Clegg hails metals recycler over £6m investment at HQ

Mr Clegg and former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett officially opened a £6m investment at the UK headquarters of metals recycler Van Dalen.

The business, which celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, has installed a ferrous shredder and non-ferrous facility at its base in Sheffield, in order to boost exports.

Mr Clegg said: “Van Dalen is a real Sheffield success story. This investment is great news for Sheffield’s economy and the wider region.

As we build a new economy from the rubble of the old, the Liberal Democrats are determined to make sure prosperity is shared across the whole country, not just London and the South East. Companies like this will be at the heart of that recovery and I am proud to see it go from strength to strength.”

Mr Blunkett said: “This imaginative investment is not only in line with the history and tradition of steel and re-processing in Sheffield, but is an example of how, despite the recession, jobs and economic activity can be created. The investment and the extra jobs are extremely welcome. This is an example of how responsible businesses can recycle metals for modern reuse.”

Twenty five jobs are being created by Van Dalen as it prepares for expansion in the UK. The company, which employs around 100 people in the UK, also operates deep-sea export facilities.

Van Dalen is a family business which is owned by its sole shareholder, Rudolph van Dalen Jr.

The business owns 13 facilities across the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as six sites in the UK at Sheffield, Dagenham, Chatham, Immingham, South Shields and Hartlepool.

The company’s annual production exceeds 1.5m tonnes across Europe and the company is active in both the ferrous and non- ferrous trade.

More than 35 per cent of the metals processed by the business in the UK are handled at its Sheffield headquarters.

Van Dalen UK managing director Tom Bird said yesterday: “The UK business is running extremely well following a strong performance in 2011.

“The installation of the shredder in Sheffield transforms our site into a complete metals recycling facility.

“We are focused on further growth, not only around the Sheffield region, but the UK generally.”