Hayley Group Ltd  is helping to keep some of Gloucestershire's biggest manufacturers working safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

As suppliers of essential engineering components to the medical and food industries from its local branch at the Gloucester Business Park in Brockworth, DEFRA has awarded Hayley Group tier one critical supplier status so they remain open during the lockdown.

In addition to mechanical items such as bearings, drive belts, fluid power, tools and maintenance products and personal protective equipment, it has been supplying an increasing number of infra-red thermometers and hand sanitiser, as well as sourcing anti-bacterial wipes, face masks and gloves.

Used to test employees and visitors for COVID-19 symptoms, the thermometers have been supplied to leading manufacturing companies in Gloucestershire.

Branch manager Russell Gardiner said: "We have a team of eight staff who are continuing to work 8am-5pm and manage an on-call, after hours service to ensure we are fully supporting our clients.

"We know customers are having difficulties getting PPE for their employees at a challenging time for such supplies, but our staff all focus on specialist areas so they will apply their industry knowledge to sourcing products and getting them to our customers.

"We are able to keep going even though some of the smaller supply companies have had to furlough staff or even close down during the pandemic."

One of 50 across the country, the branch covers an area from Tewkesbury to Devizes and the Forest of Dean to Oxford, serving the likes of Severn Trent Water and Unilever as well as many SMEs in and around Gloucestershire.

Mr Gardiner said: "Hand sanitisers have been sold and dispatched on behalf of Gloucester businesses to sites across the UK, even as far as Scotland.

"Unilever need to keep going as they have seen an increase in sales - ice cream is a comfort food especially while we're in lockdown."

You can find Hayley Group Ltd at Gloucester Business Park in Brockworth, contact them at 01452 612590 and find out more at hayley-group.co.uk