BUSINESS Secretary Vince Cable and Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell were among the guests as ventilation products company Fl�kt Woods staged a live demonstration in Westminster of some of the latest smoke and fire control equipment.

The Colchester-based company held its inaugural UK Mobile Smoke Roadshow at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster, a short distance from the Houses of Parliament.

During the event, the audience of more than 100 professionals from the building services industry, together which guests who also included Jim Fitzpatrick MP, a former firefighter, were given a demonstration to highlight the effectiveness of the latest smoke and fire dampers for use in commercial and residential applications.

Sir Bob, who previously helped secure 350 jobs at the Fl�kt Wood plant in Colchester when a relocation to Poland was mooted, said afterwards: “It was fantastic that Colchester’s largest manufacturing company, which has been based in the town for more than 100 years, was given centre-stage so close to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey to promote these world-leading products that are capable of saving lives from fires.

“It has the potential of creating more manufacturing jobs in Colchester and boosting the national economy. Directly and indirectly, 75% of what is produced at the company’s new factory on the Colchester Business Park is exported.

““I am very proud to be associated with Fl�kt Woods; it is a great Colchester success story and I pay tribute to its skilled workforce and determined management team.”

Allan Hurdle, managing director of Fl�kt Woods, said: “Having the opportunity to show visitors a live demonstration has really helped stress the importance and effectiveness of fire dampers in real life situations.

“It was great to have so many building services engineers as well as Sir Bob Russell supporting the event, and we’re sure they found it to be a valuable and interesting experience.”