Manufacturing firm TSP Engineering has signed a new agreement with a company based in the Czech Republic.

The company - formerly the long products division of Tata Steel, now a fully-owned subsidiary of British Steel and based in the Derwent Howe Industrial Esate in Workington - is set to cooperate with Vitkovice.

Both firms signed the agreement - which concerns heat exchangers, used to create steam in nuclear power plants - in the presence of Greg Hands, Minister for Trade and Investment and Eva Usai Blumental, board member of the British Chamber of Commerce in Czech Republic.

As a result of it heat exchangers may be assembled and tested in Workington.

The Vitkovice brand is 189 years old and has been operating in the nuclear sector since the second half of the 1960s. TSP, which has 220 staff, has been involved in the nuclear industry since the 1950s.

The agreement will expand what the west Cumbrian firm can offer the nuclear industry.

John Coughlan, director and chief operating officer of TSP Engineering, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for the business and all our employees, it offers us the opportunity to engage in new market segments which can provide security of employment for our employees and the opportunity to offer further advanced training to young people from the region.

"We at TSP are very encouraged and proud of our young talent and the skill they are showing thanks to the time spent in passing on skills from the more well established employees. As a newly independent business TSP Engineering are very focused on establishing itself in new market segments to develop the business and secure and grow our activity base and workforce.”