International engineering firm gives boost to Midlands Engine

A major international engineering firm has thrown its support behind the government’s Midlands Engine strategy, making the West Midlands the focus of its UK growth with a new national HQ.

thyssenkrupp AG, which operates in over 80 countries and employs approximately 160,000 people worldwide, has chosen Solihull as the base for its operations in Britain.

The firm’s UK head office will coordinate its existing operations across the country in industries including materials, steel and aerospace and will be overseeing business operations which employ more than 2000 people across the UK, including a further 350 at sites in Cradley Heath, Tyseley and central Birmingham.

A new national HQ in Solihull / Picture: thyssenkrupp

The move to the new HQ coincides with a wider effort to consolidate the firm’s operations under the thyssenkrupp brand, including the launch of a brand new UK website, www.thyssenkrupp-uk.com/. The website offers a convenient index of all products offered by the thyssenkrupp group of companies, creating a joined-up one-stop shop for those seeking industrial solutions.

The new website also brings together the latest news and product updates from thyssenkrupp UK, a #engineered blog highlighting interesting projects the group is involved with throughout the world, and a summary of the latest vacancies and career opportunities.

Terry Sargeant, CEO of thyssenkrupp UK, said: “thyssenkrupp is such a diverse group of companies and most of us use thyssenkrupp products every day, whether it’s a lift or an escalator provided by our Elevators division, a shock absorber in your car produced by thyssenkrupp Bilstein, the passenger boarding bridges and moving walkways you use at the airport, or anything from cutlery to signal transmitters made with metals supplied by our Materials business.”

“Ultimately these divisions have always had their own distinct identities within the UK, and whilst we want to ensure those brands remain at the forefront of their respective industries, we also want to make sure that all products we offer across our group of companies are easily accessible and recognisable for our customers. To have the new UK regional head office in place is an important step towards that objective.

“The concept of the ‘Midlands Engine’ is tailor-made for a part of the world that prides itself on its work ethic, on its industrial heritage and on bringing people from a number of different backgrounds together to work towards common goals. All of those values resonate strongly with us and with what we are trying to achieve, and we know we can source the right kind of talent in the West Midlands to drive us forward, so getting on board with the Midlands Engine is a natural fit.”

thyssenkrupp UK CEO, Terry Sargeant / Picture: thyssenkrupp