Hedge End MP Chris Huhne has praised SPI Lasers of Hedge End for an innovative product that can save industry millions on their energy bills.

Mr Huhne, who recently visited SPI Lasers to be briefed on the rapid expansion of the local business which saw sales double last year, said that he was impressed that SPI had reinvented a factory workhorse to be both better and cheaper.

"Lasers have become a basic tool in factories worldwide to mark and cut in a precise way all types of materials, and I heard that the lasers that SPI Lasers produce are more accurate for cutting and marking while saving 90 per cent of the energy use of traditional lasers" said Mr Huhne.

"No wonder the company is growing so successfully. Their product line shows that we can have booming manufacturing while saving energy, and more and more companies are looking hard at what they waste as energy bills soar.

"The best way of closing the gap between energy demand and supply is not to use energy in the first place, and SPI Lasers shows how it can be done".

During his visit to the plant at Hedge End, Mr Huhne had discussions with Chief Executive David Parker and other executives about how the fast-growing company can continue to thrive on its Hedge End site.