Vince Cable hails Burnley's 'positive success' (From This Is Lancashire)

Vince Cable hails Burnley's 'positive success'

3:00pm Monday 18th February 2013 in News By Jessica Cree, Education reporter

Veka managing director John Ogilvie, MP Gordon Birtwistle, Vince Cable, Veka UK managing director David Jones and head of marketing Simon James

BUSINESS secretary Vince Cable has praised Burnley manufacturing as a ‘positive success story’ after a visit to see how more than £10million of funding is being invested in the town.

The Lib Dem cabinet minister was invited to the town by MP Gordon Birtwistle, who was keen to show him that regional growth grants given to Burnley were being spent well.

After visiting VEKA, in Farrington Road, to see its recent expansion, Mr Cable was also shown around the Weavers Triangle, where the new University Technology College is being built.

Veka, which produces PVC-U windows, has recently taken on 200 new staff and invested £10million last year.

After the visit, Mr Cable said: “It will be a great boost for education.

“Burnley is a positive success story. There are a lot of very successful manufacturers here. The future is going to come from manufacturing exports, so Burnley is very well positioned.”

This was the fourth time the business secretary has visited Burnley.

In the evening, Mr Cable, who was accompanied on the visit by his wife Rachel Smith, had dinner at the Rosehill House Hotel, in Rosehill Avenue, with 30 local business figures to talk about economy growth.

Mr Birtwistle said he was proud to show Mr Cable the range of businesses in Burnley.

He said: “Mr Cable sees the potential in Burnley and is willing to invest here.

“He told the businessmen and -women to tell him what they wanted and he would see what he could do for them.

“We have a very strong manufacturing base, but we also have a finance sector and public sector. It is so positive and Mr Cable even said the town was somewhere other towns should copy.”