South Lanarkshire Council has helped support a Clydesdale business to expand its operation.
The council’s business support team has worked with Melton Plastics Ltd in Carluke, both before and after the pandemic, giving advice, support and access to grant funding which has helped the business advance its output, reputation and market reach,
Melton Plastics Ltd was established as a sole trader in 1972 and changed hands in 2016, after the retirement of its previous owner.
The business specialises in injection moulding of thermoplastics and is known as the one-stop-shop- of tooling, moulding, part-design, and post-moulding operations which includes complete mechanical assemblies.
The business recently changed to serve clients in consumer products, healthcare, and sporting goods under the stewardship of current owner Azam Khan.
The range of help from the council and its economic development partners came at just the right time, allowing Azam and his growing team to enhance the company’s reputation, while creating unique and exciting job opportunities in Carluke.
Explained Azam: “I am very proud to be able to say that almost our entire team is from the South Lanarkshire area. Not only that but, in the last two years, we have been able to take on four young people from the Carluke area, two of whom are going through their modern apprenticeship in mechanical engineering at New College Lanarkshire NCL.
“We were proud to be named Employer of the Year for our Engineering apprenticeship at the inaugural NCL Apprenticeship awards in March.
“The business support team has helped me to navigate the wealth of advice and grant funding that is out there and to maximise its impact day-to-day, boosting our capacity, futureproofing our workforce, and allowing us to continue to trade UK-wide despite the undoubted challenges of the pandemic.
“The team in Carluke has more than doubled since 2017 when we first accessed council support. We are now more able than ever to establish new business-to-business relationships in an expanding and competitive market.”
Melton Plastics has traded throughout the pandemic, mostly due its contracts in the healthcare industry, and has come out the pandemic stronger and more resilient.
The financial boost helped the company achieve ISO 9001 accreditationy, which strengthened the brand further.
Councillor Robert Brown, chairman of the community and enterprise resources committee, recently visited Melton Plastics to see for himself the difference the business support team has made.
He said: “I’m privileged in this role to meet and visit the businesses that make South Lanarkshire work, and which fly the flag for what dedication and teamwork can achieve.
“Melton Plastics Ltd is an undoubted South Lanarkshire success story, starting from scratch 50 years ago, and not only going strong, but thriving, today in what is an entirely changed world.
“The recruitment and training of local young people in particular is a credit to Azam and the team.
“I am delighted to have been invited along to see Melton Plastics at work first-hand. I hope their example will encourage other businesses large and small across the authority to look to the opportunities for expansion which exist in South Lanarkshire – and not least to explore what trusted business support from the council can achieve.”
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