HRH The Princess Royal is to visit Focus SB

Focus SB looks forward to welcoming Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to its St Leonards on Sea factory in November- East Sussex, United Kingdom, 2023-10-09

Given the good news by the Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex, the whole company is delighted that The Princess Royal, who has a keen interest in sustainable manufacturing, is to visit Focus SB in person for a private factory tour in November, in the very same year the company succeeded as a winner in the first ever King’s Awards for Enterprise and formally recognised for excellence in International Trade.

A Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2010 and Patron of more than 300 organisations, including several in engineering, Her Royal Highness is Patron of Women into Science and Engineering (WISE), and has done much to support and encourage women to take up engineering as a career.

Focus SB managing director Gary Stevens, who was fortunate enough to meet His Majesty King Charles III in person at a reception for all the King's Awards winners at Buckingham Palace in June of this year, is ecstatic to discover Focus SB has been selected for this prestigious royal visit and is looking forward to welcoming The Princess Royal to the company's head office and main factory on the outskirts of Hastings and St Leonards on Sea, where Her Royal Highness will view in-house manufacturing and finishing processes, meet employees and discover how Focus SB supports its local communities, notably Little Gate Supported Employment, as well as hear more about industry-first successes and the company's commitment to a sustainable manufacturing future.

Mr Stevens says: “It’s a huge honour for an SME based in Hastings to have the recognition of a King’s Award, one of the most prestigious awards a company can be bestowed, but in addition to that, meeting The King at Buckingham Palace and then to have a visit from Anne The Princess Royal is a huge boost and reward for every single employee at Focus SB, without whom, none of this would have been possible. I have been in manufacturing of electrical products all of my career and I started off as a 16-year-old technical apprentice and have worked my way through various businesses from technical to marketing, sales and general management and I have been an MD of two manufacturing companies, including currently with Focus SB.

He continues: "I am passionate about manufacturing and introducing more young people into manufacturing and encouraging them to take up apprenticeships, I would like to think that we are doing our bit here at Focus SB by working with local educational establishments, employment agencies and local charities to fulfil that goal, and that my own journey can act as a beacon for those young people who may be thinking about a career in manufacturing and what can be achieved. After all, manufacturing accounts for 2.6 million jobs in the UK and we are the 8th largest manufacturing country in the world!”

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Editors notes

Focus SB® is an award winning innovative British manufacturer renowned for the design, development and specialist hand finishing of premium electrical wiring accessories, blending traditional artisan techniques with the latest technology; specified for world class hospitality and leisure resorts, prime residential developments, heritage buildings, royal residences, superyachts and commercial projects both domestically and internationally.

King's Awards for Enterprise winner for excellence in International Trade in 2023, Focus SB made history in its industry in 2017 when the company became the first and only British and European manufacturer to gain CQC factory accreditation to supply and sell wiring accessories directly from Europe to China, also gaining full CCC licence for all of its products for the Chinese marketplace.

The company’s specialist capabilities include electrical accessory design, development and testing; bespoke metal plate design and manufacture; specialist metal finishing and complex supply chain project management. Focus SB commenced trading in 1979 and exports to Asia, the Middle East, Malta and West Africa. Projects include Aspen at Consort Place, Twenty Grosvenor Square, Belmond Cadogan Hotel, Corinthia London, Royal Lancaster London, Chelsea Barracks, No.1 Grosvenor Square, The Glebe, Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, The Londoner Macao and Pudong Airport Satellite Terminal VIP lounges.

Focus SB is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by taking all appropriate measures to minimise any impact on the environment throughout the business from operational to manufacturing processes. The company's green energy investment plans have included solar panel, LED lighting and electric car charging points installation. Laser marking technology enables Focus SB to offer a standard alternative to screen printing, for improved fine detail quality and to significantly limit the use of environmentally damaging consumables and reduce waste.

Focus SB is a Disability Confident Employer since 2017 and is committed to creating equal opportunities and a diverse and inclusive workforce, seeing the company work closely with local charity Little Gate Supported Employment for over four years.

UK press contact: Suzi Baker, Balance Web Marketing +PR suzi@balancewebmarketing.co.uk