Lord Mayor’s show of support for global ambitions as engineer goes for growth

David Wootton, who is originally from Bradford, officially opened the headquarters of Silsden-based Advanced Actuators, yesterday during a visit to Yorkshire.

The privately-owned company manufactures three types of electro-hydraulic actuators for sectors including oil and gas, power generation and steel production,

It was founded near the centre of Bradford in late 1999. It moved to its current premises five years ago but director Chris Woodhead said the Lord Mayor’s visit to the Bradford district provided the opportunity to formally open the building.

“It’s been a while since we moved but we always wanted the building officially opened and so this was the opportunity to do so,” said Mr Woodhead.

Advanced Actuators moved from 3,000 sq ft premises in the centre of Bradford to a 17,000 sq ft purpose-built building in Silsden after outgrowing its previous premises.

Mr Woodhead said the company had escaped the worst of the recession due to its overseas growth. “We have only just scratched the surface but it’s been enough to keep us fairly buoyant because other countries, such as China, are still growing,” he said.

The company, which employs 26 staff, plans to increase its turnover from £3m to £9m by 2017.

Customers include BP, Shell, British Nuclear Fuels, EDF Energy, Eon, Tata Steel, Lafarge and Thames Water.

Exports to countries including Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia and Brazil are expected to be a major driver of future growth.

The firm has already set up a joint venture with a company in Saudi Arabia and it is also in similar discussions in China, Indonesia and Brazil.

Mr Woodhead said: “The decline of coal mining and power stations in the UK means we have to find other ways of surviving and help the British economy the best way we can by exporting, which is what the Government wants us to do.”

He added: “Our product is rather technical. It has been around in the UK for 40 years but we now need to go and educate people overseas about what it can do.”

Mr Wootton visited a number of companies in and around Bradford yesterday as a guest of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, including set top box maker Pace, the Ecology Building Society, Acorn Stair Lifts, Pennine Weavers, and Haworth Scouring, which is part of Curtis Wool group.

Mr Wootton, a partner at elite law firm Allen & Overy since 1979, plans to use his year in office to improve the reputation of the City in Britain and promote British business abroad.