Gerrymet expands operations with council help
Walsall business Gerrymet has received a £20,000 grant to help it buy new equipment.
Gerrymet has specialised in industrial woodworking tooling since being established in 1983.
It aims to supply a quality range of tooling for both industrial and domestic woodworking use along with offering a sharpening service.
With support from Walsall Council’s business growth team, Gerrymet secured funding through the SME competitiveness grant scheme.
A new CNC grinder will enable Gerrymet to sharpen bandsaws at a faster rate, meaning they can service more of their customer’s needs and boost productivity. The machine cost around £44,000 with £20,000 of the cost covered by the grant.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, the council's associate leader and portfolio holder for economic growth and regeneration, said: “It’s great to be able to get out and see first hand how local businesses have benefitted from the support of our business growth team. Hearing about how Gerrymet has grown and increased their capability by investing in the new CNC grinder is fantastic. As part of the process of securing funding they’ve also taken on a new member of staff, creating local jobs for local people.
“Supporting local businesses to increase productivity and grow is a priority of Walsall Council and will help us to keep the Walsall pound local.”
Gerrymet director Nick Palmer said: “Walsall Council has been really supportive and we’re very grateful for the business growth team’s help in securing the funding. The new machine means we can sharpen more blades much quicker, increasing our turnover and helping us to support more and more businesses. We look forward to continuing to work with the council to help the business grow and thrive in Walsall.”
Walsall Council’s business growth team visits Walsall-based businesses offering support to access grant funding that they may otherwise not be aware of. Guiding business through the process and aiming to make it as easy as possible to apply, the council has successfully allocated over £469,000 under the SME Competitiveness Grant Scheme, supporting 13 local businesses, with a further 22 businesses applications being processed, worth a further £434,000.
