Global tensions as bad for companies as the pandemic, says Bilston business owner
It has been five years since the pandemic started
Last updated 11th Mar 2025
A business owner in Bilston has told us their industry is feeling as much instability now as it did in the pandemic.
It has been five years since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Jane Somerville runs a business out of Bilston, which supplies products to the steel and copper industry worldwide.
She said that the pandemic was tough for them:
"A lot of the stuff we started to make, customers wanted to cancel or delay. That put pressure on our working capital.
"As the year went on, there was support available. We took the benefit of the Furlough scheme and support from our banks," she said.
"The whole world will face a crisis"
However, she said the current global tensions have made her business feel as unstable as it did in the pandemic:
"If Putin, Trump and Zelenskyy decide to all fall out, and it gets much worse, I don't think it is just the industry that we have to worry about.
"The whole world will face a crisis," she said.
Tensions have been growing between Ukraine and America, with President Donald Trump suspending military and intelligence sharing with Ukraine as it continues to fight the war with Russia.
Jane told us she was optimistic that the world leaders would resolve some of the tension by the end of the year, allowing for political stability:
"I would like to see a very quick resolution to the Ukraine conflict. I would also like to see some stability in terms of global trade.
"Whether that is likely to happen is another thing," she said.