Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, visited the Southampton headquarters of Dimplex last week.
He was given a tour of the company's product showroom and training facility and was introduced to its range of energy efficient domestic, commercial and renewable heating solutions. He also heard how the business had managed to grow through continued product development despite the recession.

Mr Cable was particularly interested in the new A-Class air source heat pump which is designed and manufactured in the UK.

He said: 'Small and medium sized companies like Dimplex are the backbone of the British economy. The company has grown despite challenging economic times by investing in product innovation and staff development.

'British manufacturing employs two and a half million workers and contributes almost £140 billion a year to the UK. The sector is key to rebalancing our economy, creating jobs and spreading prosperity across all regions of the UK.'