MP highlights Welsh manufacturing strength during visit to Shufflebottom

06/02/2026

Category: General

MP highlights Welsh manufacturing strength during visit to Shufflebottom

Dame Nia Griffith, MP for Llanelli, has praised the contribution and potential of Wales’ constructional steelwork sector after visiting leading steelwork fabricator Shufflebottom at its headquarters in Llanelli. 

Shufflebottom, which specialises in the design, fabrication, painting and erection of steel structures, plays a crucial role in the Welsh and UK supply chain. While 70–75% of its work has traditionally focused on major agricultural projects, the company is now expanding rapidly into healthcare, education and defence, with a strong pipeline of upcoming work across these sectors.

Employing 80 staff, including a growing number of apprentices and graduates, the company fabricates around 5,000 tonnes of steelwork annually and provides a complete, in house turnkey service from design through to erection.

The visit, arranged by the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA), formed part of a UK wide programme designed to connect MPs with steelwork fabricators in their constituencies. Zoe Williams, representing the BCSA, raised issues including the rising cost of energy, which continues to place pressure on energy-intensive manufacturers, and the ongoing recruitment challenges affecting the wider sector. She also discussed the association’s recent campaign regarding the Net Zero Teesside project and the potential loss of work for UK steel fabricators, and the fact that Chinese Steel is being imported for a significant sized national flagship project.

It gave Dame Nia the opportunity to see first hand the scale of Shufflebottom’s operations and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Welsh industry.

A key part of the discussion focused on Shufflebottom’s involvement in the Smart Digital Productivity Accelerator (SDPA) Programme, a major initiative supporting manufacturing innovation in Wales. Through this collaboration with academic partners, the company expects to realise a 20–25% increase in productivity, driven by new digital tools and enhanced process efficiencies.

Dame Nia also heard about Shufflebottom’s position as a contender for eight packages of work linked to the Port Talbot EAF enabling works and shared her support for ensuring that major national projects use British-made steel.

Dame Nia Griffith MP said: “I was very pleased to hear that as well as their well-established agricultural business, Shufflebottom is winning public sector construction contracts and supplied the large amount of steel frames underpinning the prestigious Pentre Awel complex in Llanelli and is also tendering for work on the electric arc furnace in Port Talbot. I want to see local firms taking up as many supply chain opportunities as possible in the exciting investments we are seeing in South West Wales such as the off-shore wind farms , development of the ports to service them and the defence establishments.”

Zoe Williams, Marketing Manager at BCSA, added: “Nia was highly engaged throughout the visit and showed a genuine interest in the issues facing our members. It was encouraging to discuss sector priorities, including fair procurement and support for energy intensive manufacturers. We were pleased to highlight our recent campaign where we have been championing our Members and their sector, and the vital role companies like Shufflebottom play in sustaining skilled employment across Wales.”

Ross McAdam, CEO at Embrace Steel Group, said: “It was an absolute privilege to welcome Nia to Shufflebottom and for her to meet Richard, Ben as well as showcase the strength of Shufflebottom’s operations and the commitment of our team. Under Embrace’s ownership, we were pleased to highlight the significant investments we continue to make, alongside the robust processes we have in place to support quality, productivity, and long-term growth. Engagements like this are invaluable in helping policymakers better understand both the opportunities and challenges facing our sector.”

Richard Wigley, Commercial & Technical Director at Shufflebottom added: “We were delighted to host Nia and truly appreciated the time she took to meet with our wider team and see our facilities first-hand. It was a great opportunity to discuss our ongoing investments, current processes, and future plans, as well as the work we are doing to drive efficiency and innovation. As a local MP, her interest in manufacturing and the steelwork sector is very encouraging for both our workforce and the wider regional supply chain.”

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