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Todays episode of start scale succeed Nicole is Joined by UK knitwear designer and brand founder Genevieve Sweeney Some of the areas we chat about are Challenges of UK Manufacturing in an industry that is disappearing & her dreams and plans of revitalising the UK knitwear industry. What Genevieve learnt from stepping away from the Fashion Norms when running a fashion business.The power of staying true to your business brand values. Building community through social media and how it has scaled with in-person at her studio in Hertfordshire. Being sustainable at the core whilst growing. Key highlights including Launching a Brand:The pivotal moments and challenges that led Genevieve to start her own knitwear brand. Sustainability Practices:Genevieve's approach to sustainable manufacturing, including ethical sourcing, minimizing waste, and making timeless pieces. UK Knitwear Industry:The evolution of the industry over the past decade and the current landscape for UK-based manufacturers. Business Milestones:The significance of being stocked at Fortnum & Mason and the recent expansion to a new studio in Hertfordshire. Community Engagement:How Genevieve engages with her local community through her studio, including workshops and tours. Challenges and Aspirations: Current challenges such as seasonality and future plans for creating a micro-factory and offering apprenticeships. Advice for Entrepreneurs:Genevieve shares valuable advice for those looking to start their own brands, emphasizing resourcefulness and creativity. https://www.genevievesweeney.com/ https://www.instagram.com/genevievesweeney/ Genevieve Sweeney is committed to preserving and revitalising this corner of the industry. Working with hand-selected mills and factories around the UK, GS is driving British manufacturing forward by embracing innovation whilst also celebrating tradition; keeping time-honoured craftsmanship relevant and capturing the beautiful, refined touch of the artisan. Her signature yarn blends evoke a unique and contemporary mood, while limited batches promise unrivalled originality, lasting quality and attention to detail. Host Nicole Higgins The Buyer and retail coach Nicole Higgins Links https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/free-discovery-call/ https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/blog/ Sponsor Neon Digital Clicks Are you ready to scale your ecommerce store?This episode is brought to you by Neon Digital Clicks, the agency dedicated to helping kids' and family brands achieve explosive growth with high-performing digital marketing campaigns. Neon's new Runway to Results programme is a revolutionary paid-advertising service that will help you understand your brand's true potential and reach the heights of success you dream of. Over the course of 60 days, Neon's expert team will test and optimise your Meta and Google ad accounts to establish your business KPIs and optimum Cost Per Acquisition. At the end of the Runway period, they'll analyse your data to establish what profitable scaling looks like and arm you with knowledge, confidence and a clear plan for the next phase of your growth. If you're ready to elevate your e-commerce game, Neon is the navigator you need on your flight deck. https://runwaytoresults.com/ https://neondigitalclicks.co.uk/
2024 was a mixed year, with some stellar announcements like Tata Group's gigafactory investment offset by the cancellation of Phase 2 of HS2 and a budget black hole to pay for, but an Industrial Strategy may give the industry the long-term stability it needs. This article is by Will Stirling The Chancellor Rachel Reeves received a boost a week before her Autumn Budget when the IMF revised its forecast for UK growth this year to 1.1% (up from 0.7% in July) and 1.5% in 2025 – the biggest upward revision for any advanced country. It's a sign of better things to come, and 2024 was not a banner year in manufacturing, more one defined by steady stability, yet it still notched up a few memorable headlines for British industry. Spiralling costs meant the previous Tory government cancelled Phase 2 of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester, affecting hundreds of supply chain companies, which the new Labour government partly blamed for the cost overruns. The Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh launched an independent review to ensure lessons will be learned and the costs for HS2 are controlled. The cost of Phase 1, London to Birmingham, is expected to reach £66bn. Covid and the semiconductor-shortage-affected UK automotive sector got a fillip in February when Agratas, the battery division of Tata Group, confirmed a new £4bn battery gigafactory in Somerset. It was a relief for the car sector to see the UK stall on the global league table for gigafactory capacity, a key metric for car plant investment. While carmaking recovered strongly in 2023 after semiconductor supply returned, it is slowing down. By August, the UK had manufactured 522,833 cars, down 8.5% on production at the same point in 2023 when ythe figure was 571,671. Interestingly, year-to-date vehicles for the domestic UK market had increased by 12%, but exports, representing over 84% of all car production, were down 13.6%. The production of electric cars, including hybrids (EVs), fell by 26%. Automotive business group SMMT said this decline is expected to be reversed in the longer term as new models come on stream. Massive manufacturer discounting saved car sales in Europe in September, pushing BEV sales to 56,387 registrations. Siemens opened its new train factory in Goole, Humberside, in October and announced a further £40m in addition to the £200 investment in the Goole Rail Village, which will now bring up to 1,000 new jobs to the region, as well as around 1,700 supply chain job opportunities. In addition to maintaining the bogies from Siemens' 572 trains running in the UK, it will also include new production lines for assembling bogies for new trains, which will be the first for Siemens in the UK. Aerospace is battling delivery rate challenges: after Covid, orders poured in, and the industry is pulling on all levers to find ways to go above ‘Rate 60' into the consistent 80s or even 90 aircraft per month to reduce long delivery times. Ninety commercial aircraft were delivered in August, the highest in that month of the year since 2018. But that's not the whole story. While the global backlog of aircraft on order is 15,651 planes according to the industry group ADS - an extraordinary number - aircraft orders in the year-to-date are two-thirds behind 2023 levels. Perhaps it was a sign that Brexit was the past. The FA appointed Thomas Tuchel as the senior men's coach, causing gossip as the first German coach of the England football team. A week later, Britain and Germany signed a government-described “landmark' defence agreement to boost security, investment, and jobs. German defence giant Rheinmetall will build a new factory in the UK to make barrels for artillery guns, and German marine surveillance aircraft will supply patrols from RAF Lossiemouth. The factory will need British steel and will create 400 jobs. It's the first defence pact with Germany of this scale, although both countries already collaborate on making armoured vehicles, for example. In October, BAE Systems Maritime launched the sixth Astute class submarine, Agamemnon. Attention will soon switch to the multi-billion AUKUS submarine (SSN-A) programme, where the boats will be built in the UK and Australia. Fhaheen Khan, senior economist at Make UK says “Manufacturers this year experienced the most stable period of business conditions in almost a decade, despite still facing higher costs, tight interest rates and skills shortages.” While it could be seen as a year of two halves – the first six months boasting strong production, order books and investment intentions, and the second looking far more mixed due to an inevitable domestic market slowdown –manufacturers remain buoyant in their expectations.” h Accountants and business advisors are expecting more investment in the economy in 2025, following several years where major events and inflation have made business conditions that could be generally described as ‘sh*t'. Fhaheen Khan thinks the new 10-year industrial strategy is an important milestone in achieving economic growth, although some seasoned business leaders will say they have heard it all before. It's hard to remember, but the UK has had at least four official industrial strategies since the 2008/9 recession: in 2009 (Mandelson), 2012 (Vince Cable), 2017 (Greg Clark) and now in 2024. Khan says “It's highly encouraging that advanced manufacturing will be a key sector driving that growth, and the Industrial Strategy Council will help lay the pipework needed to modernise UK industry through the wide adoption of AI, computing, and techniques like 3D printing.” Of particular relevance to MTD readers, the numbers show that industries specialising in producing capital equipment like machinery, electronics and metal fabricators have experienced a positive year. This is due to strong exports to the US and the EU as many Western countries are investing in the kit to modernise their manufacturing – for example, the US's Inflation Reduction Act and, one could say, on the wave of ‘Make America Great Again'. Khan says “These subsectors have much to look forward to in 2025 as economic conditions stabilise further, inflation cools, and interest rates are loosened." The manufacturing technology expo MACH 2024 organisers said visitors were up 6% on the previous show and reported a good vibe. Greg Capp, sales director at EDM machinery firm Sodi-Tech, said: “Footfall has been the best in a long time. On Day One, we had enough enquiries for the next six months.” Overall, investment in manufacturing in 2023 (last full year) is up by 4% on 2022, from £40.24bn to £41.8m, and economists expect this to rise in 2024. Despite the numbers and late positivity, on the ground, some manufacturing machinery vendors and subcontractors report a frustrating year where the anticipated rush of orders failed to materialise. That flat confidence from 2022-2023 seemed to be overspilled into the year's first half. Andrea Wilson at deep hole drilling and boring engineering company Hone-All Precision says “2024 has been a challenging and varied year for most businesses. “Uncertainty and political instability have created conditions that have not been beneficial to business and have created barriers to growth. “The creation of the 10-year Industrial Strategy will hopefully give business and investors the confidence they have been lacking the last few years.” The new industrial strategy focuses on eight sectors: advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services. High-tech, hard-tech, high-potential companies can benefit hugely from close government support. The top two sectors in the strategy are advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries. “Tokamak Energy does both!” says David Kingham, the executive vice chairman and a co-founder. He says that the company that designs, manufactures and operates a plant for nuclear fusion to generate power aims to accelerate the development of fusion energy, the most valuable technology of the 21st Century. “We were delighted to see the new consultation on the Industrial Strategy. A company like Tokamak Energy, with over 250 employees and global ambitions, can grow rapidly if we have consistent strong backing from the government.” The company has had spectacular success in recent years with the record-breaking ST40 high field compact spherical tokamak – which reached 100 million degrees Celsius plasma ion temperature, the threshold needed for commercial fusion energy. Its high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet development has also set records for magnetic field strength at a temperature of 20,000C. David says: “Our industrial strategy is to pursue fusion energy by assembling consortia around our core technologies to provide the complimentary capabilities necessary for the development and deployment of fusion. This will require major investment by governments and consortium partners, but the prize is the elusive goal of commercial fusion energy. The fastest achievable timeline for fusion is 10 years to a 50MW pilot plant, a goal set by the US Department of Energy milestone-driven fusion development program. “So a bold, consistent industrial strategy from the Government could enable the UK to have its fusion “cake” in the long term and “eat” the economic benefits of the magnet spin-off technology in the short to medium term.” In the supply chain, companies like Hone-All Precision want long-term stability, vision, and potential targeted support through programmes unafraid of ‘picking winners' that have previously blighted attempts to assist the industry within state aid rules. Managing Director Andrea Wilson says “The new Labour government must commit to long term strategic thinking and investment decisions, and the newly formed Industrial Council will hopefully achieve this.” “The council's success will be increased dramatically if it's informed by business leaders, owners, and most importantly, if it includes SME representation. The outcome of these two positive moves will hopefully result in us seeing the confidence and stability we all need to thrive.” Machine tool and machinery suppliers need orders, and for that, their customers need confidence to buy. Adrian Haller, managing director of Bruderer UK, a leading manufacturer of precision high-speed presses says “The UK has a fantastic opportunity in advanced engineering, and we have so many brilliant companies – at all levels of the supply chain – that are prospering despite the lack of a coherent Government strategy to support the sector.” “This isn't tubthumping; this is what we see every day when our sales engineers and installers commission precision high-speed Bruderer presses on shop floors across the country. Imagine what we could do if we had a long-term Industrial Strategy that focuses on our strengths and invests in them? And I don't mean the odd grant here and there. It needs to be substantial and flow down to SMEs – that is the critical bit. For industry to become more efficient, an area to improve is the education of manufacturing engineers about new, ‘smart' technology. Mark Weymouth, MD of PLUS Automation and UK representative for Contrinex and Satron, who runs a popular LinkedIn newsletter says “There's a pervading tendency for engineers to buy and commission what they know and not look at new, better plant and equipment that can raise productivity.” While PLUS Automation is in its fourth year of growth, many food and liquid process manufacturers are not explaining this technology to their site engineers. He says “The UK is about seven years behind mainland Europe in adopting many process technologies.” Although the increase in employers' national insurance payments may dampen this optimism, the indicators are that this new strategy for industry will help businesses, especially those in advanced manufacturing areas.
On this episode of the Evolve to Succeed Podcast, Keith Reilly shares his remarkable journey with Alfatronix, one of the UK's leading manufacturers in power converters and USB and wireless chargers. Keith talks about his transition from an employee to the managing director and owner. He discusses the challenges faced during the financial crisis, the evolution of their products, and the importance of British manufacturing. Keith discusses the emotional aspects of stepping back from day-to-day operations and the significance of defining success in terms of providing value to others. This episode is invaluable for anyone in business, as Keith talks about the importance of being hands-on, succeeding under pressure, and how to improve employee relations. This episode of the Evolve to Succeed Podcast covers… How to transform a lack of direction into success. The influence of Japan on the manufacturing industry. How beings hands-on can improve a company. How British manufacturing can compete on a global scale. The importance of mentorships. How to improve employee relations. The difficulties of managing by email. How crisis management can lead to unexpected success. The importance of delegation as a leader. How financial stability leads to personal growth and exploration. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:50 Early Career with Alfatronix 05:08 Becoming Managing Director 10:41 Financial Crisis 13:37 Product Evolution 20:41 British Manufacturing 22:35 Leadership and Mentorship 27:51 Proud Moments and Dark Times 31:57 Leadership Challenges 39:14 Transitioning Leadership 52:49 Future Aspirations 01:00:19 Success in Business
Are 147 years of UK manufacturing of trains about to come to an end in Derby as Alstom begins the process of mothballing its facility there? The Jacobite steam train dispute between West Coast Railway Company and the Office of Rail and Road rumbles on. Is Labour about to do a u-turn on bringing the railways back into public ownership? Leading to a somewhat spicy debate between Nigel and Richard about the potential costs of rail nationalisation… And a new £17.5 million rail terminal opens at Southampton docks. Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.org YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals Newsletter - http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd Instagram - https://instagram.com/greensignallers Credits: Presenters - Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)
Get ready to dive into the dynamic world of UK manufacturing as we jet back to the UK for a lively chat with Kate Hills. Kate takes us on a whirlwind journey through her fascinating career path, from pioneering circular fashion fresh out of college to designing quirky kids' clothing. We'll follow her adventures to Italy, where she crafted designs for Levi's while indulging in pizza, and then to the bustling halls of Burberry before navigating the twists and turns of the High Street fashion scene. Hold onto your seats as we explore Kate's resilient pivot into her current venture, championing brands and makers committed to the UK manufacturing landscape.You can find Kate and Make It British at www.makeitbritish.co.uk, and on Instagram: www.instagram.com/makeitbritish and finally on Linkedin: www.linkedin/in/katehills Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmologyNick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.
This episode celebrates 15 years since I registered the domain makeitbritish.co.uk and busts some of the myths about UK manufacturing.You'll find out:Why I started Make it British and why I'm such a firm believer in UK manufacturing.The current UK manufacturing landscape.How the UK fashion and textile industry is made up of 1,000s of micro factories.How many garment factories there really are in the UK.The benefits of making in the UK.And why supply on demand is best done locally.To see the video recording of this talk, go to makeitbritish.co.uk/microfactoriesWant to work together? Fill in this form so I can find out more about your business goals, and I'll get back to you with ways I can help.FURTHER RESOURCESQuiz: Are you ready to work with a UK factory? HANDY LINKSBritish Brand AcceleratorMake it British WebsiteYouTubeInstagram
Christopher Nieper OBE is the managing director of David Nieper, a womenswear business in Alfreton in Derbyshire. The firm was set up by Christopher's parents sixty years ago and is now one of the most vertical textile operations in the UK. Christopher recently invested in state-of-the-art digital printing equipment so that the factory can print it's own fabric onsite. David Nieper already prints all their own catalogues and produce their own knitwear in house, alongside the garment production.In this episode you can hear about the research Christopher commissioned from Nottingham university looking at the greenhouse gas emissions produced to make clothing at the David Nieper factory in Derbyshire. The study then compared these findings to the emissions produced by making garments in China, Turkey and Bangladesh and then shipping them to the UK. It makes for very interesting insights into how making in the UK can be quantified as more sustainable. A big advocate for slow fashion, Christopher has also found that his customers keep and wear his clothes 10 times longer than average. Listen to this episode to discover: How the David Nieper factory uses 'just-in-time' manufacturing to achieve a 98% sell-through on their garmentsChristopher's plans to make the David Nieper factory the greenest factory in Europe, recovering the heat generated by the factory to use as renewable energyHow he's changing the attitudes of young people in his local town by giving them a taste of what it's like inside a real manufacturing environmentThe charity that the business has set up to help rebuild a local secondary school that was in the bottom 2% of schools in the UK and make it over-subscribed for the first time in 30 yearsChristopher's idea for a labelling scheme for clothing that ranks the environmental sustainability of every garmentThis episode is the recording of a talk that Christopher did at Make it British Live! Online event in October 2020.About David NieperWatch my Instagram reel showing behind the scenes at the David Nieper factory.David Nieper website Stay in TouchBritish Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brandMake it British website
‘Turning any situation into a positive ‘ Wow, what an episode this is. It was a real privilege to have Russell Richardson on the Manufacturing Leaders podcast. A true leader in every sense of the word, who worked his way up from an Apprentice Welder to Head of Operations at Caterpillar, before working at Komatsu helping them through an MBO to SE-TEK Russell is another reason why the North East is such a powerhouse in UK Manufacturing. I was blown away by his outlook on life and it's something we can all learn from. We discuss… - Intro- What does it mean to be a leader? - The early years growing up in the North East to Apprentice Fabricator - Early working conditions and environment - Managing a team when very young without experience- Taking the opportunities that seem scary or risky- The influence his dad had on his mindset and career - Managers who have influenced him- Investing in people to improve manufacturing- The importance of listening and giving people a voice - Leaving Caterpillar after 30 years and transitioning - Working in a Management Buy Out - Taking the positives out of any situation - Managing time and mindset when out of work- Quickfire question- Guest question from Don Murray Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298
Welcome back to another episode of the reliability gang podcast, this week we talk about reliability and the Roadmap of where to begin and how to actually ensure a effective strategy can make change within an organisation.We talk about how reliability can be the glue that binds all the departments together for a goal that everyone can benefit from.We touch on our new accreditation from Mobius Institute and how the ARP courses provide great guidance and knowledge on Reliability and how it can change the Industries and cultures of UK Manufacturing. We hope you enjoy this weeks edition, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast on your choice of platform below!
Talking Industry host Aaron Blutstein is in conversation with Sarah Black-Smith, about her career in industry, what it might take to encourage more women into engineering careers, lead times and hopes for UK Manufacturing over the next 5 years.
In our latest Electronic Specifier Insights podcast, we spoke to Philippa Glover Managing Director at CNC Robotics Ltd all about improving the productivity of UK manufacturing and how she's helping the next generation get into manufacturing
Julie Deane CBE is the founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company, which manufactures all its bags in the UK. In this episode, recorded as an Instagram Live on Made in UK Day, I chat to Julie about why the Cambridge Satchels are made in the UK, and how important it is to retain craftsmanship here in Britain. Discover: 03:17 Why Julie feels there should be a kitemark to recognise products made in the UK 06:04 How Julie thinks we can encourage more people to find out where products are made 08:29 Why sustainability is so important to the Cambridge Satchel brand 11:43 The reason why Julie decided to set up Cambridge Satchel's own factory 15:28 Julie's advice for small businesses looking to get their name out there Watch the live version from Made in UK Day Further ListeningEpisode 142 - Julie Deane OBE - Building a Great British Brand More Cambridge Satchel Cambridge Satchel Company Instagram Cambridge Satchel Company Website More Make it British Make it British website British Brand Accelerator - Find out how you can work with Kate to build your British-made brand Join Make it British - become a member of our community and promote your business in our directory or UK-made brands and manufacturers Make it British on Instagram
Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week, we take a look at Apprenticeships up close both form the perspective of an employee and employer. Sharing insight from Huxley Bertram.
In today's episode we speak to an industry expert about the digital struggles manufacturers may face and how to work through those struggles in order to make the internet work for a manufacturing operation. Our expert guest for this episode is Nigel T. Packer of PelaTis Online Ltd. Nigel is a Digital Customer Experience Trainer and Consultant. He is also an author and digital business speaker. For over twenty-five years he has used his extensive knowledge and broad range of experiences to engage, educate and entertain business owners and audiences across the UK, Europe and US.His subject expertise includes customer experience optimization, customer experience journey mapping, e-Business strategies, effective website development, and International digital business strategy. He heads a consultancy practice called PelaTis Online Ltd.Nigel is also an in-demand presenter and has delivered seminars and speeches to audiences in many countries. His enthusiasm and knowledge of internet strategy is shared with the audience in a practical and informative way, in presentations that are both engaging and entertaining. He takes a straightforward approach, using non-technical language – even when dealing with technical issues. Full of insights and real-world observations, practical techniques and actionable strategies, the focus is on “doing business using the Internet as a tool”. Nigel is the Author of 'Internet Marketing: How to get a Website That Works For Your Business' and his current book in progress is called Customer Experience Optimization. Email for Podcast Questions or Feedback: automationnation@radwell.com Guest: Nigel T. Packernigel@pelatisonline.co.ukhttps://pelatisonline.co.uk/T Shaped Person: https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/careers/soft-skills/t-shaped-skills/10th Man Principle: https://www.strive.com/post/the-10th-man-ruleHosts: Julie Basello jbaselloholt@radwell.com Robert Tiedeken rtiedeken@radwell.comProduction: Julie Basello and Patrick StewartMarketing and Promotion: Julie Basello Links: Radwell Automation Nation Podcast http://podcast.radwell.comRadwell International http://www.radwell.com
My final guest of the latest series is Emily Johnson, co-founder of the Stoke-on-Trent-based, ceramics company 1882 Ltd. Clay is part of the former TV executive’s DNA. She is the fifth generation of Johnson to work in the industry, with her father and business partner, Chris, spending over 30 years as a production director of Wedgwood, after it brought the Johnson Brothers in 1964. Since launching a decade ago, 1882 Ltd has worked with an eclectic roster of designers including Max Lamb, Faye Toogood, former Material Matters guest Barnaby Barford, architect John Pawson and fashion designer Paul Smith. According to the company’s own official blurb, at its core is a combination of ‘progressive design and industrial craftsmanship’. So why did she decide to leave television and return to clay and what’s it like to launch a new company and manufacture in Stoke-on-Trent in the 21st century?In this episode we talk about: making through the pandemic; opening a brand new production unit (or factory) at Wedgwood; why she initially eschewed clay for TV advertising in the US; the pain of watching Johnson Brothers wither; launching 1882 Ltd; keeping craft skills alive in Stoke-on-Trent; the social and economic issues the city faces; working with her father and why a piece by Barnaby Barford changed their relationship; Brexit; and the joy of the common language of clay.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/materialmatters?fan_landing=true)
Ben Ferrar, VP and General Manager at Carpenter Additive sits down with Jason Jones, CEO, and Co-Founder at Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies to discuss all things additive. This episode covers a range of topics, from Jason's additive journey starting in the UK, to printing with polymer and metal, and the use of gaming technologies in additive manufacturing.
This week's guest on The Impact Sessions Podcast is as passionate as they come about a subject close to her heart.... It is Tracey Dawson, Managing Director of Daletech Electronics in Leeds and her passion is for manufacturing, particularly UK manufacturing. In addition to her role at Daletech, a business she has been involved in for over 25 years, Tracey is also Chair of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and a Member of Make UK & RAB. In this episode, she discussed the impact of the global pandemic on her business as well as the wider UK manufacturing economy. What the future may hold and how to maintain manufacturing confidence and she also shares her passion for investing in skills through valuable Apprenticeships and how everyone from the Government to those in the education sector should be much more focused and supportive towards this route for many more young people. As a Titan of the West Yorkshire Manufacturing sector, this is an insightful, engaging and passionate episode not to be missed. Feedback welcome - enjoy. Contact Details Tracey Dawson, Managing Director Daletech Electronics Ltd Tel - +44 (0) 113 239 4220 Email - td@daletech.co.uk Web - www.daletech.co.uk LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/traceydawsondaletech
Management Perspectives: Executive Insights into the Future of Smart Manufacturing
Chris Courtney, Challenge Director at Manufacturing Made Smarter, joins host Mike Loughran to discuss the importance of innovation in manufacturing, with a particular focus on the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Manufacturing Made Smarter programme. As the world changes, innovation is essential to building and maintaining a competitive advantage – but how can you best go about making your ideas a reality?
Nick Davis, UK Industry 4.0 Leader at Deloitte is joined by Janet Godsell, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy at WMG University of Warwick; Chris Courtney, Challenge Director at Manufacturing Made Smarter; Ian Stewart, Partner and Chief UK Economist at Deloitte to discuss the economic state of UK manufacturing productivity. This episode provides insight into the challenges and viability of supply chain localisation, and the potential for digital technology to boost productivity and competitiveness through the changing landscape of COVID-19 and Brexit. It covers how industry and government are working together to address barriers to productivity, and industry success stories.
Nick Davis, UK Industry 4.0 Leader at Deloitte is joined by Janet Godsell, from WMG University of Warwick; Chris Courtney, from Manufacturing Made Smarter and Ian Stewart, Partner and Chief UK Economist at Deloitte, to discuss the economic state of UK manufacturing productivity. This episode provides insight into the challenges and viability of supply chain localization, and the potential for digital technology to boost productivity and competitiveness through the changing landscape of COVID-19 and Brexit.
Christopher Nieper OBE is the managing director of David Nieper, a womenswear business in Alfreton in Derbyshire. The firm was set up by Christopher's parents sixty years ago and is now one of the most vertical textile operations in the UK. Christopher recently invested in state-of-the-art digital printing equipment so that the factory can print it's own fabric onsite. David Nieper already prints all their own catalogues and produce their own knitwear in house, alongside the garment production. In this episode you can hear about the research Christopher commissioned from Nottingham university looking at the greenhouse gas emissions produced to make clothing at the David Nieper factory in Derbyshire. The study then compared these findings to the emissions produced by making garments in China, Turkey and Bangladesh and then shipping them to the UK. It makes for very interesting insights into how making in the UK can be quantified as more sustainable. A big advocate for slow fashion, Christopher has also found that his customers keep and wear his clothes 10 times longer than average. Listen to this episode to discover: How the David Nieper factory uses 'just-in-time' manufacturing to achieve a 98% sell-through on their garments Christopher's plans to make the David Nieper factory the greenest factory in Europe, recovering the heat generated by the factory to use as renewable energy How he's changing the attitudes of young people in his local town by giving them a taste of what it's like inside a real manufacturing environment The charity that the business has set up to help rebuild a local secondary school that was in the bottom 2% of schools in the UK and make it over-subscribed for the first time in 30 years Christopher's idea for a labelling scheme for clothing that ranks the environmental sustainability of every garment Shownotes This episode is the recording of a talk that Christopher did at Make it British Live! Online. You can watch the talk and see the slides in the shownotes for this podcast at www.makeitbritish.co.uk/140 Make it British Virtual Pop-up To be in with a chance of winning a prize from the giveaway and the special offer code from Make it British members register here. Make it British virtual pop-up on Instagram @makeitbritishpopup Become a member of Make it British More Make it British Make it British website Make it British Brands Directory - search for brands and manufacturers that make in the UK Manufacturers Directory - search for manufacturers that are verified members of Make it British Find a UK Manufacturer - ways we can help you find your perfect manufacturing partner Make it British Live! - our trade show Make it British Instagram
We're back after a regrettable rain and laptop-based accident, which caused an unplanned break in the schedule. If you decide to do yoga outside, remember to bring your computer back in when you are finished. If you live in the North, it's probably going to rain, even if it is cracking the flags currently. A two-week break from any sort of work has encouraged me to pick up the needles again. I'll tell you about that a bit later. Interiors and Decorating I've made the most of the unscheduled break by having some decorating work done in the house. Farrow and Ball's Stiffkey Blue is the colour of choice for my spare room/office/podcast ‘studio'. Stiffkey is a dark blue, which I had colour matched at Valspar as it's more cost effective than buying Farrow and Ball paint. I'm a massive interiors fan. The current options for styling are an Edwardian Gentlemen's Club vibe or something a little softer. Being a huge lover of Victoriana, Scots Baronial architecture and bank lamps, I'm sort of leaning towards the Gentleman's Club approach. Interiors I am looking to source more locally since lockdown. I've been a supporter of provenance in knitting yarns for a long while. As long as we know the provenance of yarn, it allows us to make informed choices about what we purchase. Taking this forward, I'm looking to expand this care and attention to supply chains and sustainability to everything I bring into my house. Yarn-wise, you should definitely listen to Ep with Joy McMillan, where we discuss yarn provenance in great detail. This is one of my all-time favourite interviews. Labour Behind The Label This campaign group has written a report about the state of some of the factories in Leicester that are supplying fast fashion online retailers such as BooHoo and ASOS. You can find the report here and they are @labourbehindthelabel on Instagram. Unclear Labelling and Misleading Marketing I bought a cupboard this week from an online store that gives a very ‘British' appearance in its marketing. When the item arrived, it said ‘designed in the UK' on its box, but said it was ‘made in PRC'. This annoys me, because many people don't know that PRC is the full name for China, and it feels like it is deliberately trying to hid the fact that it is manufactured there. It's more sustainable to have locally-manufactured things, so I'm actively trying to do that. I'll be joined soon on the podcast by UK Manufacturing expert and champion Kate Hills, from Make It British to discuss the UK wool manufacturing industry. What I'm Knitting Still working on the Compass Sweater by Tin Can Knits. I'm now on the sleeves and am really loving the result so far. It's going to be really cosy. It's knit in Excelana DK, from Susan Crawford Vintage. Future Knits I'll be casting on Orchidacea by Susan Crawford in Nurturing Fibres Supertwist DK. Eight Bit Geekalong by Lattes and Lamas has massively caught my imagination. It's a free pattern for a mystery knitalong for a colourwork sweater. The swatch clue is already available and the first proper clue is dropped on August 2nd. This pattern is only available on Ravelry [WARNING: there have been some problems for users on the Ravelry website and the Epilepsy Foundation has issued a seizure warning for the website. Do not use it if you may be at risk]. The Queen Bee Pullover, also by Lattes and Llamas looks to be in my future. Surely the Shinybees needs a bee themed colourwork pattern! Susan Crawford Vintage New Website I've been revisiting a lot of Susan's back catalogue recently as I'm planning to re-embrace the tank tops I was so fond of wearing in my earlier years. I used to be very fond of vintage clothing, so I have been looking at some vintage style patterns. There are some really nice patterns, such as the Jan Sweater and the Sun Ray Ribbing Sweater. You can find these and all her other patterns at susancrawfordvintage.com Full shownotes are at Shinybees.com/151 Credits Musis for this episode is with very kind permission of Adam and The Walter Boys with ‘I Need a Drink'
Today we welcome Jenny Holloway of Fashion Enter, to discuss fashion production and digital technologies... Jenny Holloway is a champion of British Manufacturing. With a lifetimes experience within the Fashion Industry her experience and honesty are a tonic! As the founder of Fashion Enter, Jenny and her skilled team have pivoted production to provide essential PPE during the crisis. In this episode we discuss the Fashion Industry and its future, the critical adoption of digital technologies, how we must share our knowledge and develop new skill sets, and how near-shore manufacturing will bring back sewn production to the UK.
In this episode of Edenic Round Table, the Virtual Sessions, we discuss what the UK manufacturing sector might look like, post COVID-19. Our guest is Paul Sweeting, a mechanical engineer in the physical security manufacturing sector for the last 15 years. Paul discusses the need for innovation and sector collaboration in UK manufacturing, and why manufacturers need to be agile to navigate what might be the 'new normal' for UK manufacturing. We discuss what the industry can learn from the COVID-19 disruption, how the physical security industry might develop and the potential uplift for UK manufacturing as global innovators. See video version on our website, https://www.edenicinnovations.com/ or search 'Edenic Group on YouTube.
Today's episode comes from the UK headquarters of FANUC in Coventry. Hosts Gio and Lyndsey are joined by Tom Bouchier, Managing Director of FANUC UK as they discuss the shortfalls of the UK's manuf...
Today's episode comes from the UK headquarters of FANUC in Coventry. Hosts Gio and Lyndsey are joined by Tom Bouchier, Managing Director of FANUC UK as they discuss the shortfalls of the UK's manuf...
Today's episode comes from the UK headquarters of FANUC in Coventry. Hosts Gio and Lyndsey are joined by Tom Bouchier, Managing Director of FANUC UK as they discuss the shortfalls of the UK's manufacturing sector and come up with ideas on how we can educate and overcome fears to put us strongly ahead of competing nations when it comes to manufacturing output and sustainability.
Hugh Facey OBE is Chairman of Gripple and of the Glide group. In 2014 Management Today ran an article on him entitled “Is Hugh Facey Britain's best boss?” and he has appeared on BBC's The One Show. His career started at Tinsley Wire. He set out on his own with Estate Wire in 1984 and then sold it five years later to fund Gripple, the wire connector that he invented. 30 years on, the Glide group that he chairs is now some 1,000 strong and Gripple is known throughout the UK manufacturing sector as a pacesetter. Gripple is a hugely successful exporter with offices in 14 countries. His first and foremost business principle is that you should treat everyone as you would like to be treated. Other principles include that culture should be a priority, everyone should have the opportunity to grow and develop and all staff should share in the profits of the business. Hugh first started sharing the profits of the business with his workforce when he gave the Estate Wire team 10% of the sale proceeds when the business was sold (to fund the development of the Gripple wire connector). The rest of Gripple's principles were developed bottom up – “from our staff saying this is what we believe in.” Humour is a big part of the business: “If you don't have humour, business can be very, very dry.” Gripple is an innovator. It has a target that 25% of sales should arise from products not available 5 years ago. It has invested heavily in its development engineering team, but the sales team, continually seeking to identify customer problems that the business can address, is the leading edge of its innovation effort. Since 2004 it has been mandatory for new employees to buy shares in Gripple. In 2011 Hugh set up a company limited by guarantee Glide (Growth Led Innovation Driven Employee) and he and his vice chairman are in the process of gifting their personal shares to Glide (50%) and to a charitable foundation (50%) so that by 2021 the group will be owned entirely by future generations of employees. The gifting is crucial, because it avoids burdening the business with debt, which is the consequence of many trust type employee ownership structures. Glide also provides an effective vehicle whereby senior management can be challenged by staff on the running of the business. The value of shares bought by an employee in 1994 has since increased by a factor of 200. Gripple's challenge to business orthodoxy doesn't stop with employee ownership; it famously has no buying department, no HR department (people and culture instead), no job descriptions, no R&D department (ideas and innovation instead) and Glide is structured so that it can never be run by an accountant. Hugh maintains that there is no need for a buying department when you trust your people. Equally, recruitment decisions should be made by the manager for whom the recruit is going to work. “Job descriptions … stop people doing things.” The first thing Hugh did when he founded the business was to surround himself with highly capable people. The original board comprised of Roger Hall (now vice chairman), John McGee (formerly MD of Presto Tools), and John Heselgrave, an expert in recruitment and training. Along the way, other businesses have joined Glide and have benefited from Hugh's investment approach: PMS Diecasting, supplier of the housings for the Gripple Connector, GoTools, and Laser Scanning. “So many businesses look at the bottom line, and not the top line and the investment.” Hugh doesn't talk about any achievements of the business as his personally, but believes the greatest collective achievement of Gripple is the Gripple spirit; the willingness of people to work together, to support each other and also their charitable efforts. After “making a bog of” his O and A level results, Hugh went to Sheffield Technical College, where he sat an Institute of Marketing course, and took a job at Tinsley Wire
Government figures say that manufacturing is only worth 9% to the UK economy - is this correct? A report by Cambridge University says that the Government has got it wrong when it comes to calculating the value of manufacturing to the UK economy. What is causing the error? And how should they be working it out? Shownotes: www.makeitbritish.co.uk/073 Cambridge University Report Craft's Council 'Measuring the Craft Economy' More Make it British Website: makeitbritish.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/katehills Instagram: @makeitbritish Twitter: @makeitbritish Subscribe to this podcast – and support UK manufacturing!
This week I was at the Houses of Parliament for a meeting with the All Party Parliamentary Group for textiles and fashion to discuss the issue of the lack of skilled garment machinists in the UK. The meeting was organised by Tamara Cincik of Fashion Roundtable, who is the secretariat for the group. There were several UK garment manufacturers in the room, along with representatives from the British Retail Consortium and The UK in a Changing Europe - an independent research body that gives advice on all of the possible outcomes with Brexit. The reason that we were all there was to ask the Government with help to ease the issue of the lack of skilled garment workers in the UK, and to impress upon them WHY this is important The UK textile industry is worth over £9bn to the economy currently - but it could double if supply could keep up with demand. The only thing holding it back is the lack of staff. If you care about the lack of skills in UK garment manufacturing, there are a couple of things that you can do: Write to your local MP and state you case as to why you think garment machinists and textile workers should be put on the shortage occupation list. Complete the APPG survey if you are a manufacturer, or pass it on to any manufacturers that you know, who employ garment machinists. If you have any thoughts on this I would love to hear from you. Please leave me a review on iTunes - and help spread the word about UK manufacturing. Shownotes: www.makeitbritish.co.uk/071 More about Fashion Roundtable More about The UK in a Changing Europe Website: makeitbritish.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/katehills Instagram: @makeitbritish Twitter: @makeitbritish
Is the news that Clark's may close its brand new footwear factory in Somerset a sign that the UK manufacturing revival is over? Up to 300,000 pairs a year of the footwear firm's iconic desert boots were to be made at the semi-automated facility, creating up to 80 technical and managerial jobs. But Clark's have recently announced that it may have to close only a few months after it opened. Clark's started making shoes in Somerset in 1825 but production was moved from to the Far East in 2005. The last remaining Clarks factory in the UK - Millom in Cumbria - closed in 2006. In this episode I look at why this may have happened, and what it means for the future of UK manufacturing. www.makeitbritish.co.uk/024 BBC News article about the closure of Clarks Factory Our Get Set for Manufacturing Online Course More Make it British Website: makeitbritish.co.uk Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/katehills Instagram: @makeitbritish Twitter: @makeitbritish Facebook: facebook.com/makeitbritish Our Trade Show Business Design Centre, London N1 makeitbritishlive.com Want to find out how your business can benefit from being at the show? Apply here Subscribe to this podcast – and support UK manufacturing
Topic: In this episode, your hosts, AntlerBoy an JP, start by lamenting the software industry and their almost arrogant – sometimes not almost arrogant – disregard for the customer and the user experience. Not that software companies will ever change, but rather a resignation that we have to endure. But the episode gets productive, or rather reproductive, with the introduction of Andy Dobson and his story of how he was a member of a small team at a company called Chartex that introduced the female condom ; where they started by making hundreds of samples per day by hand, ramping up to a production capacity or 50-million units per year within 18 months. The rest of this episode is chock-o-block full of stories of Andy’s adventures and experiences in a variety of business. Hosts: Joseph Paris, Founder of the OpEx Society & The XONITEK Group of Companies Benjamin Taylor, Managing Partner of RedQuadrant. Guests: Andy Dobson More about Andy on LinkedIn Company: Lean 4 Business About Andy: Andy Dobson has worked in several industry sectors as a change agent with an emphasis on helping organizations work leaner and meaner – but meaner with a level of empathy. He has driven value to companies like Nokia, Tata Steel, GSK, Baxter, and Lamborghini – before starting his own consultancy practice, Lean 4 Business in 2009 where he works with companies across Europe and beyond in the Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain space delivering game-changing performance increases using Lean, Six-Sigma and Theory of Constraints. In addition to having been on a small team which brought the Female Condom into volume manufacture in the early 90’s, Andy a passion for helping high-tech, high-value UK Manufacturing and Supply Chains. Andy graduated from Napier University with a BSc in Technology with Industrial Studies.
What difference does it really make if you choose to manufacture in the U.K. rather than overseas? You may wonder why I think it is so important that we support our U.K. manufacturers and continue to make here in Britain. In this episode I talk through some of the reasons why I bang the drum for U.K. manufacturing. Discover how UK manufacturing can: Make the most of the exchange rate, especially with Brexit looming Support the U.K. economy Provide well paid and highly skilled jobs Create communities Be sustainable and environmentally responsible Offer short lead times for your product Give a sense of pride in what we are able to produce in the U.K. Subscribe to this podcast – and support U.K. manufacturing
OANDA Market Beat Podcast is a discussion of upcoming market news macro analysis and economic indicator releases that will impact currencies, stocks and other asset classes with Alfonso Esparza. Trade Uncertainty Hits Dollar Confidence The US dollar fell against major pairs on Friday despite a strong June NFP report. The impending start of tariffs against Chinese goods and the retaliation from the Asian nation on US exports put downward pressure on the dollar. The US economy added 213,000 jobs and wages rose 0.2 percent but it is the threat of trade war escalation that put pressure on the US currency. The Canadian dollar advanced against its southern neighbour ahead of the Bank of Canada (BoC) rate statement on Wednesday. The BoC could hike rates to keep up with American interest rates. The weekend brought a major showdown in England as Theresa May presented a soft Brexit strategy to her party that prompted some of the more hardline Brexiteers to quit, jeopardizing May’s position as leader of the party. - UK Manufacturing expected to bounce back - Bank of Canada (BoC) to hike interest rate to 1.50% - US inflation to keep rising at 0.2% m/m
In the latest episode of the UK Investor Magazine Podcast we discuss how the UK manufacturing sector is changing and whether it is a direct affect of Brexit or wider shifts in the global economy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Episode 5 in the Google Minisode series of Manufacturing on the Hop looks at the frequently searched question: "What does the future hold for UK manufacturing?" EEF Chief Economist Lee Hopley is joined by EEF's Senior Business Environment Policy Adviser, Chris Richards to provide some answers.
Episode 4 in the Google Minisode series of Manufacturing on the Hop focuses on the frequently searched question: "Why does UK manufacturing matter?". EEF Chief Economist Lee Hopley is joined by Economist Martyn Jenkins to discuss.
In the third instalment of the Manufacturing on the Hop 'Google Minisodes' series, EEF Chief Economist Lee Hopley is joined by economist Francesco Arcangeli to answer the question frequently searched for: "Why has UK manufacturing declined?"
In episode two of the Manufacturing on the Hop Google Minisodes series, EEF Chief Economist Lee Hopley looks at another question frequently searched for: "What is it like to work in UK manufacturing?" Joining Lee is Verity Davidge, EEF's Senior Employment and Skills Policy Adviser.
In this new series of minisodes of Manufacturing on the Hop, EEF Chief Economist Lee Hopley looks to answer some of the top questions asked on Google about the UK manufacturing sector. This first episode focuses on the question: "What is UK manufacturing?"
Manufacturing Ignition Podcast sponsored by Bonfire Recruitment - www.bonfirerecruitment.com
Manufacturing Ignition Podcast sponsored by Bonfire Recruitment - www.bonfirerecruitment.com
EEF's Martin Strutt, Rockwell's Mark Bottomley, and Oracle's Vikram Singla discuss how manufacturers are adapting their workplaces to take advantage of new technologies and using digitisation to improve productivity.
Manufacturing Ignition Podcast sponsored by Bonfire Recruitment - www.bonfirerecruitment.com
(Bloomberg) -- Host Caroline Hyde discusses how the U.K. economy ended the second quarter on a disappointing note as manufacturing stagnated and the trade deficit unexpectedly widened. She also discusses Glencore earnings and Brexit with Paul Dobson, Bloomberg Markets Live Blog Team Leader, and Kristine Aquino, Bloomberg Markets Live Editor. Caroline Hyde also discusses market reaction to tensions between the U.S and North Korea, along with U.S Consumer Comfort data. She speaks with Michael McKee, international economics and policy correspondent for Bloomberg, and Alix Steel, Host of Bloomberg Daybreak Americas.
Dr Roger Newman, is head of UK Manufacturing and Digital Convergence Relationship Management at Mahindra Satyam. He talked to Mark about convergence and the 2010 UK elections and what it means for outsourcing.