Sandwell engineering firm Deritend Group is investing £500,000 in a new regional centre of excellence in West Bromwich, which could create 25 new jobs for the borough, including workshop fitters, site fitters, welders and fabricators.

Deritend is established as one of the UK’s leading providers of engineering solutions, including the repair and replacement of electric motors, pumps, gearboxes, electronic controls and induction equipment.

Last year Deritend celebrated 121 years in business and due to successful growth made the decision to move a lot of its operations for the Midlands from Wolverhampton into a modern facility in Brandon Way, West Bromwich, creating additional space for a dedicated fabrication shop.

Deritend serves more than 3,500 customers in the UK, including many essential utilities, and employs over 160 engineering professionals. It recently celebrated a number of new contract wins in the food, water and waste sectors.

During the first lockdown the firm had to furlough about 50 staff as projects ceased but over the last three months since lockdown ended it had seen output increase by 30 per cent and was operating at about 85 per cent.

Hopefully the shorter second lockdown won’t mean a downturn in business again and the potential new contracts will continue to provide employment.