Crown Paints recently welcomed MP for Rossendale and Darwen, Jake Berry, as well as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss MP, to its UK headquarters in Darwen, Lancashire.
The visit was designed so that the MPs could take a tour of the paint manufacturing facility and attend a Q&A session with Crown employees.
During the course of the visit, Jake and Liz met with Crown Paints Managing Director, Philip Cefai, Marketing Director, Decorative Europe, Liz Hickson, and Manufacturing Director, Ellis Mudd, who accompanied the two MPs on the factory tour.
The MPs also met with Crown employees from across the business for a Q&A, answering questions about innovation in the north of England, the future of the UK economy and how the government’s upcoming spending review will affect people across the North.
The company was able to give the visitors an insight into how Crown Paints is meeting the demands of the modern paints and coatings industry, driving product development, supporting young people entering the industry and its sustainability efforts with its earthbalance scheme.
Liz commented: “Crown Paints have a distinguished history and I was impressed by the company’s innovative spirit and fresh ideas during my visit. I valued the opportunity to answer questions from the staff on a range of issues and discuss their priorities for the future.”
Jake added: “Historic manufacturing companies like Crown are a vital part of the economy of the North of England, creating jobs and driving innovation, so it was wonderful to meet staff from across the spectrum of the business and discuss some of the issues that are important to them.”
Philip concluded: “We were very pleased that Ms Truss and Mr Berry accepted our invitation to visit our factory and headquarters, and we’re grateful that they took the time answer some of our employees’ questions.
“At Crown, we pride ourselves on being not just a leading employer in our community, but on our commitment to excellence across all parts of the business. That’s why we’re proud to be leading the way on sustainability measures such as our decision to launch paint containers made from 100% recycled plastic, and our unique social enterprise scheme, NIMTECH, which provides employment and training for long-term unemployed people.
“I hope that Ms Truss and Mr Berry left with a sense of how companies like ours can set the standard for businesses in the UK.”
To find out more about Crown Paints, visit www.crowntrade.co.uk.
