A Midlands engineering firm gained �100,000 of business from the site

The West Midlands Collaborative Commerce Marketplace (WMCCM) is a website promoting services offered by members from the manufacturing sector.

The site, run by Warwick University's Manufacturing Group which supports businesses, puts firms in contact with potential customers across the world.

In all, 2,000 firms have joined the website free of charge.

'Company showcase'

Edwards Precision Engineering Ltd, based in Erdington, Birmingham, has gained �100,000 of business from the website.

Technical sales director Chris Pitt said: "Through our link to the WMCCM site we have a more prominent presence on the net and have seen a significant increase in new enquiries through our website."

Technical manager at WMCCM, Mark Swift, said: "This provides a professional platform for the area's companies to showcase their abilities.

"We have raised the profile of the region's manufacturing on a large scale, resulting in a huge amount of new business for individual companies."