TMD Friction’s global management team – including CEO David Baines – have visited the UK’s only manufacturing facility in Hartlepool.

The party, which also included Executive Vice President Liam Booth and managers from France and Germany, spent the day on site seeing the investments come to life and the ambitious plans for the future.

The Hartlepool site, which now employs 600 people, manufactures 95 per cent of brake pads for Europe’s after market and currently produces almost half a million parts per week.

Read more: Tata investing £7m at Hartlepool mill

It is the first time in nearly five years that the whole global senior management team has visited Hartlepool.

During the visit, the team was taken around the plant by UK Operations Manager Tom Russell and UK Engineering Excellence Manager Michael Findlay.

Tom said: “It was a privilege for the team at Hartlepool to host the global senior managers, including our CEO David Baines, and a great opportunity for us to showcase all of the good things happening on site.

“During the visit, the guys had the chance to speak to dozens of members of staff from all areas of the business, including several of our apprentices. This type of visit doesn’t happen every day.”

The visit also saw some of the drag and test vehicles which feature TMD Friction’s brake pads brought to site for the team to see, including a racing Mini and a vintage Jaguar which is used in land speed challenges.

Global CEO David Baines said: “Being based in the region, myself and Liam know first hand the many fantastic things happening in Hartlepool, however for some of our international colleagues it is the first time they’ve had the opportunity to understand the scale of production here.

“We were all so impressed with what we saw during our visit, and the employees we got to spend time with and speak to really are great advocates for the business. The team at Hartlepool should be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.”