ON Friday, I was delighted to be asked to open a new headquarters and manufacturing plant for a high-tech business which has decided to relocate to Swindon.

PRP Optoelectronics may not be a household name, but they are world leaders in their field. They design and manufacture cockpit displays for military aircraft, including the new Eurofighter Typhoon.

This puts them at the front line of our defence capabilities, and it’s extremely welcome news that such a forward-looking company has chosen to come to Swindon.

PRP was looking for a new home after being forced to move out of its former premises in Towcester in Northamptonshire. The fact that they have come to Swindon is testament to the hard work and determination of several groups. Swindon Borough Council worked closely with Forward Swindon, the arms’ length organisation which aims to attract new businesses to our town. The local Department for Work and Pensions office also provided advice and support about recruitment and relocation. Add Swindon’s excellent reputation as a high-tech town with a great workforce and excellent communications, and the lure for PRP was too great to resist.

As they have said themselves, they turned a major threat into an exciting business opportunity as they moved into a facility being equipped for the 21st century in a town that has demonstrated strong support.

PRP’s new premises are at Hillmead in West Swindon. Their arrival adds to the area’s deserved reputation as the home of high-tech. They bring to West Swindon high quality, specialist manufacturing with the expectation of future expansion – exactly what the area needs.

It was an honour to open their new HQ and manufacturing plant, and I hope and expect there will be many more newcomers to Swindon very soon. We really are a great place to do business.

Of course we can only attract new employers if we have people with the right skills and work experience to take on the jobs. That’s what makes the work of the Swindon Foyer so important, and is why I was delighted to visit their home in Old Town, also on Friday (pictured left).

Over the past year, the Foyer has helped find accommodation for nearly 150 vulnerable young people and assisted in improving their employment opportunities too. I spoke with a number of youngsters about the work the Foyer does to help young people who are not in education, employment or training, known as NEETs.

It was really encouraging to hear about some of the work placements which have led to full time employment with leading firms such as Marks & Spencer. It’s adding to the success story which is seeing NEET figures fall year-on-year across Swindon as the economy improves.