The Princess Royal saw how Sheffield Forgemasters is investing in state-of-the-art facilities and delivering next generation skills, as she greeted 75 apprentices at the 200 plus years-old company.
Her Royal Highness was given a tour of the Brightside Lane facilities, seeing heavy forging operations, meeting employees from all levels of the 675 strong workforce and was briefed on the dramatic recapitalisation taking place across the site.
The Princess Royal’s visit follows in the footsteps of Queen Victoria, King George V, Queen Elizabeth II and the then Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), who all visited the Brightside Lane site.
Gary Nutter, Chief Executive Officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “It was a real honour to host The Princess Royal and to see the pride in our experienced and dedicated workforce, including the full tranche of apprentices, who greeted her.
“Her Royal Highness carries the rank of naval Admiral, and as our recapitalisation programme underpins the company’s supply into UK defence, particularly our work to support the Royal Navy, this visit has a resonance for us.
“The continuing support of the Royal Family to this business and its employees is a great accolade and reflects the company’s historic importance in the defence of our realm.”
The Princess Royal was briefed on the extensive works underway on the site, including the company’s new Heavy Forging Line, and learned about its award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which is providing highly skilled careers for the Sheffield City Region.
Harriett Eccles, People Development Specialist at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “The value of a Royal visit for our apprentices cannot be understated.
“These are the young people who will lead this business for decades to come and our ties with the armed forces and the Royal family are a fundamental part of that future. The Princess Royal’s support for their career progression is a great boost for all involved.”
In 2007, The King, as Prince of Wales, visited Sheffield Forgemasters to provide invaluable support as the business recovered from the devastating 2007 flood, which saw vast swathes of the 64-acre plant rendered out of action, and returned in 2008 to see how well the recovery was going.
During her tour, The Princess Royal viewed the point at which the River Don breached its walls in 2007, indicated by a marker showing how high the flood waters had been and saw the company’s extensive flood prevention measures, which have protected the site since then.
Manufacturing & Engineering Magazine | The Home of Manufacturing Industry News
