Swindon North MP Will Stone has visited specialist engineering company WireMasters to discuss the growing role of local businesses in strengthening the UK’s defence supply chain.
Stone, who also chairs the UK Defence Supply Chain All Party Parliamentary Group, visited WireMasters’ Swindon headquarters on 19 August, touring the company’s sales and distribution centre and seeing how it supplies components and services to the aerospace and defence sectors.
The company specialises in interconnect solutions, supplying military-grade wire and cable, connector systems, harness management products and other value-added services used in mission-critical programmes.
During the visit, discussions centred on the importance of a strong local defence supply chain and the part specialist companies can play in supporting Britain’s military capability while creating skilled engineering jobs in Swindon.
The meeting also highlighted the potential benefits of bringing together industry, government and education as the UK looks to strengthen domestic manufacturing and develop the workforce needed for future defence programmes.
WireMasters is already looking at how it can make greater use of Swindon’s existing engineering talent, including experienced workers from the automotive sector and local apprentices. The company is also considering how it can expand its UK operation as demand from the aerospace and defence industries increases.
One area where the company hopes to make a direct contribution is the development of young people entering the industry.
WireMasters intends to join the steering group supporting the Defence Excellence Pathway at Swindon College. The initiative aims to strengthen links between education and industry through work experience, apprenticeships, mentoring and direct input from employers.
Nick Aubrey, managing director (UK) and sales director (EMEA) at WireMasters, said the visit demonstrated the importance of specialist businesses within the wider defence industry.
“While major defence programmes often attract the headlines, they rely on resilient supply chains made up of specialist businesses providing the critical components that underpin military capability,” he said.
“WireMasters has invested in establishing a UK operation that supports British defence and aerospace customers while creating skilled jobs locally, and we see significant opportunities for continued growth as investment in UK defence capability increases.”
He added that the company wanted to combine WireMasters’ international experience with the engineering skills available in Swindon.
“Our ambition is to combine the global expertise and capabilities of WireMasters with the skills available within the local engineering and technical network, while creating opportunities for apprentices and experienced talent from sectors such as automotive to develop careers in defence.”
Will Stone MP said the company was an example of the technical expertise already present in Swindon.
“WireMasters is a great example of the technical expertise we have here in Swindon and the important contribution local businesses make to our national defence,” he said.
“It was valuable to see first-hand how specialist solution providers are helping strengthen the resilience of the UK’s defence supply chain while supporting highly skilled jobs in our community.”
The visit comes as WireMasters looks towards the next stage of its development in Swindon, including the possibility of moving into a larger facility as the UK operation grows.
The company believes closer cooperation between businesses, government, education and other local organisations could help attract further investment and prepare Swindon for the arrival of new manufacturers.
With the town’s long engineering history and its established manufacturing workforce, the discussions point towards an increasingly important role for Swindon in the UK’s advanced defence manufacturing sector.
