Leeds Manufacturing Festival aims to find next generation of industry talent

Manufacturing and engineering employers in Leeds are being urged to nominate outstanding younger talent from among their own organisations for an awards initiative that is now in its second year.

The Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards aims to identify and recognise the achievements of the industry’s next generation of rising stars and potential business leaders.

The awards, which will take place in Leeds on 20 April, were launched in 2022 to highlight the successes and achievements of younger people already working in manufacturing

Injection moulding machinery manufacturer Bole has announced two new hires for its sales team, with two familiar industry faces joining the company.

The West Midlands based company has confirmed two new notable appointments this week; experienced engineer Andy Pearce will be Area Sales Manager for North UK, while machinery sales veteran Matt Holyoake returns to BOLE as Head of Sales, covering South UK and assisting General Manager Hardeep Khera with management of the business.

Since 2018, the injection moulding machine supplier says it has enjoyed success ‘year after year.’ BOLE UK’s General Manager, Hardeep Khera, commented: “BOLE Machinery has become

MAIN: Tyra Jones from Sulzer pumps receives an award from Laura Rogers of E3 Recruitment at the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards 2022

INSET: Apprentice of the Year Award winner 2022, Louis Audain of Brandon Medical, receives his award from Mitch Scott, head of engineering at Leeds City College and engineering. They also aim to promote the diverse modern career opportunities on offer in a sector that is facing a severe shortage of

Bole Announces Two New Hires To Bolster Sales Team

new employees with the right skills and technical qualifications.

Ben Wilson, chair of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and director of Leeds-based glass reinforced plastic moulds manufacturer MPM, said: “Leeds Manufacturing Festival is all about highlighting manufacturing as a tremendously rewarding industry to work in and attracting the next generation of talent to the sector.

“As with the outstanding younger employees who were selected to win last year’s awards, I know that this year’s winners will also be superb role models and ambassadors for companies. In 2006 he took up his first full-time sales position, selling colours and additives to PET packaging specialists. utilise this expertise in a more senior role within BOLE UK.” Hardeep explained. a well-known name in the UK now, gaining a reputation for offering technical, high-quality machines at preferential prices.

Leeds’ manufacturing sector and for the festival, helping to spread the message that manufacturing is a great place to work and with a vast range of career options on offer.

Entry forms for the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards can be found on the festival website and entries must be received by the 3rd April. The awards ceremony will take place on 20 April, hosted by MPM.

Now in its sixth year, Leeds Manufacturing Festival runs until July. This year’s events include manufacturing ‘treks’, where school and college students visit factories across the city, as well as live careers panels and a careers showcase connecting around 20 manufacturing employers with Leeds students.

We’ve been adding automotive and specialist injection moulding companies to our growing client portfolio, and both Andy and Matt’s technical background will enable us to continue BOLE UK’s growth for years to come.”

Andy first entered the market in 1991 when he started his apprenticeship at packaging manufacturer Rexam. Since then, he has held several engineering and maintenance positions at reputable plastics industry businesses, including ARBURG and AK Industries.

Matt Holyoake has over 30 years of experience within the plastics industry. Starting as an apprentice maintenance engineer, he progressed to managerial roles at leading moulding

Matt’s hands-on approach proved invaluable during his nine years working at Arburg, where he specialised in the technical sales of injection moulding machinery to key clients. His ability to provide in-depth training meant he was able to ensure that customers took full advantage of the equipment he helped them to specify – a huge benefit to his customers.

“Matt also has history of developing strong relationships with marketleading companies, especially when it comes to injection moulding machinery – I’ve seen this first-hand when working with him previously, so I’m really pleased to be able to

Matt also commented on his return: “I am very happy to be back with Hardeep and the team at Bole Machinery UK as Head of Sales. The continued growth and expansion within Bole Machinery UK allows us to continue the success of the popular EKS, EKW, DK and FE machine ranges and increase the market share in the UK and Ireland.”

Hardeep continued: “Andy also brings a wealth of technical experience and industry contacts with him from his decades in the sector. I’m certain with his skills and experience, moving into sales will be a natural step for him.

“This rounds out BOLE’s formidable new UK sales team, ready to take the UK by storm in 2023!”

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Polymerman

ArepolymerpricesheadingintotheDoldrums?

Plastribution’s Mike Boswell looks at two possibilities for resin prices, and what they mean for suppliers and buyers.

‘Being in the Doldrums’ is an expression used to represent a period of listlessness or despondency and the expression has nautical routes which are explained as follows:

‘The Doldrums are a large-scale weather system located on and around the Equator. They are best known as an area of very light winds which can slow sailing boats to a virtual stop, but the Doldrums can often also produce violent thunderstorms and sudden fierce squalls.’

So why the despondency about polymer prices?

Following the roller-coaster price ride which started in Q2 2020, prices have been falling back since H2 of 2022, with a background of a global economic slowdown causing consumer spending to be constrained. Whilst in some sectors, such as automotive where a shortage of semi-conductor chips continues to restrict vehicle supply, the situation for polymers is much more difficult with polymer raw material supply comfortably exceeding demand. In fact, the situation for polymer producers could easily be described as ‘stagflation’ with input costs including raw materials (monomers), energy and labour costs increasing, but the supply demand balance of polymer supply very much in the favour of buyers resulting in poor economics for producers, who in some cases are reporting minimal profitability and in others difficulty in even covering fixed costs. Further evidence of the supply demand imbalance was provided in February where, for some, materials polymer selling prices actually decreased despite an increase in contract monomer prices and in other cases increases were well below the respective monomer cost increase(s).

Are prices likely to ‘flatline’ for a long period of time?

Those in the industry back in the 1990s may recall a period where priced ‘bumbled along’ the bottom for a protracted period, with small increases in prices quickly falling away. Three decades later much has changed, both in terms of the speed of information and the financial management of business. With regards to an exit from the current market conditions the following alternatives may occur:

A gradual recalibration of the supply/demand balance through recovery in demand, reduction in polymer production or a combination of these two factors. Of course, it should be noted that ‘balance’ can be difficult to achieve and that significant imbalances typically lead to a more dramatic impact on pricing. As at the end of February there was some evidence that demand was improving as polymer processors sought to replenish depleted stocks even

Who is ‘Polymerman’?

Feedstock

C2 (Ethylene) £74.88

C3 (Proplylene) £70.47

Styrene Monomer (SM) £8.81

Benzene £95.14

Brent Crude £11.96

February 2023 European Contract

Feedstock Price Movements though underlying demand may still be on the weak side.

Akin to ‘the Doldrums can often produce violent thunderstorms and sudden fierce squalls’ there is always the possibility of an unexpected geopolitical or weatherrelated event taking place, that typically drives demand as plastic processors seek to secure inventory, causing a more dramatic change in pricing.

Mike Boswell is Managing Director of UK materials distributor, Plastribution, as well as the Chairman of the British Plastic Federation’s Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group and its ‘BREXIT Committee’. ‘Polymerman’ is the title used for announcements made via his Twitter account. This column is compiled using data from PIE (Plastics Information Europe) www.plastribution.co.uk | www.pieweb.com