Chancellor Sajid Javid visits Hastings

On Friday, the Conservative party candidate for Bomsgrove attended electrical wiring accessories manufacturer Focus SB, in St Leonards, to see how the manufacturer was preparing for life after Brexit.

He was welcomed by chairman Roger Kemp who said he was delighted the visit came on the same day the company announced the opening of its seventh distributor showroom Fudi, in China.

He said: “We are pleased to welcome Sajid Javid to our factory today. It gives recognition to all the hard work put in by our employees and our partners in China to make a success of opening up the China market for our electrical accessories, where we now have seven showrooms and 10 sub distributors.”

Focus SB’s research and development into a new product range for China is another investment made by the company since managing director Gary Stevens’ appointment in January 2016, which also includes the purchase of an advanced 3D printer; robot cell; expansion into additional premises and growing the workforce.

Recently awarded ‘Most Dynamic Employer’ by Little Gate Farm, the company’s future plans were of interest to Mr Javid as it looks set to provide opportunities to job seekers in Hastings.

This was Mr Javid’s second time in Hastings after visiting the Jerwood Gallery (now Hastings Contemporary) in 2015.