusters for Blackfriars Bridge and the Thames Tideway Project.

Commenting, MD Dominic Grosvenor said, “A fully functioning, reliable and efficient small furnace operation to complement our larger furnace is vital to the successful delivery of our current and future projects and to the company's resilience and growth. It will be used for a wide range of castings, such as parts for a glasshouse and conservatory at Tottenham House, a Grade I listed country house in Marlborough, and cast iron posts for the Chiswick embankment on the River Thames. The advice and support from Ross Edgley at the City Council’s Business Growth team has been invaluable – it’s great to know that help is always close at hand, and Ross has not only helped me secure the grant but has also introduced me to a number of other organisations that are able to support my business.”

This was the culmination of a busy year of interaction between the City Council and the company. As part of an initiative by the City Council to engage more businesses with the innovation ecosystem, we referred Barr & Grosvenor to Innovate UK Business Growth in April 2024 for further support and possible funding towards an R&D project to test future uses of the company’s waste sand.

The company’s ongoing engagement with Innovate UK highlighted that the relatively low volume of sand produced by Barr & Grosvenor compared with larger foundries in the region could be a barrier to finding secondary uses of it.  In response to this, the Business Development Team referred the company to the West Midlands Resource Reuse Network (WMRRN) in September 2024.  This referral to WMRRN has provided a potential solution to this barrier by adding the company to a regional group of foundries working with WMRRN to achieve the volumes necessary to begin attracting potential end users.

Based in Wolverhampton, Advanced Lightning Protection Systems Ltd (ALPS) is a leader in lightning protection solutions, specializing in British-made Early Streamer Emission (ESE) systems. Established in February 2017 by Steven Drinkwater and Julian Johnson, ALPS is the only UK company to produce fully tested and certified ESE systems. These systems protect structures and critical assets from the devastating effects of lightning strikes, offering superior performance and sustainability.

To enhance their production capabilities, ALPS worked with the City Councils Business Growth Team to secure an UKSPF SME grant. The grant enabled the company to invest in a laser engraver to streamline operations, reduce outsourcing costs, and improve product customization.

Prior to securing the grant ALPS had identified inefficiencies caused by outsourcing engraving services for their lightning protection systems. This dependency resulted in high outsourcing and transportation costs, extended lead times, limited flexibility for custom orders, and reduced oversight of product quality. Working with the Councils Business Growth team the company was able to develop a strong business case for grant support by articulating how these constraints hindered productivity, increased costs, and limited the company’s ability to meet growing demand effectively

With the support of a 50% grant, ALPS were able to invest in a state-of-the-art laser engraver costing just over £4,000. As well as addressing the challenges experienced with the previous outsourcing route the investment enabled ALPS to reduce their carbon footprint by eliminating transportation costs and minimizing raw material usage.

Commenting Steve Drinkwater, Director of ALPS added, “This investment supports our long-term growth strategy. We will monitor and refine production workflows to maximize efficiency, explore further automation to enhance manufacturing processes, and expand our customer base by leveraging the improved production capabilities. With support from the Councils Business Growth team the grant has enabled the business to address key operational challenges, improve our production processes, and strengthen our market presence.”

ALPS expects the new laser engraver to boost operational efficiency significantly, laying the groundwork for increased turnover and additional job creation. Their enhanced capabilities will also strengthen their position in both domestic and international markets. They have not only resolved a critical operational bottleneck but also strengthened their position as a leader in the lightning protection industry. Future plans involve scaling production and expanding their product range to meet evolving market demands.

Based in Wolverhampton, Gabitie Group Limited is a key player in the structural and architectural steel fabrication industry. Established in 2012 under Managing Director Grant Bond, the company has built a strong reputation for high-quality workmanship and innovative solutions.

We have supported them over a number of years attending several workshops, securing an AIM for GOLD grants, and most latterly securing this £15,000 grant to continue their growth.

Gabitie specializes in a wide range of steel products, including staircases, mezzanine floors, security gates, and bespoke architectural fabrications. With over 15 years of experience, the company continues to deliver outstanding services such as installation, welding, delivery, and finishing.

To support its growth, Gabitie Group worked with the City Council’s Business Growth Team to secure a UKSPF SME grant of £15,000 toward a total investment £31,518. The grant has enabled the company to invest in a laser cutter and a standing seam cladding cold rolling machine, improving operational efficiency, expanding service offerings, and enhancing its market competitiveness.

Before securing the grant, Gabitie faced limitations in diversifying its services and entering new markets. Outsourcing materials and processes led to higher costs, limited flexibility, and increased vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. These challenges restricted Gabitie’s ability to capitalize on growing demand for laser-cut metal parts and standing seam cladding.
With support from the Council’s Business Growth Team, Gabitie developed a strong business case for investment. The company expressed how the grant would address inefficiencies, enable market expansion, and support long-term growth.

These state-of-the-art machines allow Gabitie to reduce dependency on external suppliers, enhance production speed and precision, expand their service offerings with products like laser-cut templates, architectural cladding, and garden office components and enter lucrative new markets, such as domestic extensions and cladding installation.

The investment also enables Gabitie Group to reduce its carbon footprint by in-sourcing production, lowering transportation costs, and optimizing resource use.

“This investment supports our strategy for long-term growth and innovation,” added Grant Bond, Managing Director of Gabitie Group Limited. “By working with the City Council’s Business Growth Team, we’ve been able to overcome key operational challenges and position the company for a more competitive future. The new machinery will not only help us improve efficiency but also allow us to diversify our offerings and attract a broader customer base.”

Gabitie expects the new machinery to boost operational efficiency, with a projected turnover increase of £60,000–£100,000 in the first year. The investment will also create employment. Future plans include scaling production, expanding their product range, and entering new markets, particularly in domestic extensions and standing seam cladding. By addressing critical bottlenecks and improving production capabilities, Gabitie Group is well-positioned to strengthen its market presence and drive sustainable growth.

Bowers and Jones Ltd are based in Bilston area of Wolverhampton, and have been making roll tooling and equipment for the metal rolling industry in the Black Country for almost 70 years. 

The company currently employ 16 staff who offer a complete in-house service provided by their experienced engineers, including technical advice to optimise customers production processes. This together with continuous investment in machinery and software, has built Bowers and Jones into a Centre of Excellence for design manufacture and the worldwide distribution of rolls and rolling equipment for a wide range of sizes and applications. The company has been on a growth trajectory and has a turnover of over £4M

The business was set up in the mid 1950’s and the managing director is Jane Sommerville. 

Jane has worked in the steel industry for over 30 years, has a BEng Hons in Mechanical Engineering and a Warwick Business School MBA. She joined the business in 2012 when the company was owned by a German Group and has managed the purchase and sale of the business 3 times since then, ending with a successful MBO with her fellow directors in 2020.

The company exports over 70% of sales, with more than half of this being into the EU the other half going to North America. They specialise in high value, high performance products and have a very loyal customer base who rely on quality, experience, and technical abilities to "Keep Mills Rolling".

The company has been working with Wolverhampton Council for a number of years and in 2022 the business invested in a new CUT E 600 Wire Eroding Machine. allowing them to cut complex shapes from a variety steel grades, to improve their productivity and reliability, thus reducing lead times to begin delivery of a new growth plan. 

Most recently the company have benefitted from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) securing a £50,000 grant toward a £400,000 investment in a new Doosan Vertical Lathe. The company again worked with adviser support from Wolverhampton Councils business growth team and Business Growth West Midlands to develop a robust business case to secure the grant. Commenting, MD Jane Sommerville said, “We want to expand further, and the new machine will provide capacity for bidding for high value, high quality products for very special applications in the metal forming and rolling contracts in the UK and overseas. It will reduce business lead times by alleviating a bottleneck the company currently has in this product range.

Barton Storage Systems is a trade only manufacturer and supplier of storage, materials handling and access equipment with a nationwide distributor network across the UK. The company was originally formed in 1964 and was owned by a number of different organisations and personnel Caparo Industries. 

In the late 80's there was an MBO which bought out parts of the shares from Caparo Industries. 

In 1999 the business was owned by John Williams Holdings, a very large injection moulding operation producing for the likes of Dyson. In 2003 MD, Dan Rodbourne and two other co-directors created an MBO to buy all shares from John Williams Holdings, 

From March 2021 Barton has entered a new growth phase scaling up the business with the ambition to double the annual revenues in the next 5 years.

The company have already participated in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Birmingham University to engage a qualified graduate to help the business improve competitiveness and productivity through better use of knowledge, technology, and skills. 

Managing Director, Dan Rodbourne, commented, “Phase 1 of the project is for the graduate to develop new management, quality improvement, market analysis and digital strategies to transform business operations and develop an enterprise IT architecture for Barton to support data-driven decision making. Adding new technology allows us to bring more services in-house, facilitating upgrades to major reports from the system to facilitate automation for speed and accuracy as well as enabling digital transformation. Introducing better systems and tools will also help the business to improve customer relations and business growth”.

Following initial engagement with Wolverhampton City Council through the AIM for GOLD growth Programme the company were introduced to the UKSPF decarbonisation programme – and were particularly interested in reducing energy costs and carbon emissions. The first step in this was a free energy assessment by environmental consultants Pro-Enviro which was carried out at the end of 2023. The comprehensive report identified a number of ways in which the company reduce emissions and costs – including annual savings of £2,440 through replacing the kerosene boiler heating with an ASHP based system (Air Conditioning unit) 

Currently the business is heated by a Potterton kerosene boiler fired central heating system. The heat is distributed in the rooms via perimeter convection heaters built into the wall and the skirting. A more energy efficient and lower carbon alternative would be to use an air source heat pump-based system (ASHP) – air to air sometimes called ‘aircon’. This would achieve substantial energy savings of the order of 80% through a combination of more efficient heat generation and improved controls allowing individual room temperature control and timing.

Dan added, “The impact of the investment of replacing the old kerosene boiler system would have an extreme beneficial impact for the business. It would significantly improve day to day working within the business with a clear improvement in staff wellbeing and morale. Overheads would be reduced allowing the business to invest into operational delivery including the continued commitment of our energy and water usage reductions goals of 15% by 2026”. 

Overall the company could achieve annual financial savings of over £5,400 and reduce Co2e by 13 tonnes by implementing the recommendations within the Pro-enviro report. In summary, implementing the recommendations could improve staff thermal comfort, reduce annual carbon emissions by 72%, minimise exposure to any electricity and fuel price increases, and put the business on a path to zero carbon by eliminating the bulk of fossil fuel use at the site.

Whilst the total cost of investing in the air source heat pump-based system was just under £30,000 Dan worked with the Business Development team at Wolverhampton City Council to secure a 50% grant towards the costs through the UKSPF Net Zero Grant Programme.
 

Built in 1938 of wood, tile and wood cladding; and formerly a Harvester Restaurant, the ‘Ludlow Tavern Springhill’ of today began trading in 2005. It now serves hot and chilled drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic) to the public and has a restaurant preparing and serving fresh seasonal food sourced from local suppliers, specializing in serving contemporary British home-cooked meals, with a focus on fresh seafood. As a pivotal establishment for the local community, they provide affordable, high-quality dining experiences in a welcoming setting. Remarkably, the majority of their original staff have remained, with many team members collaborating for over two decades.

Chris Ludlow, owner of the Ludlow tavern, commented, “The business was doing well but I was aware that that the boiler was at an age where it was becoming less efficient resulting in significant energy costs. The opportunity then arose to get a free and comprehensive energy assessment via the Business Growth West Midlands Net Zero Grant Programme. The Assessment was carried our very professionally by Pro Enviro, and they agreed that the review would focus on the potential energy and carbon savings associated with upgrading the boiler as well as installing a solar PV system, and free cooling for the stock stored in the cellar”.

Once the Energy Assessment was complete Chris worked with one of the Business Development Officers at the City Council to complete a UKSPF Grant Application. The application focused on the purchase and installation of solar panels as they could not just significantly enhance resource efficiency by reducing energy costs, but provide a renewable energy source, promote energy independence, and align with the company’s environmental stewardship goals.

The securing of the NET ZERO grant enabled Ludlow Taverns to invest in the solar panels, leading to a significant reduction in monthly overheads and fixed costs, ultimately boosting profitability and the company's competitiveness. The projected first-year savings from onsite energy generation are estimated to be 21,593 kWh / £14,055, with a total projection, including energy export, of £14,611. The calculated payback period is 2.6 years, and a projected full cash flow of £240,000 is expected by the 20th year. 

Chris added, “I believe this investment demonstrates the company's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, signaling a strong dedication to customers, staff, and stakeholders. Additionally, the cost savings could be reinvested to enhance the skills of current staff, securing their positions within the company”.

In total Ludlow Taverns invested £24,000 in the solar panels and secured a 50% grant towards the cost.

Based in Zhangzhou, China, LILLIPUT is a globalized Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) specialising in the research and application of electronic and computer-related technologies.  It has been involved in the design, manufacturing, marketing, and delivery of electronic products across the world since 1993. 

Incorporated on 5 March 1997 Lilliput UK Ltd, based in Wolverhampton’s Science Park, is the official European distributor of LILLIPUT monitors.  Lilliput UK Ltd specialises in touch screen monitors, ranging from 5" monitors to 10" monitors, VGA, HDMI, SDI, DVI, USB, composite video and field monitors, panel, and in-car PCs.

LILLIPUT products such as special display devices, camera and broadcasting monitors, touch VGA/HDMI monitors for industrial application, marine and medical monitors, embedded computer platforms, home automation devices and other specialist LCD displays are imported from China and distributed by Lilliput UK Ltd throughout Europe.  The company also combines some of the LILLIPUT products with bespoke metalwork to offer customised open frame monitors.  

Recently the company has been collaborating on the invention of a new medical device that attaches to a patient's foot or leg and uses Artificial Intelligence and magnetic sensors to measure the muscle tension and strength of a limb or joint.  The device then relays this information electronically to a physician at another location without the need for the patient to be physically seen or assessed.  It is designed to be used at home by elderly patients with mobility issues or any patient recovering from an injury and will enable recovery and mobility to be monitored remotely without the patient needing to attend appointments.  

This would be a new product for the company and market research done by the company has shown that this device would also be new to the market. Research done by the company has shown that there is currently no fully automated device on the market that can monitor these kinds of conditions and injuries.

In order that the company could develop a prototype they made a successful  application for a UKSPF SME grant to the City of Wolverhampton City Council so they could purchase a state-of-the-art 4-axis 3D printing and laser-cutting machine. They secured a maximum grant of £15,000 toward the total costs £33,599 and the City Council will now continue to work closely with the company as the develop a prototype of the medical device being produced by the middle of 2024, and it is hoped that the device could be taken to market towards the end of 2025. Importantly the investment in the 3D printing and laser-cutting machine will enable the company to directly manufacture its own bespoke metalwork for its range of open frame monitors and thus bring this supply chain in-house.  

The company expects to create one job initially as an operator for the 3D printing machine, a further 3-4 jobs could be created within the first year of taking the new medical device to market and it is projected that turnover could increase by as much as 50% once the product is established in the market. 
 

JH Marshall Pressings is a family run business first established in 1929, with over 90 years’ experience in metal press work operating in Wolverhampton. 

They offer extensive expertise to customers in helping create cost-effective tooling for new projects, specialising in metal pressings using a range of ferrous and nonferrous including mild, stainless, galvanised steel, as well as aluminum, copper and brass. With full range of 18 power presses they complete various fabrication work including punching, cutting, cropping, blanking, forming, compound and deep drawing. Their diverse customer base includes, but isn’t limited to construction, agriculture, trade and the rapidly expanding rail sector. 

The company established a relationship with the Business Growth team at Wolverhampton City Council early in 2022 attending workshops and then securing capital grant support. Over the past couple of years the company have focused investment on a number of projects to reduce their energy costs and their carbon footprint. These have included the installation of LED lighting, purchasing an electric forklift truck, and moving to a variable speed compressor.

Following discussions with Wolverhampton City Council toward the end of 2023 the business registered for a free Energy Assessment through Pro Enviro as part of the regional Decarbonisation Programme. The Energy Assessment report analysed energy use and source, and concluded that the business could achieve annual financial savings of over £3,775 a year and over 4.7 tonnes of CO2e by implementing one the key recommendations of installing the solar Panels.

Hayley Marshall one of the Directors at J H Marshall's, explained", “Once we had the Energy Assessment completed we worked with the Business Growth team at Wolverhampton Council to successfully secure a 50% grant towards the cost of the solar panels. This green investment will help keep the business on track to become carbon neutral by the end of 2027, and specifically reduce annual carbon emissions by over 30%. The investment of the Solar Panel installation will also reduce energy consumption by over 50% on average per month across each year and in the brighter, warmer summer months reduce the monthly electricity bill by up to 75%”.

The ProEnviro report also suggested that in the future the business invests in a duct to allow warm air from the compressor into the workshop during autumn and winter months. In summary, implementing these two recommendations could reduce energy costs & reduce annual carbon emissions by 38%.

Hayley believes this will demonstrate to clients, new and old and other stakeholders that JH Marshall's are commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and for the business they would be able to re-direct this cost saving into further up-skilling current staff, as well as potentially leading to up to 2 more full-time staff roles in the next 18 months.

The solar panel investment will allow them to cut energy costs further by installing smart meters, export electric meters and inverters, advanced devices that measures the amount of energy used or not used by the business and sends this information to the energy supplier, the business can then export back to the grid which should help to lower bills and assist their energy efficiency efforts.

Hayley added, “The use of solar panels to generate electricity is becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason. Along with reducing energy bills and being environmentally friendly, the technology has become more affordable and accessible to all businesses. The investment will significantly reduce our monthly overhead costs, a real concern within the UK’s manufacturing sector, allowing us to compete in the international market place. The support of the City Council and Pro-Enviro has been invaluable”.