London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Val Shawcross CBE, today officially opened the new factory of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Oldham-based supplier, John Bradley and Son (Springs) Limited, along with the MP for Oldham West and Royton, Jim McMahon.
TfL has a strong relationship with the 70 year-old family business, which specialises in the production of a range of materials including sheet metal and springs for the rail, aerospace and agriculture industries. By supplying tool cabinets for the Tube, which are used both in depots and for track work, as well as steel parts for rail tracks, they help keep public transport in London working for the millions of people who rely on it every day.
In 2016-2017, TfL spent around £300,000 with the company who employ 110 staff. Their new factory, which is 110,000 square feet in size, combines their three previous sites into one, enabling them to improve efficiency during production and spend more time developing new products.
More than 60 per cent of TfL’s procurement is with companies outside London and this investment supports around 50,000 jobs outside the Capital. Over the last three years, TfL has spent more than £700m in the North West, including £400m in Manchester. Last year alone, this investment in the region supported thousands of jobs in the North West.
Val Shawcross, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “I am delighted to be opening John Bradley and Son (Springs) Limited’s new factory, which continues to supply TfL with the equipment it needs to keep its customers’ journeys on track. This is a great opportunity to celebrate this relationship and see how the London transport network is supporting employment and growth in the North West of England.”
Nigel Bradley, Managing Director of John Bradley and Son (Springs) Limited, said: “We are proud of the work that we do with TfL, which helps Londoners and visitors to the city travel smoothly. The relationship we have with TfL is a great example of how organisations can work together across different regions to benefit both areas.”
