Local lockdown success story What More is recruiting extra staff as orders boom

Lockdown has proven to be a very busy period for many British manufacturers, and What More UK is no exception. The Altham-based company has had to increase production to keep up with demand, including finding capacity to produce personal protective equipment for the NHS.

Over the past few months What More has had to put on extra shifts to keep distribution partners fully stocked and is now taking on more staff to help keep up. What More supplies all the major UK retailers and many others in foreign countries. Germany in particular has proven an important market for the firm.

While economists are predicting hard times ahead, What More UK has ramped up investment in staff, in machinery, and even begun a new construction project to link up its existing buildings five and six.

What More company director Tony Grimshaw said: "The order book is looking healthy and we're hoping to take on another 35 members of staff across the company to help us maintain our service record. We're working hard to build our business and that way we'll be prepared for the future."

One of the most positive projects is the apprenticeship scheme which offers local school leavers a route to a stable career in engineering. The previous cohort have now all become fully-fledged engineers either in their bakeware tool room where the company recently invested in several pneumatic presses, or in the plastics side where the firm has further investments in machines and tooling planned for the near future.

Now the previous group has graduated, What More is looking for the next young engineering stars to take the first step towards a career in manufacturing.

What More UK is the owner of the well-known storage brand Wham which can be found in all the major retailers in the UK and 73 other countries around the world. The company produces housewares or all kinds, kitchenware, gardenware, and products for the home laundry and utility room.