Profit from the Made in Britain BOOM

From Johnnie Walker whisky to Hellmann’s mayonnaise ...

BRITAIN may not be the industrial giant it once was, but our factories are thriving.

Manufacturing output has risen for the past eight months, marking the longest run of expansion for nearly 30 years and confounding predictions of decline.

Overall, factory output rose by 2.3 pc in the last three months of 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics.

So how can you take advantage of the revival to give your Isa a boost?

Britain’s pharmaceutical sector is booming and is home to some of the world’s biggest drug companies.

The sector employs more than 61,500 people and exports nearly £30 billion of medicines each year, according to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.

In December, drug-makers were the second-fastest growing area of British manufacturing, according to the ONS.

For savers wanting to profit, Darius McDermott, of fund supermarket Chelsea Financial Services, tips Threadneedle UK Equity Alpha Income.

It invests nearly £13 in every £100 of your cash in drugs giants AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline.

Cambridge-based AstraZeneca, which rebuffed a £70 billion takeover bid from US rival Pfizer in 2014, was given a boost this week by the U.S. drug regulator’s decision to grant approval to one of its key new cancer medicines.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Imfinzi for treating stage three lung cancer patients who have had chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Analysts believe the move could be worth up to $2 billion (£1.4 billion) in annual sales to Astra, which employs 6,700 people at seven sites in the UK.

This month, GlaxoSmithKline reported a 3 pc rise in annual turnover to £30.2 billion, with profits rising 5 pc to £8.5 billion.

It is hopeful new treatments for lung conditions, HIV and shingles will help it continue to grow. It employs 16,000 people at 18 UK sites.

Threadneedle UK Equity Alpha Income has turned £10,000 into £14,904 in five years.

Britain’s food, drink and tobacco manufacturers are also growing strongly, up 0.9 pc in December, according to figures.

Food and drink is the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector, employing more than 400,000 people and generating more than £112 billion for the economy, according to trade body Food & Drink Federation.

Ben Yearsley, of adviser Shore Financial Planning, believes Troy Trojan Income is one of the best ways to profit from the sector and resurgence of manufacturing as a whole. The second biggest holding in the fund, which has Top picks: Johnnie Walker and Hellmann’s are part of Britain’s success story turned £10,000 into £14,727 in five years, is Unilever, which makes a range of foods such as Flora margarine, Hellman’s mayonnaise as well as household brands such as Dove.

It claims its products are in around 98 pc of UK homes and used by two billion people globally each day.

The London-based firm, has three UK research centres and multiple factories. Its share price has risen 41 pc in five years, and it is the world’s second largest advertising spender.

Mr Yearsley says: ‘Despite all of the doom and gloom about British manufacturing, we have actually got some world- class companies here.’

Britain is also home to the world’s largest drinks producer, Diageo, maker of Johnnie Walker whisky. Last month it announced better-than- expected half-year results, with profits rising 6 pc to £2.2 billion in the six months to December 31.

Sophie Kennedy, of adviser EQ Investors, says savers can take advantage of the firm’s success by investing in Newton Global Income, which puts £3.27 in every £100 in Diageo. It also has a large stake in Unilever. The fund has turned £10,000 into £16,580 in five years.

Machinery and equipment manufacturers was the thirdfastest-growing sector in the three months to December, growing by 4 pc.

Jason Hollands, of fund supermarket Bestinvest, says savers can cash in by investing in Liontrust UK Smaller Companies, which has turned £10,000 into £23,040 in five years. The fund invests £3.30 in every £100 in Renishaw, one of Britain’s leading engineering groups.

Renishaw, based in Gloucestershire, makes precision machinery used in jet engines, wind turbines and even brain surgery. It is also a world leader in 3D metal printing, has more than 70 offices in 35 countries and employs more than 4,000 people, 2,800 of which are based in Britain. It’s expecting to earn profits of up to £156 million this year.