Of 470 manufacturers surveyed, 22% described total orders as above normal, and 31% said they were below. The CBI says the resulting balance of -9% indicates order book levels slipped back in September, though this measure remains well above its long-term average of -18%.

The news comes as Leeds manufacturers report a rush of new business wins and investment, and will be welcomed following the announcement by defence giant BAE that it is to cut nearly 900 jobs at its manufacturing plant in East Yorkshire.

Allied Glass, manufacturer of glass containers for the premium spirits industry including leading brands such as Diageo, Chivas and William Grant & Sons, is investing millions in new machinery and staff as its new management team prepares to conquer new markets in Europe and further afield.

The Leeds-based business went through a secondary management buyout a year ago in a deal valuing the manufacturer at £75m.

Managing director Alan Henderson sees diversification into Europe as “a key part of the growth” of the business, which is backed by the private equity arm of Barclays Bank.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Mr Henderson said that Allied wants to win new work in France, Italy, Spain and Poland: “We are targeting key brands that we want to be associated with and know we can do a good job for,” he said.

Allied has hired 30 people to staff a new facility in Leeds in a £600,000 investment to create a new operation decorating bottles.

Meanwhile, textile manufacturer Hainsworth has won a contract to kit out 2,000 firefighters across the West Midlands’ 39 community fire stations. The company already makes protective fabrics used by firefighters across the UK as well as in the US, Europe and the Middle East.

Now West Midlands Fire Service is to buy Hainsworth’s TITAN kit – a patented double cloth combining flame retardant properties on the face and high strength fabric on the back, resulting in increased thermal protection.

The eight-year contract will see the state-of-the-art kit rolled out to all firefighters in the West Midlands. The uniform, in dark blue and red, replaces the magma coloured uniforms previously worn by the service. The new kit will be manufactured by Bristol Uniforms.

And specialist brewery engineering firm Microdat has followed up a £500,000 equity investment from Finance Yorkshire with news of £5 million worth of orders for its innovative cask and keg handling systems which are being installed in breweries across the UK

New Year proof of the effectiveness of this approach comes from brewing equipment manufacturer Microdat, a company that has continued to invest and develop new products through the recession. The firm’s current order book, already exceeds total sales in 2009 and six new jobs have been created.

And the good news doesn’t end there – the surge in orders has led founder and managing director Steve Midgley to seek sub-contract suppliers near his Leeds base to help out.

Cheers!

Their unwavering commitment to quality and customer service, allied to a keen awareness of market opportunities may not be a million miles from those of young Josh Tetley.

His brand did pretty well – let’s drink to his successors achieving similar longevity!

With sales now exceeding 20,000 thousand pints a week through the brewery’s growing chain of distinctive Leeds pubs and other watering holes in the city and further afield, tributes to the quality ales continue to flow in from beer festivals around the country. Leeds Brewery has fast become a stylish ambassador for Leeds, using the skyline and the city’s civic owls in the point of sale designs.

The Beers

In addition to quality brewing, the craft brewery has tremendous flexibility. The three home beers are:

• Leeds Best (4.3%) – a classic Yorkshire Bitter, full-flavoured with a superb, hoppy finish
• Leeds Pale (3.8%) – an easy drinking pale ale – light and hoppy with delicate floral notes and a well-balanced finish
• Midnight Bell (4.8%) – a premium dark mild. Crystal and chocolate malts combine to give a full-bodied, complex character to this award-winning ale

And brewing flexibility has certainly been the name of the game in 2009 with a different seasonal beer each month. Resolution (4.8%) – a crisp winter ale – launched the series in January and was followed by New Moon; Leeds Special; Ascension; Yorkshire Gold; Samba; Yorker; Funfair; Monsoon; and Gathering Storm.

November will be toasted with Hell Fire and Ale Mary will round off the year in December.

Having handled brewing PR for many years I’ve been privileged to sample some great Northern brews and I can assure you the beers, Sam, Michael and the team turn out are up there with the very best. Leeds Best and Pale go down perfectly in summer, but as the darker nights approach, Midnight Bell beckons. Cheers!