Funding backs Solihull company's growth from cottage industry to global brand

A Solihull-based manufacturer specialising in innovative mobility aids is going from strength to strength after being backed to keep growing as part of Mayor Richard Parker's plans to fire up the regional economy.

The Active Hands Company was founded by Rob Smith, aged 49, after a life-changing spinal cord injury while on holiday left him partially paralysed in all four limbs.

Unable to use his hands for many everyday tasks, Rob and his mum, Marion, developed a gripping aid to help him get back into the gym as part of his rehabilitation.

The homemade solution they built at their kitchen table turned into a fast-growing business that now employs eight staff with an annual turnover of more than £700,000. Around 80 per cent of its sales are exports to 60 countries including the US and Australia.

And the products designed and manufactured by his company are helping thousands more people with reduced hand function live more independently.

Funding and expert advice from Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM), means Rob has been able to keep up with booming demand.

The support has enabled him to invest in a specialist sewing machine and a 3D printer to boost production and develop five new products. He has also been able to grow exports to the US by securing quality and safety accreditation.

The Active Hands Company founder and CEO, Rob Smith, (centre), with Jon Lander and Christine Hancock from the Business Growth West Midlands team at Solihull Council

Rob said: “The new machinery has changed the way we do things and that’s made a real difference to the productivity of the business. We’re developing new products and making more of them here in Solihull. That means I’m looking to increase the hours of the team and grow our workforce.

“Business Growth West Midlands’ support has helped us as we look to keep growing with a pipeline of new products and new markets overseas.”

The Mayor said: “The West Midlands is full of innovative, purpose-driven enterprises like Rob and Active Hands, and I’ll keep backing them with the tools and funding they need to grow, compete, and create good jobs for local people.

“Rob has tapped into a niche market and shown what innovation and ambition can achieve, no matter what your circumstances are. He has shown an inspirational determination to not let his own disability hold him back from building a business with a global reputation.

“My forthcoming Regional Growth Plan will harness the entrepreneurial spirit of even more people like Rob, from all walks of life and backgrounds. We’re firing up the local economy and I will make sure that everyone benefits.”

BGWM, set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), is helping to drive the Mayor’s plans to reignite the regional economy by providing SMEs with tailored packages to help them grow, adopt digital technologies, transition to new supply chains, and access funding.

The Active Hands Company is one of thousands of businesses across the West Midlands supported through BGWM’s SME Grant and the Export Support Programme.

Both programmes are delivered in partnership with the WMCA’s local authority members.

Cllr Ian Courts, Solihull Council’s deputy leader and lead member for managed growth, said: "Active Hands is a powerful example of the entrepreneurial drive we’re so proud to support here in Solihull.

"Through Business Growth West Midlands, we’re helping innovators like Rob turn exciting ideas into globally competitive businesses.

“From humble beginnings at the kitchen table to exporting across continents, this is exactly the kind of scale-up journey we’re committed to enabling, where local talent meets strategic support to deliver real economic and social impact."

BGWM is also supporting the bold ambition for the West Midlands to be an exemplar region for disabled people with a free online session in September to help businesses create more inclusive customer experiences and boost their growth.

Register to join the session, titled The Economic Benefits of Inclusivity: Unlocking New Customers and New Suppliers, and find out about other business support and funding opportunities available to all SMEs on the BGWM website.

Disability Pride Month is celebrated throughout the month of July each year to celebrate the identities, achievements, and culture of people with disabilities, while also promoting inclusion and challenging ableism.