NEVER mind a helping hand, a rotational moulding business has received a helping arm from its bank.

JSC Rotational Ltd, set up by husband and wife team Mark and Karen Drinkwater in 2003 and based on a farm at Inkberrow, has purchased and installed a £56,000 CNC robotic arm with backing from Clydesdale Bank. The addition of the new robotic arm will automate part of the finishing process, leading to enhanced speed, consistency and quality in the firm's plastic rotational mouldings.

Mrs Drinkwater said: “The installation of the robotic arm will move our business to the next level, helping us target new markets and projects. We like to open ourselves up to as many industries possible, which was a great benefit to us during the recession, when businesses similar to ours faced closure because their customer base was too narrow. I believe the growth of our business has been supported by the fact we are a family business. We share the same ambitions and understand one another very well. Many husbands and wives wouldn’t dream of living and working together, but it works perfectly for us."

Karen Lumley, MP for Redditch, visited the business to see the new installation at work. She added: “It’s great to see the progress JSC Rotational has made in recent years under Karen and Mark’s stewardship. There’s never been a better time to set up and run your own business in our area. Businesses are feeling more confident than ever before and more than 1,100 new businesses have started since 2010."

The deal was delivered by Stewart Linnane, relationship manager at Clydesdale Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Gloucester. The business received additional investment from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.