A wire mesh business that was acquired last year following an £80,000 funding boost from business investment specialist UKSE is going from strength to strength.

Married couple Cameron and Elizabeth Wakeman secured funding from UKSE to help them acquire Midland Wire Mesh Ltd in April 2024 when original owners David and Debbie Walters decided to retire.

Providing strategic loan and equity packages of up to £1m to generate growth, create jobs and bolster the economy, UKSE’s team based in Keys Business Village, Cannock, supports SMEs across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry, Staffordshire and Telford.

Celebrating 50 years of building relationships and supporting communities, UKSE makes equity investments, ensuring management stays in control and offering a flexible exit policy. Unsecured loans up to £200,000 are also available, often without the need for personal guarantees.

Established in 1975, Midland Wire Mesh Ltd, based in Halesowen, is an industrial wire mesh manufacturer serving a multitude of sectors including the construction, gardening, drainage and pet industries.

Since the acquisition, Cameron and Elizabeth have grown the business by diversifying its services to include spot welding, MIG (metal inert gas) welding and TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding.

They have invested in new machinery, including a guillotine, and implemented new processes to enable them to branch out into different sectors. The company has employed two new members of staff.

Business owner Cameron Wakeman said: “We wouldn’t have been able to buy Midland Wire Mesh without UKSE, so we are very grateful for their support. Elizabeth and I always wanted to run our own business, and now we have realised our dream of doing so and are excited for the future.

“Lately we have been busy growing our customer base. As well as retaining the company’s longstanding customers we have brought on board a number of new ones in different sectors.

“Sales increased in the last financial year, while profits have remained steady. This financial year we are on target to achieve our sales goals and could see turnover double since we took over the business.

“One of our biggest challenges is space, because we are growing, but we have invested in a new mezzanine floor, which has given us another 900 square feet.”

In addition to Cameron and Elizabeth receiving £80,000 funding from UKSE, a further £95,000 was provided to support their purchase by West Midlands and Wales based lender BCRS Business Loans.

UKSE Regional Executive Mike Lowe said: “I am really pleased to have been able to assist Cameron and Elizabeth with sourcing suitable finance. Midland Wire Mesh is a perfect example of where UKSE can add value by opening up opportunities for a business to grow and prosper.

“It is great that the funding has generated new jobs and enabled the company to grow through investment and innovation. Cameron and Elizabeth have been a pleasure to work with, and I look forward to seeing their business continue to succeed.”

Cameron added: “Our experience working with UKSE has been absolutely fantastic. The whole acquisition process from start to finish was flawless.

“It was nerve-racking buying a business, but Mike Lowe from UKSE and Business Development Manager Lynn Wyke from BCRS both gave us so much support, explaining every aspect of the business acquisition process. Mike visits us every couple of months to check how we are getting on and offer his assistance.

“I would definitely recommend UKSE to other aspiring business owners. If we ever want to make a big purchase again or invest in a new premises they will be our first port of call.”

Nationwide, in the most recent financial year UKSE helped 105 companies, creating 700 jobs. UKSE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel UK Limited with a mission to enable businesses and the people behind them to create jobs, grow and prosper, within communities affected by current or historic changes in the steel industry and its jobs.

UKSE is marking five decades of dedicated support that has seen over £115 million invested in local businesses and helped create more than 83,000 jobs. Providing investment options including business acquisitions, management buyouts, company expansions or the purchase of new equipment, UKSE is energised to meet the businesses of tomorrow and to support communities.