The Bank of England’s Deputy Governor and Monetary Policy Committee member, Dr Ben Broadbent, has visited Wiltshire-based protective packaging manufacturer, GWP.
Dr Broadbent is specifically responsible for the bank’s monetary policy, including monetary analysis, banknotes, and data and analytics transformation. He also has shared responsibility for international macroeconomic analysis, strategy, and engagement.
Along with his colleague Jamie Barber (the South West Representative for the Bank of England), he visited GWP’s Cricklade site, meeting with Managing Director, Ruth Cook.
Left to right: South West Representative for the Bank of England Jamie Barber, Bank of England Deputy Governor Dr Ben Broadbent, Martin Lawell (Macfarlane Group) and Ruth Cook (GWP).
The visit included a tour of the company’s manufacturing facility, followed by a discussion regarding business at GWP, the outlook for the protective packaging and wider manufacturing industries and the current economic climate.
Ruth Cook, who sits on a local Bank of England group, commented, “We were delighted to host Ben and Jamie on their recent visit. Besides a productive discussion regarding the challenges and opportunities we are seeing, it was great to be able to show them the technology, people and innovation that we employ at our business. The packaging industry is a great barometer for manufacturing and the wider economy, so it is really encouraging that the Bank of England takes a close interest in how we are doing.”
Martin Lawell, Financial Analyst, Macfarlane Group, added, “Although there has been a continued focus on the distribution side of our business, Macfarlane’s manufacturing division has grown considerably over the past couple of years. Being able to engage with the Bank of England provides encouragement that the strong foundations we have put in place will allow us to continue our plans for growth as we move into 2024.”
