Sir Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Trade, visits Siderise headquarters in Maesteg to celebrate manufacturing and export success

We were delighted to welcome Sir Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Trade at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), to our headquarters in Maesteg on 14 May 2026. His visit gave us a valuable opportunity to showcase the role we play in supporting the South Wales economy, as well as highlighting our continued innovation in manufacturing and our growing international export presence. 

During his time with us, Sir Chris met with our Board and Senior Leadership Team, where we had a thoughtful and in-depth discussion about our responsibilities as a major local employer, manufacturer and expanding exporter. We shared how our journey has evolved over time, from being solely focused on the UK market to achieving significant international growth. Today, we export to a wide range of established markets, including the UAE, India, Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and Denmark, while also continuing to develop our presence in emerging markets such as the United States. It was rewarding to reflect on this progress and be able to share with Sir Chris our ambitions for the future. 

Discussions also covered our longstanding commitment to the local community. Supporting Maesteg and South Wales remains central to everything we do, whether through providing employment opportunities, investing in skills development or contributing to community partnerships through our corporate social responsibility initiatives. The visit allowed us to demonstrate the wider impact we have across the region and how we continue to invest in people and partnerships that strengthen the local area. 

A key highlight of the day was giving Sir Chris a tour of our Maesteg manufacturing facility. We were pleased to show firsthand how our core passive fire protection products are produced, as well as introducing him to our on-site, UKAS accredited innovation centre. These purpose-built facilities, including our specialist fire test furnace, are central to our commitment to product development, and our mission to ‘Go Beyond, contributing to safer buildings’. It was a memorable moment when Sir Chris switched on the furnace to observe a live fire test, providing a practical insight into the rigorous testing that underpins our solutions. 

Overall, the visit formed part of our ongoing engagement with government, industry and partners around manufacturing, safety and trade policy. It also highlighted the growing importance of Welsh manufacturing businesses like ours in supporting UK exports, driving innovation and contributing to regional economic growth. We were proud to share our story and demonstrate the role we continue to play on both a local and global stage.