HRH The Duke of Kent Opens New Miller Premises
June 15th, 2005
Chairman Keith Miller (left) shakes hands with HRH The Duke of Kent (right).
HRH The Duke of Kent visited Miller UK Limited today [Wednesday 15 June] to officially open its new premises in Cramlington.
The Royal Visit coincided with a visit by Sir Digby Jones, Director-General of the CBI, who joined HRH The Duke of Kent, the Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, Sir John Riddell, and over 250 Miller management and staff to commemorate the occasion and the firm’s successes to date.
After hearing a brief speech by Managing Director Keith Miller, the dignitaries were taken on a tour of Miller’s extensive new facilities before His Royal Highness unveiled an official plaque to mark the day.
A sculpture entitled ‘First Cut’ fabricated from steel by local artist Paul Richardson was also placed on show in the factory grounds for the very first time.
Miller is the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of buckets and couplers for hydraulic excavators and has been at the forefront of the industry since introducing the pin pick up quick coupler in 1989.
The management team took the decision to move from three smaller factories across the North East to one main site in Northumberland to increase productivity and efficiency in Miller’s manufacturing operations.
This latest development is already paying off – in addition to experiencing year-on-year growth for its range of quick couplers, buckets and other attachments as a company, Keith Miller was recently voted one of the region’s top entrepreneurs by local business leaders, the Entrepreneurs Forum.
The new Miller establishment in Cramlington, Northumberland, UK.
HRH The Duke of Kent said:
This new facility presents an exciting opportunity for Miller to build on its reputation and successes in a sector in which it has become synonymous with quality and expertise. The relocation of all manufacturing operations under one roof is a bold commitment to the future of the company; a bright future acknowledged by Sir Digby Jones’ presence here today.
Sir Digby Jones added:
It is a pleasure to meet the team behind one of the North East’s biggest success stories, who continue to proactively meet the challenges created by the global manufacturing industry they work in. Their commitment to innovation will no doubt stand them in excellent stead as they look to grow the business further.
Keith Miller commented:
This is a really important day for us and we’re proud to have been able to share this with such prestigious guests, who understand the challenges that we face as a business.
Miller’s success is dependant on the quality of its staff and many of our achievements are attributable to our excellent workforce. We’re proud to be based in the North East and will continue to demonstrate our commitment through our ongoing contribution to the local economy.