A BURY engineering firm was visited by the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, as they launched their new production line, yesterday.

Jake Berry, the MP for Rossendale and a Parliamentary under secretary, alongside Councillor Rishi Shori and business figures from the piling and geotechnical industries visited Atlas Pile Testing, part of the Datum Group, in Bridge Hall Lane for the official opening of the line.

The line will manufacture their Titan load testing systems, including the new Titan 650, which provide state-of-the-art static load testing through real-time data.

Mr Berry praised Atlas and Datum as world leaders and said the launch shows how central Greater Manchester is to the Northern Powerhouse.

He added: “Datum is a great example of a globally-connected Northern Powerhouse business that is making a fantastic contribution to the regional, and national, economy."

The launch forms part of Atlas' growth strategy, in a bid to boost production and support the local economy by recruiting more staff to meet growing demand.

The company which already operates across the globe is also looking to expand in to more markets including in the USA and China.

Mr Berry said: "With 120 staff and the new machinery now being exported to China, companies like this demonstrate that the Northern Powerhouse truly is where the innovators and makers can be found.”

Rory O’Rourke, CEO of The Datum Group, said: “It was an honour to have Jake Berry MP launch the new production line, which represents a significant investment by the company, which is growing to support demand for the Titan range of pile testing systems.

"This ensures that the team at Atlas Pile Testing Systems has total visibility and control over the manufacturing process, which is essential to ensure the high standards of workmanship that The Datum Group demands for its customers."

Councillor Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, said: "Datum are a company that are world leaders and this is an incredibly proud moment for Bury.

"The Atlas system is the first of its kind in the world, but Datum are also a company that care about the community."