A COVENTRY engineering firm has benefited from EU cash after a business support scheme was extended by Coventry council.
ActOn Finishing in Torrington Avenue, which provides custom surface finishing technology in aviation and automobiles, transformed its test laboratory after receiving support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub.
The firm received £16,500 from the Coventry & Warwickshire Business Support Programme, which is part-funded by the European regional development fund.
Money provided by the fund helped ActOn renovate its test laboratory and replace halogen bulbs throughout its premises with LED lighting.
Using LED lighting should save the company around 32 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
Sid Gulati, operations director at ActOn Finishing, said the investment by the company and grants had helped to modernise their premises.
He said: “We have been developing new automatic machines to reduce manual handling and we will now be able to showcase these – very mindful of social distancing rules – in our test laboratory which was work long overdue.
“We use this area to demonstrate and develop new processes which is key to winning new business.
“The grant has also meant we have been able to improve our sales office by installing a new floor, painting the walls and adding new branding which better reflects our standing within a specialised industry.
“We have also been conscious of our carbon footprint and have replaced hundreds and hundreds of halogen bulbs with LED lighting throughout our site.
“The Growth Hub has been extremely supportive and pointed us in the right direction to apply for grants which we hadn’t realised we would qualify for.”
Justine Chadwick, account manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said ActOn Finishing is growing year-on-year and the developments would assist with their expansion plans.
“The business is among the UK’s experts in surface finish technology and their customers are based throughout the world,” she said.
“The grants, along with the company’s investment, will help to create a more professional image, as well as helping them to reduce their energy bills alongside lowering their carbon footprint. The grant funding is an easy process for businesses to apply for since we help with the application process.
“It is great that they have also donated the face masks to the Bilton Coronavirus Support Group which was recently set-up to provide a much-needed service during Covid-19 in the Rugby area.”
Coun Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration at Coventry City Council, said: “The grants, along with the company’s investment, have helped to create a more professional image, as well as aiding them to reduce their energy bills alongside lowering their carbon footprint.
“The grant funding is an easy process for businesses to apply for as the team help with the full application process, so I would encourage local organisations to apply for the grant funded programmes that are being provided by the Council.”
In April, Coventry council agreed to extend the support schemes, which it said since starting in 2016, have put £9.1m into 390 local businesses.
