Sir Digby Jones, director general of the CBI, took to the shopfloor yesterday during a visit to Birmingham's oldest company, Firmin & Sons.

UK industry's most senior ambassador swapped roles to strike the first of 15,000 cap badges for the newly created Royal Regiment of Scotland.

"This stunning new cap badge is a masterpiece of engineering," said Sir Digby, who appeared to enjoy the experience of operating one of the company's Swiss-made hydraulic presses.

The badge depicts two of the most recognisable symbols of Scotland - the Saltire and the Lion Rampant.

It is surmounted by the rarely seen Crown of Scotland as opposed to the more familiar St Edward's Crown.

The motto on the scroll of the new cap badge reads Nemo Me Impune Lacessit or 'no one assails me with impunity' - a fitting tribute to a company which has weathered the economic and political storms of over 300 years in manufacturing.

Firmin has this year seen sales rise by almost 25 per cent and hopes to maintain the momentum with further success in its government tendering activity.

It has just tendered for a multi-million pound long-term supply contract for over 3,000 separate items of badges, buttons and insignia for the UK armed forces.

Chairman Frederik Hsu said: "We have been preparing for this tender for over five years and feel well-placed to meet the requirements.

"If we are successful in this process, we will have succeeded in building strong foundations for the future."

Firmin - which can list Lord Nelson among its many customers - has also landed long term contracts with the North West Police Consortium and the Metropolitan Police as well as British Airways.