How Phoenix Tooling Is Leading the Revival of UK Toolmaking

When Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group, toured the factory of Phoenix Tooling & Development, the sense of purposeful investment was clear. Nestled in Aldridge, the business stands out not just for its tooling expertise, but for its deeper commitment to UK manufacturing, apprenticeships and supply chain resilience.

Jason Pitt pictured left with Martin Mulvey
Led by its Managing Director, Martin Mulvey, the company has emerged as one of the few UK firms capable of tackling highly specialised press tooling, and doing so on home soil. This has earned the business a nomination from Made in the Midlands for the inaugural GREAT100 Awards in London this December, in recognition of Martin’s advocacy for the industry and the firm’s longstanding apprenticeship programme.

Investing to Stay Ahead

Since 2023 Phoenix have made a multi million pound investment in new machinary, including their own press, which allows them to try out their tools without having to go off site. 
 “Our 500-tonne press is quite a significant machine, size wise for the UK, especially being a contract press tool-maker,” Martin explains. “The whole strategy, was that we could prove out the tooling we manufacture here … running off coil, running at rate … and make sure there are no issues in a production environment.”

By doing the try-outs in-house, Phoenix avoids the costly downtime that happens if tooling goes into a customer’s production press and stalls their output:

“When these new tools are tried out in the customer's press … there’s no sales, there’s no production going on. This value add, allows us to improve productivity on behalf of our customers”

This approach to inhouse testing, is bolstered by a recent addition of a 110-tonne press for smaller tooling orders. Martin says:
“The versatility of the two presses gives us good flexibility for any types of press tooling orders.”

Diversification as Resilience

While the company has roots in automotive tooling, Phoenix has broadened its reach.
“The construction industry is becoming a significant industry for us, the tools have to be designed and manufactured in a proper way so that they are durable and reliable and capable of running multiple shifts without any downtime.”

Years ago the business expanded into multi-slide tooling, enabling multiple bends on a component at once and reducing material waste. These strategic moves have helped the firm hold its ground despite overseas competition and the erosion of UK toolmaking capability.

Martin reflects sharply on the broader situation and why what he does matters now more than ever to the future of UK industry:

“It is critical that we start to value the importance of our toolmaking industry … we are, the last generation of turning it around”

Investing in the Workforce of Tomorrow

Phoenix’s apprenticeship programme is central to its mission. 

Apprentices receive structured pay increases every six months, so long as they’re doing well at college and in the business:
“Our apprentices get a rise every six months for the next five years.”

Retention is strong:
“Our staff turnover is low, but like all SMEs we face competition from larger companies which is why its important to retain these crucial skills and develop the next generation”

Martin works with fellow Made in the Midlands member Incomm Training who help source motivated young people from the area. Martin emphasises the transferable nature of the skills his 

Backing Britain

The company’s philosophy is rooted in the broader campaign to revitalise UK manufacturing.
Martin commented,“If a country doesn’t make anything, how on earth can it support the support industry …how can anything thrive if we’ve got nothing to sell to the rest of the world?”

Phoenix Tooling isn’t simply part of the supply chain, it stands as an advocate for the industry and a practical example of building capability in Britain.

A Roadmap for Growth

Looking ahead, the business is investing further:
“We will be investing in more material handling equipment and increasing the capacity on our overhead crane which will allow us to increase the amount of tools we can make”

Why It Matters

Phoenix Tooling & Development embodies the key themes of the GREAT100 Awards. Industry advocacy, investment in young people, resilience and technical excellence. In an age of growing offshoring and skills erosion, this modest Midlands firm is quietly safeguarding a critical part of the UK’s industrial backbone.

As regional manufacturing networks push for greater recognition and stronger supply chains, companies like Phoenix are not just surviving, they are proving what can be achieved when British ingenuity, thoughtful investment and a clear purpose intersect.

By showing what’s possible, Phoenix sends a message: the tools, skills and talent may still exist, but only if we keep backing Britain's industrial base.