Opus2014
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Contents
A LETTER FROM NICK HUSSEY Foreword from the CEO of The Manufacturer
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Callum Bentley, the editor of The Manufacturer
The Manufacturer Opus |
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BOSS DESIGN
BROTHER INDUSTRIES
CNH UK
CROWN PAINTS
DIAMETRIC
Boss Design is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of high quality furniture for the commercial marketplace.
The title RTC was earned as a result of BIUK’s advances and expertise in creating a sustainable manufacturing process for toner cartridges.
Today Basildon is the last remaining volume tractor manufacturer in the UK and is proudly flying the flag for British manufacturing.
Crown has also flown the flag for manufacturing in Europe, as a UK national champion in the European Business Awards 2013/2014.
The company designs and manufactures bespoke industrial badges, labels, nameplates, graphic overlays and fascias.
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DUO UK
EAVES MACHINING
EBAC
EKSPAN
ELEMENT SIX
If you’re in the habit of shopping online, chances are your purchase will arrive in a Duo UK bag.
Eaves specialise in the machining of large castings, forgings and fabrications, and manufacture complex engineering components.
John Elliott MBE DL was instrumental in creating the British market for dehumidifiers.
Ekspan provides precision mechanical engineering solutions to achieve high performance, structural support and articulation for moving structures.
Element Six designs, develops and produces synthetic diamond supermaterials, and operates worldwide.
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ENVIROVENT
FORD COMPONENT MANUFACTURING
FUJIFILM SPECIALITY INK SYSTEMS
GE AVIATION WALES
GREENE, TWEED & CO
EnviroVent’s philosophy revolves around designing and manufacturing sustainable ventilation solutions.
FCM has established niche markets at home and overseas for its high quality components, from washers to complex parts.
At FSIS, one of the core skills is ink design, with an unmatched understanding of ink chemistry, print applications, media, printheads and UV curing.
The site specialises in four engine types including the GE90, the world’s most powerful aircraft engine.
The company has grown to become a global manufacturer of highperformance, highly engineered solutions.
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HAYWARD TYLER
HOVIS BELFAST
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AND CONTROL
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES
JAMES CROPPER PAPERS
Hayward Tyler continues to be recognised as a global centre of excellence in the design, manufacturing and services of mission-critical pumps and motors.
“The whole site has a great sense of pride that we have a Young Manufacturer of the Year Finalist within our midst.”
IAC is one of the leading industrial control systems integrators in the UK, with operations world-wide.
ITL is much more than a manufacturing company. Their full service solution spans the entire lifecycle of the development of a new product.
The company is renowned globally for its fine papers. With anything possible in the range of colour, texture and surface finish.
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KINNERTON (CONFECTIONERY) LTD
MAN GROUP
MBDA
MICHELIN TYRE UK
MILLIKEN EUROPEAN AIRBAG PRODUCTS
The first brand to offer character chocolate in the UK in 1978. Also one of the few UK confectionery companies, that offers ‘nut safe’ chocolate.
The sum is better than its individual parts, an old cliché that certainly rings true for the Midlands Assembly Network.
Our development programme makes apprentices well qualified for working in an advanced technology company like MBDA.
As a UK business with a unique approach to manufacturing, the company strives to create cutting-edge tyres that provide outstanding performance.
Milliken is an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865.
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MONARCH AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING
MUNTONS
NAMPAK PLASTICS
NIS
PARAMOUNT 21
MAEL has superior knowledge in maintaining legacy fleets and is also a leading MRO for new technology aircraft.
Over the past 5 years Muntons has built an enviable reputation for being the greenest maltster.
Nampak Plastics is the UK’s leading producers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) milk bottles.
Providing professional engineered solutions to complex challenges demands a broad and diverse range of capabilities.
The company quickly developed from packing prawns to creating a range of value added seafood products for the Foodservice Industry.
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ROMAG
FINMECCANICA – SELEX ES
SHEFFIELD FORGEMASTERS INTERNATIONAL
THARSUS GROUP
TJ INTERNATIONAL
Specialising in solar PV, architectural, security and transport glass, Romag is an expert in its industry and is trusted worldwide to provide high quality.
A world leader in high technology systems and sensors with extensive experience across a range of sectors and domains.
The company’s philosophy is centred around making unique, bespoke, more technically challenging products than anybody else.
In breaking away from the traditional, transactional contract manufacturing model, Tharsus rely on a flexible team with a broad range of skills.
An award winning, nationally recognised manufacturer of choice for quality book manufacture.
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TROLEX
WEIR MINERALS EUROPE
Trolex are a leading sensor and systems company, providing reliable safety solutions for some of the most arduous environments worldwide.
Weir Minerals is a specialist in delivering and supporting slurry and mine dewatering equipment solutions.
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WYKE FARMS
XAAR
Wyke Farms is the largest independent cheese maker and milk processor in the UK producing over 14,000 tonnes of cheddar per year.
Xaar’s industrial inkjet technology in particular has already transformed a number of industries.
The Manufacturer Opus |
All of the companies featured in The Manufacturer Opus are those that were shortlisted in The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2013.
The Manufacturer Opus |
FOREWORD
NICK HUSSEY CEO, The Manufacturer
“We want our manufacturers to be the most efficient, sustainable and profitable organisations in the world. Our job is to connect them with businesses that can help achieve this”
It’s been an ardent passion of mine for some time now to help find appropriate ways in which to promote UK manufacturing’s overall expertise and brilliance. The sector of late seems to be suffering from a malaise, based on its amazing, overarching industrial heritage and a mistaken lack of confidence in the incredible designs, processes and products we produce in this country today. All of the companies listed in the 2014 Opus were shortlisted as part of the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year Awards. They are all brilliant in their own right and many went on to achieve individual awards across areas such a leadership, people and skills, operational efficiency and more. The sector needs companies like these and it needs to sing their praises to every possible audience, both within the manufacturing community and across politics, education and the wider population. The Manufacturer Opus seeks to identify, showcase and promote these superb role model organisations and explain their achievements, their skills and in turn highlight the fantastic careers they can offer.
The organisations featured within this publication are pioneers and direction finders. They seek out new technologies and components and develop innovative new business models, adapting, pivoting and driving forward as the market and competition changes. They establish themselves as beacons and act as signposts for suppliers and customers alike. They provide inspiration and are quite simply vital to the future health and development of any industrial sector. The Opus aims to provide a focus for the sector and for the wider community. It seeks to establish recognisable names, brands and products from within the expansive UK manufacturing supply chain as a way of providing inspiration both for the sector and for the wider community. Ultimately we intend to energise and enthuse colleagues, fellow manufacturers and contacts within the sector. I am delighted to have played a part in the development of The Manufacturer Opus 2014 and I hope you will enjoy reading about the fantastic UK manufacturers featured.
The Manufacturer Opus |
A letter from the
Editor, The Manufacturer I often find myself wondering exactly where I fit in the UK manufacturing landscape. I am in, what I believe, is a privileged position. A position where, although by no means an expert in any one particular sector of manufacturing, I do get to see across the entire spectrum of the UK industrial landscape.
It is often said to me by some of our readers, that even though, for example, a textile-focused edition of The Manufacturer might not be their bread and butter, it is still a valuable resource to understand the common issues, struggles, achievements and innovations spread throughout the greater manufacturing community.
Callum Bentley, Editor, The Manufacturer
It is this transparency we actively promote at The Manufacturer, which can only benefit the sector. One only has to look back as far as 2009 to see a shift in how manufacturers in this country interacted with one another. Information and ideas were thought better-kept in house, as sharing details and ideas could lead to being trumped in competing industries and contracts. This unproductive line of thought was a direct result of the recession, which left the entire sector in a state of justified uncertainty. Confidence was at a critical low. Now, in 2014 the paradigm has shifted and the British manufacturing sector, while still continuing on a path to a productivity-led recovery, is dynamic, proactive and keen to collaborate. There is renewed confidence as the sector begins to flourish once again. Both SMEs and the larger OEMs have seen a general upward trend emerge. According to the 2014 Manufacturing Advisory Service Barometer Q1 report, 76% of UK manufacturers said they expected sales turnover to increase over the following six months from the report’s publishing. This same group of manufacturers also predicted a 32% increase to staffing levels by 2018. Despite only making up 10% of UK GDP, manufacturing has been crucial in driving the country’s economic recovery. However, this is not to say that moving this economically critical sector into the future won’t come with unexpected hardships. Already in the latter part
of 2014 we have seen global events and markets shake the UK industry. Manufacturing body, EEF, identified a slow down in growth in the second half of 2014 due to “weak industrial indicators coming form Europe”. Playing its part in this Eurozone slump was the geopolitical tensions surrounding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Despite some economists stating that the Ukraine crisis was of little direct importance to UK exporters, it became clear how global events like this affect the UK industrial sector when engineering giant, Rolls-Royce announced it had reduced its revenue prediction for 2014 compared to the previous year by 3.5%-4% lower. The company stated the reduction was a direct result of trade sanctions against Russia finally taking their toll. This reduction will have an obvious ripple effect throughout the UK supply chain. Uncertainty around constitutional reforms in the UK, an imminent general election and the prospect of an EU referendum in 2017 also risk undermining the strides that investment made in 2014. These same factors are fundamental players in the predictions that business investment in 2015 could temper to 5.8% after being touted to peak at 9% in 2014. But these conditions are nothing new to UK manufacturers - peaks and troughs are part of the game. One of the greatest things our sector has going for it right now is the industry’s ability to look to the future. It is only for this reason that we are seeing such growth in the sector. Many UK businesses, including many featured in this Opus, are changing the way they see themselves on a global scale. The act of reshoring manufacturing back to British soil as a means of controlling supply chains and quality, as
well as handle increasing labour costs in developing nations, is making its way higher on the C-Suite agenda. Innovation, when once it seemed more of a manufacturing buzzword than a strategic decision, is also becoming a business-critical strategy. Have a flick through the following pages and you’ll see a raft of UK companies playing their part in driving the industry-led recovery. As part of my aforementioned, privileged position, I get the honour of speaking with companies and people like this on a daily basis. I would encourage other manufacturers to try and do the same. Ideas are worth sharing, and if the UK manufacturing community is as open and confident as the reports say, then we have a productive and prosperous future ahead.
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The Boss Design Group product portfolio reveals meticulous attention to detail coupled with superior hand-crafted quality.
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The Manufacturer Opus | 1
bossdesigngroup.com +44 (0) 1384 455 570
Boss Design Group The Boss Design Group is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of high quality furniture for the commercial marketplace. The Boss Design Group comprises of Boss Design, Lyndon Design, Komac and Unify furniture brands. In business for over thirty years and employing over two-hundred people, The Boss Design Group has earned a reputation for design led quality products and for operating the business to the highest possible ethical standards.
The Boss Design Group’s commitment to design and innovation has resulted in a constantly evolving product portfolio. Not only is the market constantly changing but The Boss Design Groups client base expect the highest quality, reliability, exceptional service and above all product choice. The Boss Design Group product portfolio includes a variety of upholstered seating, products for reception, break-out and lounge areas, task seating and meeting room chairs for every corporate environment, a collection of boardroom, conference and meeting room tables and coffee tables, plus award winning bespoke product design service. Extensive manufacturing experience and capability is reflected by their prestigious portfolio of international blue chip clients. The Boss Design Group are conscious that not only must businesses remain innovative to remain competitive and stay ahead, but they also have to demonstrate that they are behaving responsibly. For many years The Boss Design Group have considered their impact on the environment and have played an active role in local and global communities. In 2007 The Boss Design Group became a carbon neutral company and in 2009 were awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, and in 2014 migrated to being a zero landfill business. The Boss Design Group take their responsibility very seriously and as a significant international manufacturer understand the actions of the business have global implications. The group has adopted
a true ‘cradle-to-grave’ approach to sustainable manufacturing with a vision to leave a positive legacy for future generations. The Boss Design Group product portfolio reveals meticulous attention to detail coupled with superior hand-crafted quality. Excellent components, sustainable materials, sumptuous upholstery, twinstitching, quality fixings, ergonomically engineered mechanisms and sculpted forms are the signatures by which designers, engineers and craftspeople express their skill and expertise at The Boss Design Group. The Boss Design Group has become a global success, with international manufacturing capability, The Boss Design Group manufactures in four continents and services over thirty countries. The focus on innovation and product design has made this possible. As a result of a comprehensive range of upholstery and task seating, they remain at the cutting edge of design and at the forefront of their client’s furniture requirements. The Boss Design Group’s unique ingredient is their ability to tailor products to suit the client’s requirements. They are always happy to sit down and discuss collaborative projects and the development of bespoke designs with clients looking to invest in re-branding and refurbishment programs. They are proud of their design heritage and ability to attract some of Europe’s most sought after furniture designers to contribute to an ambitious development program. It is their creativity and passion for design that has enabled them to evolve and become one of the world’s most desirable seating manufacturers.
brother.co.uk +44 (0) 3337 774 444
Brother Industries UK Ltd Brother Industries (UK) Ltd (or BIUK) is located in Wrexham, which is the largest town in North Wales. Traditionally a market town, Wrexham has become a manufacturing hub, hosting companies such as Sharp, Cadbury and JCB, to name a few.
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With such hard working, committed associates, the ability to respond quickly to market needs, technical expertise and an adaptable workforce BIUK continues to punch above its weight to operate a successful and sustainable business.
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BIUK began life in Wrexham in 1985 manufacturing typewriters for the European Market. A subsidiary of Brother Industries Limited, based in Nagoya, Japan, BIUK has undergone many changes through the years as it adapted to market trends. The factory has a strong history of manufacturing, from building microwave ovens, producing printers to toner cartridge manufacturing and recycling and our current standing as the Recycling Technology Centre (RTC) for the Brother Group. Our business comprises: • • • • •
Manufacturing and recycling of toner cartridges Ink Packaging Fax /Printer Customisation Customisation of franking machines Plastic injection moulding for engineering components
The title RTC was earned as a result of BIUK’s advances and expertise in creating a sustainable manufacturing process for toner cartridges. This is a process currently being adopted by other factories in the Brother Group through a Global Working Group spearheaded by BIUK’s engineers. BIUK began manufacturing toner cartridges in 2004 in response to the increasing sales demands of the European market. In a bid to remain competitive and to tackle emerging environmental concerns, the business evolved to encompass the process of re-manufacturing Brother toner cartridges. This led to the implementation of a free toner cartridge returns programme in 2005 encouraging consumers to return their used cartridges to BIUK for recycling. The returns programme proved successful growing from 80,000 pieces annually to 1.6 million pieces (2012) being shipped each year from Europe.
To better facilitate the returns programme and expedite supply to Brother’s European Sales Offices, a subsidiary factory was established in Krupina, Slovakia in 2007, whose sole role was, and is, to produce new and recycled toner cartridges. Ideally situated, the factory, Brother Industries Slovakia (S.R.O) (or BISK), offers excellent logistical links through Europe. As a company that doesn’t stand still, BIUK proactively searches for ways to make its business sustainable whilst also pursuing the most eco-friendly solution. For example, our team of experts have found ways, not only to recycle, but also to maximise the re-use of products and components in the toner manufacturing process, offering a cradle to cradle approach to toner manufacturing. Through rigorous tests and evaluations our expert engineers have found innovative approaches to recovering essential, durable components and minimising waste. Components that cannot be recovered are recycled either internally or externally. With this kind of approach, it’s easy to see that BIUK takes its commitment to the environment and to sustainability very seriously. The company adheres strictly to environmental laws and legislation, such as WEEE, RoHS and REACH and is ISO14001 certified. BIUK has also implemented a Zero Waste to Landfill policy and environmental policy that has been deployed and enforced around the factory. Having claimed to be a Zero Waste to Landfill manufacturing site for many years, BIUK decided to prove it by undergoing an external audit in 2013 run by Valpak. This resulted in the factory being successfully accredited as Zero Waste to Landfill for its manufacturing operations. The company also benchmarks externally through different awards schemes, achieving a number of awards such as, the IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers) Award for Sustainable Manufacturing in 2010, the Guardian Sustainable Award for Employee
Engagement in 2011, and reaching the finalist stage in The Manufacturer of the Year Awards for Sustainable Manufacturing in 2013. These awards are the results of BIUK’s associates (employees); their ideas, their expertise, their drive and enthusiasm and of course, teamwork. BIUK strongly believes that without their associates the company would not be where it stands today. BIUK offers extensive training to help associates become adaptable, developmental opportunities, a safe work environment and a great place to work. This was evidenced when BIUK won the National Training Award for both Wales and the UK in 2012. The company also actively encourages associates to engage with the local community to “help society achieve sustainable development” and to “share our resources” according to the Brother Global Charter, a set of guiding principles for all employees of the Brother Group. Strong community links have been established with the local council, schools, charitable organisations and a local Eco Centre, who we assist with various environmental projects. Our community work includes creating outdoor classrooms, refreshing areas in local parks, helping with tree planting and biodiversity and raising funds for various charitable causes, all with the help of staff volunteers. With such hard working, committed associates, the ability to respond quickly to market needs, technical expertise and an adaptable workforce BIUK continues to punch above its weight to operate a successful and sustainable business.
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Today Basildon is the last remaining volume tractor manufacturer in the UK and is proudly flying the flag for British manufacturing. The plant is a top 15 UK export company, exporting more than 90% of its production to some 120 countries across five continents.
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CNH Industrial CNH Industrial’s plant at Basildon, Essex is celebrating the landmark of 50 years of uninterrupted operation in 2014. This World Class Manufacturing facility today produces tractors in the 120-270hp range for two of CNH Industrial’s agricultural brands.
cnhindustrial.com +44 (0) 1268 533 000
Blue New Holland Agriculture tractors roll off the line and are exported to over 120 countries right across the globe. The plant also manufactures tractors for the Case IH brand, which are exported outside of Europe to places as distant as the United States of America and China. If we turned back the clock over 50 years, 52 to be precise, we would see a hive of construction activity at Cranes Farm, turning the field of a farm into a modern agricultural manufacturing facility. No lesser man than Henry Ford II flew into London, and personally signed the deal with the then government to secure the Basildon site for his tractor factory. In 1962 construction of the Basildon plant started. Ford Tractors chose this location as its new global headquarters for tractor production, moving it from its previous home in Dagenham. But why Basildon? Well, the area offered everything a modern tractor manufacturer required: space for a modern, purpose built factory, excellent transport links and a ready source of workers for the plant. Basildon was to become the world’s first fully integrated facility for tractor manufacturing, with all components, including the engines, being designed and built on site. Basildon would evolve into a global manufacturing hub, exporting 70% of production which represented 1% of the UK’s entire export income. During the intervening three decades, the Basildon plant produced some of the most iconic products which helped mechanise world farming, including the Ford 4000, 5000 and 7000 series and the iconic Ford 7810. Advances in production were also introduced during this time, with increasing mechanisation and an ever more stringent focus on quality, which culminated in the plant being awarded the prestigious bronze World Class Manufacturing (WCM) status in 2012, which is testament to its commitment to high quality and modern production techniques.
WCM was developed by The Fiat Group and Professor Yamashina of Kyoto University, and is implemented in all of CNH Industrial’s 62 plants throughout the world. In 1991, following the acquisition of Ford New Holland by Fiat Geotech, the plant produced both the distinctive blue Ford New Holland machines until 1994, after which they were called simply New Holland, and until 1996 the terracotta tractors associated with FiatAgri were manufactured. In 1999 following the acquisition of Case Corporation by Fiat Group, New Holland and Case were merged to create CNH Global, a world leader in farm machinery and construction equipment. The Basildon plant continued to produce New Holland tractors, and subsequently started to produce red Case IH tractors. In 2011 CNH Global became part of Fiat Industrial following its demerger from Fiat S.p.A. and in 2012 the CNH Industrial company was formed, which comprises 12 brands, including New Holland Agriculture and Case IH. In the continual quest to enhance production quality and efficiency, in recent years, significant investment has been channelled into equipping the plant with state-of-the-art rolling roads, a robotic painting system and increasing the use of Automatic Guided Vehicles, which transfer key components around the factory autonomously. This has been coupled with a relocation of the cab line to enhance production flow. These improvements have also brought about 6% annual cost savings. The plant is the perfect representation of a slick and modern logistics operation. Every day the facility receives 70 tucks of material which are then turned into 35 trucks of tractors, each of which boasts some 1,500 part numbers from over 350 unique suppliers. Sometimes, numbers really do tell the story!
Basildon is also committed investing in the local community, and there are currently 13 apprentices who are at different stages of their training. The Basildon plant is also a family affair, with fathers working with sons and daughters and even some grandfathers who have then worked with their sons and grandsons at the plant. Today Basildon is the last remaining volume tractor manufacturer in the UK and is proudly flying the flag for British manufacturing. The plant is a top 15 UK export company, exporting more than 90% of its production to some 120 countries across five continents. These products are helping to increase agricultural productivity, and are in the front line when it comes to producing food for the world’s ever expanding population thanks to their advanced technology. They are also helping to advance mechanised agricultural production in others areas across the globe. Basildon is also the global Corporate Office for CNH Industrial, the world’s fourth largest capital goods company, with revenues of some $33.8 billion in 2013. Basildon by numbers • 2nd April 1962 construction of the plant began • 15th May 1964 first day of production • Top-15 UK export company with 90% of production exported to over 120 countries • 1.6 million tractors produced to date • 3.1 million engines rolled off the production line from 1964 – 2008 • 40 hectare site • 10 hectares covered • 2 kilometres of assembly lines • 14 tractor ranges • 133 models • 10,000 possible machine configurations • 4,000 visitors annually
The Manufacturer Opus | 5
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Crown has also flown the flag for manufacturing in Europe, as a UK national champion in the European Business Awards 2013/2014.
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The Manufacturer Opus | 7
crownpaints.co.uk +44 (0) 8702 401 127
Crown Paints For Crown Paints, picking up the Sustainable Manufacturer of the Year title at The Manufacturer of the Year Awards marked the recognition of an environmental programme that has transformed the whole way the company operates.
In 2008, Crown announced an ambitious plan to put the environment at the heart of the business – and take action that would put it into the top tier of sustainable companies in the UK - with the launch of a wide-ranging environmental programme called Earthbalance®.
Representing significant investment and deployment of resources, the process places Crown as the only coatings manufacturer in the UK to have calculated the footprint of every one of its products. Very few companies in the UK and even Europe have this level of knowledge across their product range.
Centred on a commitment to reduce its Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) by 10 per cent for 2015 and 25 per cent by 2020-and to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2012 - Earthbalance® represented a major challenge, that would, and continues to, test all aspects of Crown’s activity.
This baseline gives Crown the information to work towards reducing its carbon footprint.
It demanded action on the major business and operating issues – including minimising energy use, and reducing, re-using or recycling waste at its manufacturing centres in Lancashire and Hull, as well as its network of 121 Crown Decorating Centres located across Britain and Northern Ireland. Rather than applying environmental benefits to niche products, or compromising on the quality of products to achieve green goals, Crown set out to transform the way it does business, particularly in manufacturing. As a result, sustainability has been put under the spotlight across every aspect of the company. Continuous improvement programmes have been produced - and there is a focus on targeted initiatives to create products and processes with the lowest possible ecological impact whilst maintaining performance. Now, the latest figures, revealed in January 2014, show that Crown has, to date achieved a four per cent reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions against its 2010 baseline. This puts Crown well on track to meet its 2015 target of a 10 per cent reduction. The zero waste to landfill target, planned for achievement in December 2012, was achieved a full 12 months ahead of schedule in 2011. Carbon Footprinting Key to Crown’s success is its work to carbon footprint all Crown Paints’ products, through its pioneering Carbon Portfolio Footprinting process.
By looking at the entire range, rather than each product in isolation, Crown has identified that its highest volume products, while not necessarily having the highest footprints individually, make up the largest part of its carbon footprint overall. And by targeting raw materials and processes that have the largest influence and, crucially, without impacting on quality, Crown has already been able to make good progress on carbon reductions, through innovative methods. A Long Term Plan With targets set out until 2020, Earthbalance® represents an on-going commitment. But making such a sweeping change could not be done in isolation. To make the programme work Crown has engaged its staff, the supply chain and clients on this sustainability journey. Crucially, Earthbalance® involves everyone from directors to the factory floor - and Crown now has 1,250 ‘green ambassadors’ buying in to a more sustainable future. Communication and the sharing of ideas has been crucial to develop this culture and the whole team has the opportunity to present innovative ideas that transform the way Crown does business. It means people make a difference and it influences the planet and profits. Regular employee road shows/workshops are held, and in collaboration with an environmental charity, Crown looks at how staff can introduce sustainable best-practice in their home life and how they can bring those changes to work.
The Gold Standard The involvement and engagement of staff was recognised last year, when Crown Paints became one of just a handful of companies to have achieved the prestigious Investor In People Gold award. At the time of their assessment, (March 2013) just over three per cent of organisations nationwide had achieved the gold status - and in the north of England only 19 were noted from a manufacturingrelated sector.
The fact that Crown is now able to demonstrate such a sustained policy of sustainability with innovative actions has had a particularly positive effect with the customer base including those in the retail sector, as well as increasingly environmentally-aware specifiers, such as architects and national construction companies. And Sustainable Manufacturer at The Manufacturer of the Year 2013 is not the only accolade to recognise the company’s work.
Investors In People North of England singled out a wide range of activities for praise, including Crown’s pioneering approach to corporate responsibility, described by the assessor as ‘well ahead of the curve’ in areas including sustainability, community involvement and charitable support.
In the last 18 months, Crown has also secured the Supply Chain Sustainability School Gold standard, the Sustainable Innovation Award from the British Coatings Federation, the Sustainable Business Award For Large Companies at the Lancashire Business Environment Awards, a Green Apple award and Insider’s Green Manufacturer of the Year title.
A strong team ethic, a working environment that creates a feel-good factor and a supportive approach to work-life balance were also commended.
Crown has also flown the flag for manufacturing in Europe, as a UK national champion in the European Business Awards 2013/2014.
Investors In People assessor, John O’Sullivan, said: “The achievement of the Gold recognition is thoroughly merited, as Crown has demonstrated many of the characteristics associated with high performance workplaces and world class people management.
There’s still a long journey ahead to 2020 – but Crown is convinced it is the right route to take for the business.
“The assessment represented a first class example of an organisation achieving sustained levels of high performance through its people. “It was clearly evident that people believe it to be a great place to work.” Challenges and Rewards When launching Earthbalance®, Crown set challenging targets in a difficult economy. But it has remained focused on its goals, overcoming the allocation of resources to sustainability when the economy has been so slow. Success has led to new growth opportunities, including when tendering for contracts in the public sector where elements of sustainability ethics are required.
Ultimately, the perception in the market place is filtering through that Crown Paints is a sustainable brand of substance.
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Large companies trust their commercial identity to Diametric to recreate what is often their most prized possession, their brand, as a physical item to affix to a product.
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diametric.gb.com +44 (0) 8444 123 245
Diametric No one denies the benefits of creating a recognisable brand. But seeing it printed on paper is one thing. Seeing it affixed to the bonnet of a car, the fuel tank of a motorcycle, or the speaker of a high end stereo, elicits a completely different feeling altogether. Such position can transform a corporate logo into something that people truly identify with.
The badge and logo on a product is the representation of the product itself. It should be sleek, impressive and, most importantly, it must match the quality of the product itself. When it comes to branding, badge and label making, Diametric provides that service, turning a corporate logo into a physical and more tangible thing of beauty. The company designs and manufactures bespoke industrial badges, labels, nameplates, graphic overlays and fascias for a range of industry sectors including: automotive (OEMs and aftermarket), medical and electronics. Diametric counts many household names among its clientele and creates the badges for products from cars to motorcycles, fridges to smart card readers. Large companies trust their commercial identity to Diametric to recreate what is often their most prized possession, their brand, as a physical item to affix to a product. Unlike many of its competitors, Diametric offers badges and labels which can be made from a massive range of materials. These include: injection moulded plastic, die cast metals, electroformed nickels, chrome plating, anodised aluminium, stainless steel, zinc, brass, vinyl, polyesters and polycarbonates. “There is a limited market place for manufacturers to go to where one company, such as ours, can offer the complete solution for whatever labelling and badge requirements a manufacture might need,” says sales and marketing director, Graham Steele. Managing director, Pete Knight continues: “Most of our competitors offer one or two elements of what we offer. They might provide aluminium products or plastic
products but they generally don’t offer the added value extra assembly work that we provide. We can also apply many different forms of self adhesives and choose which one will best suit the application.”
display panel, logo and model number. Diametric also provides the product with a logo label which is resin coated and also includes three dimensional bright silver lettering.
Mr Knight says that currently about two-thirds of its customers are from the automotive industry, which he says has historically been strong but has increased of late in line with the booming UK car and motorcycle market.
Not just decorative and functional but safety conscious, Diametric also makes the warning labels and ID labels that fit on both the external and internal parts of the refrigerated cabinets themselves.
“We’re now working with the majority of automotive OEM’s, either direct or via first tier suppliers”, says Mr Steele, who personally oversees Diametric’s work for the likes of Triumph, Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls Royce. “The work we do within the automotive market is vast and covers everything from exterior rear and bonnet badges to interior steering wheel badges, decorative trim and speaker badges. “One thing we’ve seen really boom is the demand from the automotive manufacturing sector for interior badges that work well with carbon fibre. As a result, we’re increasingly producing electroformed decals, which are applied directly onto the carbon fibre before a high gloss lacquer is applied to encapsulate the logo or branding. The result is high clarity replication of the image that can be seen but not felt on a material that is super-light.” By comparison says Mr Steele, the company’s work in the refrigeration industry illustrates the true diversity of Diametric’s product offering. For one of its clients, Foster Refrigeration, which makes industrial fridge freezers and display cabinets, Diametric made the actual control panel which is therefore both decorative and functional. It is comprised of a membrane switch keypad which incorporates a
Demonstrating that the company is moving with the times, Mr Steele says it has also incorporated digital printing into its offering. “We can implement, on the majority of our processes, litho and digital printing,” he says. “So we can take a high resolution picture or artwork and reproduce that on to sheeted aluminium or plastic.” “What we are trying to do is re-create someone’s brand as faithfully as we can but in as nice a way as possible to add value to the product,” says Mr Steele. “What makes us unique is the choice that people have when they come to us and we can provide them with an accurate representation of what their badge will look like.” “There are ways and means of producing a sample or prototype. Some of our larger clients have rapid prototyping capabilities, such as 3D printers, and will actually generate a prototype themselves in order to receive internal buy-in before providing us with the design files.” While some might think it strange that large companies don’t simply produce their own badges, according to Diametric boss Pete Knight, there really isn’t any difference between a corporate or industrial
badge and any other part that might be used in the creation of a car, motorbike or fridge. “The more complex a product, the better it is for the manufacturer to be able to buy in high-quality completed parts so as to make assembly as easy as possible,” he says. “This is particularly the case with the automotive industry where the production of many parts used on an OEM vehicle are outsourced, whether that be the piston heads or a corporate badge. “To us it does seem obvious that badge creation would be outsourced to a specialised company such as ourselves. Not only do you end up with more polished piece but, by using a specialist company, businesses are not limiting themselves should they want to easily update the badge in the future.” Diametric prides itself on having a real wealth of experience and a solid reputation for providing good service which incorporates a desire for the highest levels of customer satisfaction. If you are interested in seeing what Diametric can do for your brand and corporate image, you don’t have to do anything aside from pick up the phone. Following an initial consultation, Diametric can provide suggestions and recommendations and will provide a very detailed specification.
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From consumer research we conducted it was evident that gift and luxury packaging has a powerful halo effect on customer satisfaction, something which brands are increasingly looking to tap into.
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duo-uk.co.uk +44 (0) 161 203 5767
Duo UK If you’re in the habit of shopping online, chances are your purchase will arrive in a Duo UK bag. The polythene packaging manufacturer is widely considered to be a leader in the retail and e-tail market, counting household names such as John Lewis, ASOS and Tesco among its clients, as well as smaller boutique brands such as Sports Pursuit and Forever Unique.
Capable of extruding over 1,000 tonnes of polythene a week and producing over 125million branded glue strip mailing bags each year. Duo carries out the full polythene manufacturing process – extrusion, print and conversion in house, operating across its factories in Manchester and Derby. It also recycles around 4,000 tonnes of polythene a year via its closed loop recycling facility at its Derby site. With product range and output continuously increasing with investment in the latest technologies, Duo celebrated its 25th year in business last year with a record £1,1million spent on machinery and software. The majority of this milestone spend was invested in a co-extrusion machine, enabling Duo to open up new markets and increase film manufacturing capacity by 40%. Other key purchases included a six colour flexographic printer for outsized packaging, plus Manufacturing Production Scheduling (MRP) and Resource Planning (ERP) software to improve efficiencies and service levels. As packaging trends evolve, Duo is always at the forefront, investing in research into new materials and products for its clients, all with the aim of enhancing customers’ operational processes and improving efficiencies and performance. Retailers increasingly want to give their customers a more personalised service, part of which involves making their packaging more engaging, on top of improving convenience and experience. Duo’s product development team is continuously researching and developing innovative packaging options to meet this requirement, as well as developing digital services to enhance their own customers’ purchasing process.
Managing Director, David Brimelow, explained: “From consumer research we conducted it was evident that gift and luxury packaging has a powerful halo effect on customer satisfaction, something which brands are increasingly looking to tap into. This insight also showed us that poor packaging can have negative consequences for a brand – half of consumers say they’d be more likely to return goods if the postal packaging was poor quality, while in contrast over 60% of consumers say they view luxuriously wrapped products as ‘extra special’. “Packaging has also been shown to have a direct influence on customer behaviour, for example, over a third of consumers say they would be more likely to reorder if goods are delivered in high quality packaging, with a quarter perceiving luxury wrapping to improve the sense of receiving value for money, viewing the brand more favourably as a result. We have increased our range to include new products, such as ribbon and tissue, to give our customers a wider choice of options to develop a packaging range that delight their customers.” Recognising that employees are integral to its business strategy, last year Duo also invested £96,000 into training and development. All employees routinely receive tailored on the job training, while individuals who show particular aptitude and ambition are offered places on the National Apprenticeship Scheme or the opportunity to pursue vocational and professional qualifications via local colleges. Mr Brimelow continued: “We want to provide our employees with careers rather than jobs and we see this as an important part of keeping skills in the UK and in manufacturing. Our key to success is having a
skilled and motivated team that is willing and able to grow with us so it is vital that we continue developing our team.” Speaking on the company’s plans for the future Mr Brimelow explained: “In the next year we will be refocusing on improving our manufacturing processes which in turn will drive both efficiencies and product quality. Another area of development will be to increase our range of sustainable products by working with our suppliers and R&D team to uncover new innovations for our customer.” “We are also planning to raise awareness amongst our customers of the benefits and ease of recycling waste polythene. Over the next 12 months we will be stepping up our response to consumers’ demands for sustainable packaging by providing our customers with innovative new products like GreenPE and increase our range of sustainable products by working with our suppliers and R&D team to uncover new exciting products. We are also planning to raise awareness amongst our customers of the benefits and ease of recycling waste polythene. “We believe closed loop recycling offers a method of reusing polythene that is sustainable and future proof. Some companies are hampered by their waste contracts, but equally there is a general lack of awareness about how easily recyclable polythene is in the UK. Our polythene collection service provides a valuable recycling service to customers wanting to reduce their waste, in turn enabling us to capture an increasing volume of scrap which can then be used to manufacture another packaging product.
“In a similar vein we are already distributing our products worldwide as our customers expand their operations internationally, and we believe there’s real potential to increase this. The fact that we provide consistent, high quality, dependable products and service has resulted in our customers choosing to remain with us as they expand worldwide. Nespresso and ASOS are two examples of clients we are already work with internationally, and we now ship our packaging to destinations across Europe, Asia and USA. “While giving customers the convenience of dealing with a single supplier for their overseas operations, and the reassurance of working with a company they know and trust, “Buy British” is a message Duo is proud to champion. Through research we know that UK businesses are increasingly looking closer to home for their products, and we urge all UK businesses to choose British producers and suppliers, and in doing so support not only the local manufacturer, but also the local economy, local jobs market and other supporting local industries.”
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eavesmachining.com
Eaves Machining Ltd
+44 (0)1612 230 400
Eaves Machining Ltd has established a strong position as a UK market leader in bespoke heavy engineering and heavy CNC machining. Eaves specialise in the machining of large castings, forgings and fabrications, and manufacture complex engineering components to the highest standards in a highly competitive marketplace. Its team of experienced, highly trained professionals combined with a range of heavy CNC machining has enabled Eaves to develop a strong reputation within the industry.
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Eaves has over 30 years’ experience within the tunnelling sector and has worked on a large number of major projects since the Channel Tunnel in 1985, including Heathrow Terminals and many London Underground schemes
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Operating from a 72,000 sq ft facility in Manchester, Eaves has one of the largest heavy engineering and CNC engineering workshops in Western Europe. Its facilities allow it to offer clients specialist services in terms of capability and capacity for the machining of medium to heavy components. The company specialise in both CNC vertical and CNC horizontal boring, and CNC milling.
Eaves has over 30 years’ experience within the tunnelling sector and has worked on a large number of major projects since the Channel Tunnel in 1985, including Heathrow Terminals and many London Underground schemes. Eaves has also won a number of contracts on the Crossrail project which have been ongoing since 2011, with the current contract set for completion in April 2014.
Eaves has the facility to lift jobs of up to 100 tonnes and, with an exceptional track record, are confident in handling components both large and small. The company’s comprehensive range of heavy CNC machining provides it with the ability to handle a substantial range of jobs at any one time.
As an integral part of the business strategy, Eaves plans to invest significantly over the next two years in improving all areas of its operation and creating a sustainable business. Currently accredited to ISO 9001 standards for quality management, Eaves is also working towards an ISO 14001 accreditation in environmental management to demonstrate its commitment to reducing carbon footprint and optimising its operations to maximum capacity. Further investment into the SC21 (21st Century Supply Chains) programme will allow Eaves to focus directly on growing its presence within the defence, aerospace, security and space sectors.
Eaves has worked with a number of internationally recognised industry leaders and services a range of market sectors including: Oil & Gas – large offshore parts including Christmas trees, guide bases, cans and winch frames. Aerospace – large jigs and fixtures for wing building and associated products. Construction – mechanical engineering projects including bridges, docks, airports and infrastructure. Power – a number of projects within the power generation and renewable energy markets. Manufacturing – clients including equipment manufacturers, refineries, foundries, forges and machine tools. Tunnelling – many significant projects both in the UK and internationally. Bespoke Engineering – tailored engineering solutions, from concept and design to full production for any industry.
Eaves’ vision is to be the supplier of choice for subcontract heavy machining and bespoke heavy engineering in the UK and beyond. Continued investment is a core part of Eaves business strategy; in 2013 alone, Eaves invested over £2m in new machinery and refurbishment of its facilities to ensure it maintains its position as an industry leader.
ebac.com +44 (0) 1388 605 061
Ebac Ebac and its group of companies is owned by the Ebac Foundation, having been established as a family owned private limited business, and are market leaders in both the European watercooler and UK dehumidifier markets. By the end of the year, the company will have established a production line to bring washing machine manufacture back to the UK, creating up to 200 new jobs and doubling its workforce.
Ebac’s Chairman is John Elliott MBE DL, who founded the company in 1972. In 1980, John was instrumental in creating the British market for dehumidifiers, as he developed the UK’s first mass-produced domestic dehumidifier. John’s daughter, Pamela Petty, is the current Group Managing Director, having been appointed to the role in 2003. Pamela’s sister, Amanda Hird, is also heavily involved in the running of the business in her position as Operations Director. Ebac produces a range of appliances for domestic and commercial premises. These include water coolers, dehumidifiers and air source heat pumps, with chest freezers now coming off the production line, following the launch of a new factory in November 2014, with washing machines following at the turn of the year. Using £1m from the Regional Growth Fund as part of a £7m venture, Ebac has developed a new production facility in the North East for its washing machine range, which has opened up a new market for the firm and will double its workforce. In addition, at the end of June 2013, a deal was also struck for Ebac to preserve the UK manufacturing of the Norfrost range of domestic chest freezers, after the liquidation of Icetech, the North of Scotland based company. This will see Ebac manufacture up to 80,000 units per year, with the creation of a further 100 jobs in the long term. John Elliott has ensured that the future of his business and manufacturing is to stay in the North East. Mr Elliott
has given the company to the Ebac Foundation, which is made up of trustees to ensure that the business continues to grow and that Ebac’s manufacturing facilities are secured for generations to come, as profits will be reinvested back into the business. The structure will ensure that the business will not be sold for personal profit and will deliver long-term sustainable manufacturing employment locally. The Foundation revolves around four key principles, which are: Growth: The business should focus on trading and development for the future People: Provide opportunities for employees to fulfil their potential Investment: Reinvest profits into the business Community: Being part of and supporting the wider community Ebac has also invested £500,000 to add air source heat pumps to its range of products that are manufactured at its North East factory, which will both safeguard and create new jobs with production anticipated to reach 3,000 units per year within two years. The company has also established an apprenticeship programme which gives apprentices experience in all aspects of the business, so that Ebac can identify which part of the business is most suited to the individual. Ebac also works with Aycliffe Fabrication, visiting schools in Newton Aycliffe to let students know what apprenticeship opportunities are available.
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Ebac’s Chairman is John Elliott MBE DL, who founded the company in 1972. In 1980, John was instrumental in creating the British market for dehumidifiers, as he developed the UK’s first mass-produced domestic dehumidifier.
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We specialise in resolving problems within hostile environments, extremes of temperature and corrosive areas and in 2013 we were awarded the UK International Green Apple for Environmental Best Practice
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for our work in SSSI sites in Snowdonia.
Ekspan Ekspan was established in 1990 and provides precision mechanical engineering solutions to achieve high performance, structural support and articulation for moving structures.
ekspan.com +44 (0) 114 261 1126
Ekspan provide a comprehensive service from design, manufacture and installation to specialised maintenance. The bearings we produce are part of the “living” dynamic structures for civil, mechanical and architectural purposes, created and sustained by high qualify design and engineering. Our projects include the Norman Fosters Peace Pyramid in Kazakhstan to Tower Bridge in London where our solutions offer structural support to accommodate natural forces and movements in ways that are both anticipatable and controllable for the architect and builder. Ekspan has a complete range of industrial bearings designed specifically for applications where articulated support is required such as machinery, pipelines, offshore structures and topsides. We also offer customised and newly commissioned design solutions to meet any support problems. We specialise in resolving problems within hostile environments, extremes of temperature and corrosive areas. In 2013 we were awarded the UK International Green Apple for Environmental Best Practice for our work in SSSI (site of special scientific interest) sites in Snowdonia. Ekspan is an established business in its market place. In addition to its traditional market it has embraced technical challenges of emerging markets and is an early adapter to the challenges of the North Sea renewables. Ekspan have recently designed,
manufactured and installed some of the largest parts to leave our region for use in the offshore wind turbine industry. Last year we completed a giant test rig for the largest wind turbines in the world, with blade lengths of over 80 meters. To enhance our offer we work very closely with the local supply chain and are interwoven into a network of fabricators in the region. We are passionate about the traditions of our region, bringing together our innovation with quality craftsmen.
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Element Six products can be found in tooling systems used to manufacture today’s most advanced jet airliners, through to the fabrication of multiple precision engine and chassis parts found at the heart of today’s automotive platforms.
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Element Six Element Six is a synthetic diamond supermaterials company. Element Six is a member of the De Beers Group of Companies, its majority shareholder. Element Six designs, develops and produces synthetic diamond supermaterials, and operates worldwide with its head office registered in Luxembourg, and primary manufacturing facilities in U.S., China, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, South Africa and the U.K.
e6.com +3536 1460 146
Element Six takes its name from the sixth element of the periodic table – Carbon, which can be engineered to form synthetic diamond super-materials. Diamond is the planet’s hardest known material, possessing unique extreme engineering properties. For over 50 years, Element Six has lead the way in the development of synthetic diamond materials for multiple abrasive, and more recently technologyrelated, advanced engineering applications. Element Six comprises two businesses: Technologies, which is 100% owned by the De Beers Group, and Abrasives, which is 60% owned by the De Beers Group, with Umicore, a major global materials group, owning the remaining 40%. With 2,400 employees, annual revenues of $500m, and operating globally, Element Six has established itself as the innovation, technology and production leader of the synthetic diamond materials industry. At the heart of Element Six’s success is their approach to business; Building long term strategic partnerships with customers to develop materials which enable customers to establish competitive advantage in their respective markets. Underpinning this methodology is an innovation development platform – comprising 114 scientists, engineers and technicians operating from a state of the art R&D centre in Harwell, near Oxford. Element Six products can be found in tooling systems used to manufacture today’s most advanced jet airliners, through to the fabrication of multiple precision engine and chassis parts found at the heart of today’s automotive platforms. However, Element Six abrasive materials do not remain the sole domain of the aerospace and automotive
industries – oil & gas exploration, semiconductor wafer manufacture and solar cell production, to name a few, all utilise synthetic diamond materials to reduce total operating costs, improve production efficiencies and reduce energy consumption. Beyond abrasives, the extreme properties of synthetic diamond are already opening up new applications in a wide array of industries such as optics, water treatment, electronics and sensors. Diamond is 5 times more thermally conductive than copper, enabling electronic thermal power management systems to run smaller, faster, longer and more reliably. The optical properties of diamond have also seen their use as synthetic diamond optical windows within high power industrial lasers – capable of withstanding enormous power densities without optical distortion Synthetic diamond is indisputably one of the ultimate super-materials, but it is not the only one. Through the experience and creativity of our material scientists, physicists and application engineers, Element Six design, develop and manufacture super-materials products based on cubic boron nitride, tungsten carbide and silicon cemented diamond, all of which bring their own unique and extreme performance properties to industrial and technology environments. In addition to those four super-materials, Element Six continue to research and develop new classes of material and applications with the potential to further transform performance, and deliver economic advantage in industry, technology and science. Element Six and their partners are helping to bring the power of super-materials to the world.
envirovent.com +44 (0) 1423 810 810
EnviroVent Based in the UK, EnviroVent’s philosophy revolves around designing and manufacturing sustainable ventilation solutions which create all year round, healthy fresh and ideal indoor environments.
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We are enthusiastic about the importance of improving the quality of life through advanced ventilation technologies delivered to a broad range of market sectors to offer domestic, commercial and industrial solutions.
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Our passion for providing good indoor air quality is as strong now as it was 27 years ago, offering an outstanding service to our customers by investing in the development of award-winning products that are packed with innovative features to constantly improve efficiency levels and reduce energy consumption.
2013: H&V News Awards Air Movement Product of the Year for the ECO dMEV
At EnviroVent, we do something that not many other companies do anymore - we manufacture our own products in the UK. The road to success in the current economic climate has been challenging. In order to succeed in tough times, going the extra mile has become second nature to us and it is through this positive ‘can do’ attitude that EnviroVent has gone from strength to strength.
Originally, EnviroVent predominantly supplied the social housing sector, selling to more than 1,000 housing associations and regeneration bodies. In 2007, EnviroVent was acquired by Soler & Palau, one of the largest privately owned ventilation groups in the world. The acquisition provided us with new opportunities and facilities and was instrumental in enabling EnviroVent to successfully expand into the electrical wholesaler/contractor and private UK domestic market.
Each product within our Lifetime Range® has been engineered to last the lifetime of the property it is installed in and built with locally sourced components to reduce our carbon footprint. Since launching the Filterless Fan, the first extractor fan to operate without the need for filters thanks to our patented ‘Cyclone Separation Technology’ in 2004, we have continued to invest in R&D. In the last 12 months alone, we have added 4 new innovations to our growing product portfolio including sophisticated heat recovery products. What’s more, as we design, develop and manufacture our own products, it also gives us the added flexibility to adapt them for particular clients or markets. Recognised for their environmentally friendly benefits, EnviroVent has been proud to receive product innovation awards for the following: 2005: H&V News Award Air Movement Product of the Year for the EnviroVent Filterless Fan 2009: The Queens Award for Enterprise for the EnviroVent Filterless Extract Fan
2013: The Yorkshire Post Award for Innovation for the heatSava 2014: H&V Awards Domestic Product of the Year for the Filterless Infinity Fan
EnviroVent reflects the ethos of a family-run business; we are enthusiastic about the importance of improving the quality of life through advanced ventilation technologies delivered to a broad range of market sectors to offer domestic, commercial and industrial solutions. We actively encourage our employees to be a part of the corporate vision through team work, an essential part of EnviroVent’s daily routine. By cultivating a team spirit everyone feels valued and important, proud to be part of the British manufacturing history and passionate about the goods which we produce. In addition, the team at EnviroVent also plays an active part in the local community by supporting various charities with our main focus on Saint Michael’s hospice, where the company is a member of the Guild of Patrons.
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EnviroVent’s managing director, Andy Makin with Dr Vincent Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
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ford-components.com +44 (0) 0441 914 286 600
Ford Component Manufacturing Ltd Ford Component Manufacturing Ltd (FCM) successfully mixes a strong and lengthy tradition for excellence and achievement with a forward-thinking and positive attitude of advancement and innovation, making it one of the world’s leading manufacturers of precision parts.
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The company’s fresh and modern outlook is spearheaded through the redoubtable energies of chairman Geoff Ford MBE and managing director Chris Ford, who are implementing long-term business strategies designed to ensure continued growth and success.
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A part of the Ford group of companies, established in 1910 and which also comprises Ford Aerospace Ltd, FCM has established niche markets at home and overseas for its high quality components, from washers to complex parts.
In recent years new markets overseas, such as India and China, have been developed, while its more traditional trading areas – including many countries in Europe, such as Italy, Germany and France – have been cemented and strengthened.
It has also developed a world-beating metallic laminate shimstock range which includes Easipeel and Edgepeel - made in materials such as steel, aluminium and brass - and the complimentary nonmetallic Plasipeel, all of which have strengthened the firm’s capabilities and appeal.
These key areas of growth have been targeted through research, trade missions and specialist training of staff.
And early last year it extended the scope of its technologies by opening a £1m advanced phosphate treatment plant from where it carries out critical processes on parts vital to motor manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Volvo and Land Rover. But FCM’s technological excellence is matched only by its dedication to the well-being and development of its workforce, in which it invests heavily. It takes great pride in a strong reputation for being a ‘people company’. Indeed, in September 2013 FCM was awarded Investors in People (IiP) Gold Standard at the first attempt for transforming its long and strongly held belief in learning, development, coaching and mentoring into an officially recognised framework. The company’s fresh and modern outlook is spearheaded through the redoubtable energies of chairman Geoff Ford MBE and managing director Chris Ford, who are implementing long-term business strategies designed to ensure continued growth and success.
Much of FCM’s success has come through improved production processes, including lean and investment in its ERP internal software operating system, which have combined to improve standards and levels of production while significantly boosting turnover. This investment has also led to greater efficiencies and improved cost-effectiveness, better on-time delivery and the strengthening of FCM’s reputation for excellence. FCM operates from two plants – its low-volume work is carried out in Monkton Business Park, South Tyneside, and high-volume operations at its new 30,000sq-ft site at New York Industrial Estate, North Tyneside. Indeed, it was the opening of this phosphate treatment site in January 2013 that gave the firm a new and exciting future path. FCM is also committed to investing in apprenticeships as a way to combat a recognised skills shortage and aging workforce within manufacturing and to create a new generation of highly skilled staff. As well as its existing apprentices, Ford launched the Ford Engineering Academy in September 2013 - in conjunction with South Tyneside College - to identify those with the talent and drive to succeed in a sector which offers wide-ranging opportunities and to equip
them with the education and skills to excel. To boost the image of engineering further, staff regularly speak at careers service events about its attraction as a career option. The firm’s hard-working charities committee also engages with the community by supporting various good causes, and it is heavily involved in the newlylaunched, NHS-backed South Tyneside Workplace Health Alliance which promotes the benefits of healthy living among staff. FCM remains a vibrant and well-established company with a high public profile gained through the quality work it does and the many highly-skilled people it employs.
fujifilm.eu/uk +44 (0) 1234 572 000
Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems When the Sericol screen ink supplies business, based in Broadstairs Kent, was acquired by the Japanese Company, Fujifilm in 2005, and became Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems (FSIS), the business was at its peak of demand for its screen ink and associated products, with a fledgling Digital inkjet business just starting to make an impact.
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The company’s investment in a state-ofthe-art manufacturing facility, alongside an upgrade to its impressive R&D laboratories, highlights Fujifilm’s long term commitment to the wide format digital sector and builds on its ethos of providing its customers with industry-leading products manufactured to a consistently high standard.
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As the new Digital ink jet technology started to threaten the screen business FSIS had to totally transition its business from one technology to another during the headwind of a recession.
6000 tonnes of ink per year, which will be produced in a variety of packs from 250ml RFID tagged pouches and cartridges up to 10 litre for high productivity wide format printer platforms.
The development, manufacturing techniques, competitors and routes to market of digital inkjet ink are totally different to analogue screen.
At FSIS, one of the core skills is ink design, with an unmatched understanding of ink chemistry, print applications, media, printheads and UV curing. Fujifilm’s design capability encompasses R&D resources, a legacy of ink formulation and vast manufacturing experience.
However, after 7 years; in the year to July 2013 the sales revenue from Digital ink jet exceeded the sales revenue from the heritage Screen business. Also, in January 2013, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems made a bold statement, by opening a new digital inkjet manufacturing plant with new laboratories to cater for this new technology. The company’s investment in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, alongside an upgrade to its impressive R&D laboratories, highlights Fujifilm’s long term commitment to the wide format digital sector and builds on its ethos of providing its customers with industry-leading products manufactured to a consistently high standard. The new digital ink manufacturing facility and R&D upgrade has been two years in planning and development, and is the result of an investment of over £5 million. The new manufacturing facility has a footprint of 1800m², and is built to accommodate a projected annual increase of 56% in production of Digital Inkjet ink at the site, manufactured in a range of batch sizes of up to 4000 litres. The projection reflects the demand for Fujifilm wide format digital inkjet solutions and the success the company has had in helping its customer’s transition to digital in this growing market segment. The facility has the capacity to manufacture
FSIS present success stems from its knowledge of several industries, designing inks for screen, narrow web and wide format inkjet, and the experience it has amassed over decades of listening to its customers and providing products to meet their challenges. The company set a major technological benchmark during the 1970s when it launched its first instant curing UV ink for screen printing. In 1999 it commercialised UV curing inkjet that fuelled the world’s first UV flatbed inkjet printers created by Inca Digital. Marrying the well-known UV benefits with flatbed inkjet technology opened a whole new market, one that grew so rapidly that it won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its role in commercialising the technology. As a pioneer in the field, FSIS will continue to invest to stay at the forefront on UV inkjet technology –“we launched it: we’ll lead it.” FSIS uses a sophisticated manufacturing process where the need for consistent high quality permeates the entire production process. The fundamental aim of this process is to make sure that the product is right first time, every time.
Raw material selection and consistency are key parts of the process and FSIS has established close business partnerships with its suppliers. These partnerships make sure that raw materials meet an agreed specification and that the suppliers operate appropriate quality systems in order to maintain consistency of product and continuity of supply. Production of inkjet inks at FSIS is carried out in a process controlled operation. This recognises the equal importance of both the ink formulation and the production process, and provides controls over every aspect of manufacture to ensure consistency. All parameters such as milling and stir times, speeds and temperature are tightly specified and monitored. Vessels, machines, operators, materials and locations are all bar-coded to record specific operations. A final quality control process is used to confirm that key performance parameters are within defined limits. In 2011 and 2013 FSIS manufacturing facility won the Best Process Plant, “Best Factory Awards” run by Cranfield School of Management. This independent assessment is testament to the process controls that enable production of FSIS high quality inkjet inks. Underpinning the expansion of the inkjet production facilities is FSIS commitment to the environment. It has invested significantly in alternative methods of reducing its environmental footprint in its next generation manufacturing site. Waste energy in the form of heat from production processes and compressed air generation via bespoke new heat exchange system is used to provide 70% of the heating required for the factory. In addition, a new boiler plant incorporates modern, high efficiency modulating condensing boilers that use 40% less fossil fuels than conventional heating systems.
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In 2005 53% of any waste generated by FSIS was sent to landfill. From November 2013 100% of any waste generated is either recycled or sent for energy recovery. As a result FSIS are proud to promote that they send ‘Zero Waste’ to landfill. This work has played its part in FSIS being accredited to the Environmental standard ISO 14001, in addition to the Quality standard ISO 9001. In May 2014 Fujifilm achieved OHSAS 18001 certification, adding Health and Safety as a key focus point.
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The company prides itself on its quality, safety and business excellence. The availability of highly skilled graduates, training support and low overheads have been key to attaining and maintaining its
ge.com/uk
market leadership and its customers.
+1 5135 523 272 (intl)
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GE Aviation Wales GE Aviation Wales specialises in the maintenance, repair and overhaul on a range of commerical jet engines, providing MRO services for more than 90 customers worldwide.
The facility based in Nantgarw, just North of Cardiff, is an example of a global business with a successful Welsh operation that innovates to succeed. Occupying over 1.2 million sq. ft. of workshop space, it has two state-of-the-art engine test facilities and employs a highly skilled workforce of over 1,200 people. The site specialises in four engine types including the GE90, the world’s most powerful aircraft engine, the GP7200, the engine that powers the new Airbus A380, The Rolls–Royce RB211 and the complete range of CFM56 engines, the world’s most popular aircraft engine. With a turnover in excess of $2 billion, the company services over 450 engines a year. The General Electric Company acquired the Nantgarw site in 1991 and has continued its inward investment and funding, ensuring business growth, securing new product introduction and the creation of several Centre of Excellences, firmly establishing its position as a global leader. The company prides itself on its quality, safety and business excellence. The availability of highly skilled graduates, training support and low overheads have been key to attaining and maintaining its market leadership and its customers. The good transport links to the UK airport network allows engines and parts to be brought to the site readily from anywhere in the world. GE places strong focus on providing career opportunities for talented individuals. To help build a successful future, GE Aviation Wales has a well established apprentice, internship and graduate trainee programme. Annually, the company employs up to 150 students a year, with a significant percentage obtaining full-time employment with the company upon completing their traineeships.
As well as the availability of skilled and experienced aircraft engineers, the strength of the mechanical and aerospace engineering departments at the universities across Wales is very important. In 2010, GE Aviation Wales became a Gold Associate of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Wales. GE Aviation Wales has run the award scheme since 2007 and participation in the Award is offered to all of its apprentices as part of its three-year apprenticeship scheme. As well as the availability of skilled and experienced aircraft engineers, the strength of the mechanical and aerospace engineering departments at the universities across Wales is very important. Through education partnerships GE aims to ensure that the company has the right people, trained with the right skills to meet the needs and requirements of its customers, in turn helping to ensure sustainable business growth. In 2013, GE Aviation Wales became Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) centre accredited enabling the business to further develop and up skill existing leaders and support the learning and development of aspiring leaders. Once people join the business they tend to stay, giving the company a very low staff turnover, this highlights the quality and loyalty of its recruits. The business has had many instances of people joining as apprentices or graduates and progressing to become senior leaders not just at GE Aviation Wales but at other GE facilitates across the globe.
Volunteerism is a vibrant part of GE’s culture. GE Aviation Wales has an extensive community programme which includes volunteering, local community projects and charity initiatives. Annually, the company organises and supports the Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge that, in 2010 exceeded the £1 million milestone in fundraising for Ty Hafan - the family hospice for young people. GE Aviation Wales is proud to provide its team with the opportunity to exercise their responsibility, integrity and creativity whilst growing themselves, their careers, and the business. GE is proud to invest in its employees and offers a structured training programme which will help to continue to develop a skilled workforce in Wales, helping the business to maintain its reputation as the leading Assembly, Test & Overhaul site in the world.
gtweed.com +44 (0) 115 9315 777
Greene, Tweed & Co. Greene, Tweed & Co began in 1863 as a distributor of hardware and mill supplies. Since then, the company has grown to become a global manufacturer of highperformance, highly engineered solutions.
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Each product begins with a highperformance material, and Greene, Tweed has continually researched and developed lighter, stronger, cleaner, and more heat-resistant compounds. Cuttingedge design resources allow engineers to provide solutions meeting exact customer specifications
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Making this transition has demanded a constant balance of innovation and resilience in the face of new challenges. And three key elements have formed the basis of this equilibrium: developing strategic insight into critical industry challenges, investment in robust technical capabilities, and inspired employees who turn those capabilities into optimal solutions. Together, these elements have led to the development of products and processes which form the basis of future innovation at Greene, Tweed. The solutions Greene, Tweed designs and manufactures significantly enhance the safety and performance of critical applications in the aerospace, semiconductor, oilfield and petrochemical and power industries. Today, Xycomp® thermoplastic composites are helping the aerospace industry meet crucial efficiency targets by building lighter aircraft. Chemraz® plasma-resistant sealing systems allow semiconductor fabs to use more productive – but harsher – processes to pack greater function into smaller chips. And as rising world energy demand challenges the oil and gas industry to expand into extreme environments, Arlon® 3000 XT back-up rings, connectors, and other solutions enable them to do so with maximum safety and performance. Once extracted, WR® and AR® wear parts facilitate greater efficiency, reliability, and safety in processing plants. These solutions are the latest in a long history of innovation at Greene, Tweed, and each provides value by expanding the limits of customers’ technology. Critical to achieving these solutions has been investing heavily in robust technical capabilities and the people behind them. Each product begins with a high-performance material, and Greene, Tweed has continually researched and developed
lighter, stronger, cleaner, and more heat-resistant compounds. Cutting-edge design resources allow engineers to provide solutions meeting exact customer specifications. And the tools of social business enable collaboration at any time, in any location. In addition, comprehensive manufacturing affords the flexibility to satisfy diverse applications, producing highly optimised and customised solutions. These capabilities could not be maximised without a highly inventive and driven workforce leveraging them. In today’s high-speed world, the ability to generate advanced solutions requires a deep understanding of both customer needs and the technologies that best satisfy them. This crucial synergy enables Greene, Tweed to respond to changing industry demands, and is essential to its success. In 2013, Greene, Tweed celebrated its 150th anniversary. Over the course of its history the company has witnessed the birth of the assembly line, the rise of the internal combustion engine, and the advent of space travel. It has seen a revolution in interconnectivity which has changed business forever. Expansion across Asia, Europe, and the Americas has resulted in a robust organisation with local resources on a global scale. And by remaining focused on partnerships with customers, expanding and improving core capabilities, and investing in people, Greene, Tweed has developed a solid foundation for future innovation. As the organisation continues to evolve, it will remain dedicated to embracing change, advancing technology, and tackling critical industry challenges.
The Manufacturer Opus | 29
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Hayward Tyler continues to be recognised as a global centre of excellence in the design, manufacturing and services of mission-critical pumps and motors for the power generation and oil and gas exploration markets internationally.
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The Manufacturer Opus | 31
haywardtyler.com +44 (0) 1582 731 144
Hayward Tyler “For the company and me personally, seeing Hayward Tyler win two coveted awards at The Manufacturer’s of the Year Awards ceremony was one of the crowning moments of 2013. To explain, in 2011 we embarked on an ambitious programme at Hayward Tyler to overhaul the business’s operations in their entirety.”
“This plan encompassed - but was not limited to initiatives to enhance the efficiency of our supply chain logistics; initiatives to improve the operational lay-out and equipment at our main manufacturing site in Luton; plans to rationalise and upgrade our ICT systems, as well as introducing new training programmes that touched all staff from apprentices to senior managers – all with the sole focus of achieving a more customer responsive and cost effective operation. Two years on from the start of this Continuous Improvement Programme and internally we could see the transformation that was being achieved. Order intake was already up by over 30%, production lead times had been dramatically reduced and capacity significantly expanded. Most importantly, not only could we see revenues and profitability improving but we could see morale starting to soar again after what had been for many the dark days following 2008. Indeed, when Lord Green - the then Minister for Trade - visited in May 2013, the cameras were very much on the visible new equipment and shop-floor lay-out that was now in-place and allowing us to forge ahead in international markets. But for us that only told part of the story as arguably the more significant improvements had been those that sit behind the scenes - and to some extent out of sight to visitors or camera lenses. By this I mean the complete overhaul of our ICT systems onto a single platform so that now management and line managers have complete 360 degree visibility on the business allowing us to anticipate stress points and potential bottle-necks way-ahead of them impacting the production line. Similarly, I am particularly proud of the work we have
done in the field of apprenticeship and training. We have successfully rolled out 5S training to all our staff, expanded our apprenticeship programme and the associated on-the job training apprentices receive, as well as made professional subjects available to our senior managers through MBA courses and similar. This activity dovetails neatly into our renewed emphasis on R&D so as to ensure Hayward Tyler continues to be recognised as a global centre of excellence in the design, manufacturing and services of mission-critical pumps and motors for the power generation and oil and gas exploration markets internationally. Britain has a great heritage in engineering and manufacturing and it is one that we at Hayward Tyler want to continue building. It is for these reasons that we were deeply honoured to win both The Young Manufacturer of the Year and the Information, Communication and Technology categories at the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year Awards. They are great accolades to have won – not least because they form part of an awards programme that is recognised internationally. They are also particularly pertinent to us at Hayward Tyler as we begin preparing for our bi-centenary celebrations in 2015.” Ewan Lloyd-Baker, CEO, Hayward Tyler Group PLC
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The whole site has a great sense of pride that we have a Young Manufacturer of the Year Finalist within our midst. This magnificent achievement is a reflection of the enthusiasm and aptitude Kieran has shown in his development over the last few years
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Hovis Belfast Hovis Belfast, which employees approximately 400 employees, is a division of Premier Foods ended 2013 on a high for several reasons. The company was very proud to have been recognised as the No.1 branded bread supplier in the Northern Ireland marketplace.
hovisbakery.co.uk +44 (0) 8000 223 394
Hovis is the fourth biggest grocery brand in the UK in terms of turnover and is synonymous with bread, thanks to its 130 year history. Produced at Premier’s state of the art facilities comprising of five production lines (Bread, Pancakes, Hotplate, Rolls & Speciality) in Apollo Road in Belfast, consumers can identify with Hovis’s local heritage which has helped to drive sales for the brands. At a corporate level, Hovis is a uniquely successful brand. The business in Belfast is a profitable one with an excellent site full of dedicated people. Hovis Belfast had also been awarded locally, having won a top Northern Ireland marketing award for its most recent marketing campaign. Hovis took a new creative, built on its ‘Baked in Northern Ireland’ credentials, with the iconic Giant’s Causeway being used as its signature. Among the industry accolades, Kieran Given, was shortlisted in the UK at The Manufacturer of the Year Awards. What makes this all the more interesting is that eight years previously he was runner up in the National Apprentice of the Year awards! Kieran joined the business in 2002 as a bakery apprentice, and has worked his way to a management role at the Belfast site, with encouragement and guidance from Premier Foods, he was promoted in 2012 to his current role as a Bread Plant Front Line Manager (FLM). This involved him taking part in a talent review process, various departmental secondments encompassing roles in technical services, hygiene and production. Site Manufacturing Manager, Timothy Roddy, entered him into the Young Manufacturer of the Year 2013.
Kieran was shortlisted in recognition of an individual who is making a significant, quantifiable contribution to the company. Timothy said, “The whole site has a great sense of pride that we have a Young Manufacturer of the Year Finalist within our midst. This magnificent achievement is a reflection of the enthusiasm and aptitude Kieran has shown in his development over the last few years.” So just what qualities does a Manufacturer need to get shortlisted for these prestigious awards? As well as carrying out his day job, to an exacting standard, Kieran is also the Site Environment Champion, and has led various successful projects including the ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ drive which won a Belfast Best Green Business Awards in 2012. Kiernan is also the site Charity Champion, and has helped and encouraged his colleagues to raise over £7k for Macmillan Cancer in 2013, organising such fundraising events as the annual golf outing and a climb to the summit of Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland’s highest mountain. His most recent activity was helping to organise and co-ordinate an employee toy appeal for distribution to Cancer Research UK shops in Northern Ireland. He is also currently undertaking 3 Year part time Bsc Hons degree in Food Technology with project and time –off support from the company. Kieran was also recognised internally as the overall winner of the Premier Foods 2013, Extra Mile Award. And Kieran certainly hasn’t rested on his laurels, as he has enrolled on the 2013/4 Hovis High Potential Programme which prepares talent for the next level of their careers.
John McArthur, Head of Manufacturing – Hovis Southern Region, was also very complimentary of Kieran’s achievements. He said, “The dedication required to combine long hours of study with the challenges of running a complex FMCG operation is one that we all admire. It is great to witness a Young talent develop and evolve over the years to that of an accomplished professional.” Richard Whall, Manufacturing Director, Hovis said, “We are delighted about Kieran’s success. Hovis is keen to develop our core baking expertise and the process that Kieran has been part of where he was recruited as an apprentice baker before working in a number of departments and then being appointed FLM, while also studying at University, is something we are keen to support.” The final word goes to Bob Spooner, Managing Director, Bread and Group Supply Chain, Premier Foods. He said, “We are extremely proud of Kieran’s achievements within Premier Foods. From a Young Apprentice of the Year Runner-Up to being shortlisted as a Young Manufacturer Finalist is indeed testament to Kieran’s journey within the Hovis business. It clearly demonstrates his application and endeavour from one of self-development to that of a valuable and respected employee.”
The Manufacturer Opus | 35
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Having won multiple awards for workforce development, IAC is rightly proud of its IET approved apprentice and technician training scheme. Over 75% of the current workforce came through the apprentice route.
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iac-ltd.co.uk +44 (0) 1633 293 000
Industrial Automation and Control IAC is one of the leading industrial control systems integrators in the UK, with operations world-wide. The company operates from a modern facility in Newport, South Wales, employing over 65 people at this site and another 30 around the world.
IAC has a particular expertise in the application and manufacture of variable speed drive systems, along with vast experience in PLC and SCADA design. IAC engineers possess over 700 man years of experience dating back to the 1970’s. Having won multiple awards for workforce development, IAC is rightly proud of its IET approved apprentice and technician training scheme. Over 75% of the current workforce came through the apprentice route, and this team has been supplemented with graduates and experienced engineers. Last year, two of the company’s apprentices won the Gold Medal at the 2013 UK Skills competition, beating off opposition from around the UK. They are now preparing for the World Skills competition in Brazil. The company is approved and authorised as proficient in the use and application of equipment manufactured by the world’s leading electrical manufacturers. IAC has approval from Siemens, ABB, Rockwell, Schneider, Omron, GE, Mitsubishi, and many others. The industrial focus of IAC is spread across almost every industry. IAC have successfully installed systems in Metals, Paper, Materials Handling, Chemicals, Oil and Gas, Pharmaceuticals, Aggregates, Converting, Plastics, Aeronautical, Automotive, Munitions and Food and Beverage. Regular customers include Tata, Metso Minerals, Eastman, Amazon, In Bev, Dupont, Siemens Metal Technologies, Evoqua, Cumberland…… The company has a policy of internal development which it stringently applies. The main asset of a systems
integrator is the skill set of the people delivering the solutions and with this in mind, IAC has implemented a continuous professional development programme along the lines of that applied by the IET. Services IAC offers a range of services to heavy industry as well as the core product of systems integration. Divisions within the business include …. IAC Process – operating I the process industries, but primarily in water. IAC is part of the Welsh Water systems partner framework and has implemented large control systems for both clean water and waste water treatment. IAC Service – is a totally autonomous division dedicated to providing 24/7 breakdown cover. Operating alongside the IAC systems business, IAC Service offers a contractual after sales service for contracted customers. The division operates independently and concentrates wholly on the maintenance of existing installed equipment, of any manufacture. They can offer a comprehensive Profibus diagnostic service to identify issues and offer advice on solutions for all sorts of communications systems. IAC Training – provides standard and bespoke training courses for customers in many disciplines, including PLC’s (Siemens, Rockwell, Mitsubishi), variable speed drives (Siemens, ABB, Parker), safety systems (Pilz, Siemens) and communications networks (Profibus, Profinet). Training can be delivered at our Newport premises in one of our dedicated rooms, or at the customer’s premises.
IAC Security manufacture closed circuit monitoring systems for industry. Specialising in process monitoring and recording, the division can design, install and commission bespoke systems, including hazardous area equipment, over the whole spectrum of industries. IAC Group In addition to the systems business, IAC also own a group of companies offering a diverse, but integrated package for the electrical and electronic markets. IACems offer a contract manufacturing service for box build and PCB manufacture. The company has a single surface mount assembly line including two pick and place machines, as well as flow soldering machines and hand assembly bays. The business is located in the centre of Newport. IAC Engineering is a special purpose machinery manufacturer based in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire. The company designs and builds bespoke assembly machinery for the automotive, munitions and general manufacturing markets. They also have a large presence in the logistics market, providing parcel sorting systems, conveying and sensing. IAC Overseas IAC have a large presence in overseas markets, particularly in South Africa, where they have two wholly owned companies. IAC-SA is an extension of the UK systems business, providing automation and drive systems to the metals and materials handling industries from its base in Benoni, Gauteng, close to Johannesburg.
The company has a solid customer base, including Hulamin Aluminium and Columbus Stainless. Tiprow Controls is a manufacturer of motor control centres and other electrical control equipment, operating out of the same Benoni factory as IAC-SA. Tiprow has been providing MCC’s for the mining and metals industries in South Africa for over thirty years and was taken over by IAC in 2009. IAC have a strong presence in both Dubai and China, with agents in both. Recently, IAC has formed a joint venture company in the UK to handle materials handling projects in these areas. The new company, ABIAC, is 50% owned with Ashton Bulk Handling, and is dedicated to providing a full turnkey design and build service for all bulk handling projects, including Tipplers, Stacker Reclaimers, etc..
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED itl.co.uk +44 (0) 1233 638 383
Integrated Technologies Ltd Sub-contract manufacturing is a big part of what they do at Integrated Technologies Ltd (ITL). Over their 36+ years in business they have continually invested in their plant, resources and facilities yielding dramatic increases in productivity and costeffectiveness for their clients.
Their main factory is located in Ashford, Kent, just a stone’s throw away from the international station and the M20. Their product design, development and manufacturing services are audited and accredited to ISO BSEN 9001, ISO BSEN 13485 and FDA GMP 21 CFR part 820. Walking on to the 3,000m2 factory floor you are greeted by a network of individual work cells, each one representing one of their client’s “own factories” within ITL. Cellular manufacture allows ITL to closely control their client’s projects and each cell has fully approved works instructions, tools, jigs and fixtures, testing facilities and packing areas. The complexity and sensitivity of the mechatronic devices made at ITL means that the majority of the assembly process is still done manually. That said, they have embraced the benefits of automating assembly and test wherever possible. As an example, at the far end of the production floor there is an automated surface mount line. This consists of a Speedprint avi210 Screen Printer, Europlacer iineo1 SMT Pick and Place, Hexi SF520 reflow oven and a Saki BF-Voyager automatic optical inspection machine. Historically ITL has predominantly focused on the medical and instrumentation markets however they now have a much more diverse order book. Currently they have around 20 different projects in production simultaneously including the DySIS floor standing video Coloposcopy System, Bedfont Scientific’s Nitric Oxide delivery and monitoring system for premature babies and the Endomagnetics Sentimag, used during breast cancer surgery. Some of ITL’s clients use only part of their full suite of manufacturing capabilities, for example they manufacture specialized PCB’s and wiring and cable looms for companies such as Meggitt Defense Systems.
ITL also have wholly-owned manufacturing facility in Shanghai and a sales and servicing center in Virginia, USA. The Chinese factory gives their customers access to Far East distribution channels, suppliers and potential cost advantages and is almost a mirror image of the UK site with the addition of a clean room, vital for the production of certain classes of medical device. ITL Virginia is a relatively new addition to the ITL group and helps US based customers and end-users to keep their instruments alive with repairs, refurbishments, maintenance and technical assistance. The focus for 2014 is on R&D profits. ITL is much more than a manufacturing company. Their full service solution spans the entire lifecycle of the development of a new product. They work with their clients to bring their ideas to life, offering concept work-up and feasibility studies, product design, production engineering, regulatory compliance and accreditation, manufacturing and a bespoke aftersales service. Their R&D department is home to a team of highly skilled and experienced electronics, mechanical, software, firmware and systems engineers. This means that they are able to design, prototype and test products both inside and out from casework and packaging to PCB layout and mechatronics. Their R&D and Manufacturing departments operate cooperatively, fully supported by the production engineering team, with a focus on design for manufacture. Working in this way and having all of these functions under one roof facilitates a seamless transfer from design to pilot production and ultimately full scale manufacturing. This is one of the major reasons that customers both come to, and more importantly stay with ITL. Many of ITL’s manufacturing projects started life as R&D projects and vice versa, meaning that even if a
client originally comes to them for one specific service they often decide to fully integrate their business with ITL’s. One of the many success stories is the TREK range of laboratory instruments. Initially a manufacturing contract, ITL’s engineers were asked to completely redesign the range. Taking a value engineering approach, ITL were able to dramatically reduce the cost of the products whilst increasing the efficiency and accuracy. ITL have subsequently been contracted to product the third generation of one of the instruments. Such is their understanding of the product development process that in 2006 they began to develop their own range of laboratory instruments under the Vitl Life Science Solutions brand. The first Vitl product was the Variable Temperature Sealer for microplates which is now one of the best-selling heat sealers on the market. The ever-growing Vitl product offering currently comprises a variety of solutions for microplate handling and storage encompassing innovation, quality and ergonomics. The most recent addition to the Vitl family is the Co-Mix, the first product of its kind to allow simultaneous microplate or tube mixing and vortexing. It was the Co-Mix that earned ITL a place in the finals of The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2013.
The Manufacturer Opus | 37
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ITL is much more than a manufacturing company. Their full service solution spans the entire lifecycle of the development of a new product. They work with their clients to bring their ideas to life, offering concept work-up and feasibility studies, product design, production engineering, regulatory compliance and accreditation, manufacturing and a bespoke aftersales service.
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The Manufacturer Opus | 39
jamescropper.com +44 (0)1539 722 002
James Cropper Paper Founded by James Cropper in 1845 and run today by his great-great-great grandson Mark Cropper, the company is renowned globally for its fine papers. With anything possible in the range of colour, texture and surface finish, the possibilities for this natural medium are boundless.
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Continual investment has kept James Cropper at the forefront of papermaking technology and expertise, this works hand-in-hand with skill and craftsmanship handed down through generations to enable the creation of truly exceptional papers.
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Papers created in the English Lake District by James Cropper, complement and enhance the image of brands all around the world, from fashion houses and department stores to smart-phone giants. James Cropper’s fine uncoated papers can subtly transform the appeal of all manner of items ranging from corporate brochures, coverings for hardback books and uniquely engineered packaging to framing, display and archive storage amongst other specialist applications. Continual investment has kept James Cropper at the forefront of papermaking technology and expertise, this works hand-in-hand with skill and craftsmanship handed down through generations to enable the creation of truly exceptional papers. At its base in the English Lake District, the James Cropper team has the back-up of one of the world’s most advanced papermaking operations and a technical laboratory, staffed by paper scientists ready to create yet more unique and eye catching papers. James Cropper’s philosophy is to ensure successful creation and delivery of bespoke papers through direct relationships with customers, as well as careful management throughout the supply chain. Alongside a sampling service for delivery of papers for prototyping and design development, the team has a wealth of knowledge and expertise and can assist in translating a design concept into beautiful and functional papers that provide perfect canvas for a wide variety of applications. As might be expected of a business located in the beautiful English Lakes, the environmental credentials of James Cropper paper is second to none, with all products able to be certified to FSC® standards or
their equivalents. Responsible use and sourcing of our natural raw materials is something we have been committed to for generations, and we work hand in hand with Natural England and the Environment Agency to promote the protection and future of species in our local environment. Our environmental stewardship encompasses all aspects of the business, from sustainable fibre sources in Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal, production efficiencies, investment in alternative energy to waste management. 2013 was a very exciting year for James Cropper in environmental terms, with the commissioning of a new hydro plant and an award winning recycled fibre facility being officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen. James Cropper has been investing for many years in low-carbon energy solutions, and for two decades has been using a quality assured combined heat and power (CHP) plant for its energy needs. In tandem with this highly efficient CHP technology, James Cropper has been investigating local renewable energy options and worked closely with Ellergreen Hydro to commission a non-polluting hydro scheme located close to the mill on the river Kent. Like many paper mills, James Cropper has always recycled its own waste, but found that external sources of high quality recycled fibre were limited. In its search for a recycled fibre with the attributes of a virgin fibre pulp, the company discovered high quality fibre in the form of the burgeoning waste from the UK’s paper coffee cup industry, and so decided to develop technology to recycle the fibre from this mixed waste product.
Until now, the plastic content of cups has made them unsuitable for use in papermaking. In the UK alone, an estimated 2.5 billion paper cups go to landfill. James Cropper’s £5 million investment in an innovative coffee cup recycling plant enables the company to significantly increase the recycled content of its papers without compromising on quality - in line with its vision to produce the world’s finest environmental papers.
The Manufacturer Opus | 41
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In recognition of our novel concepts and the quality of our product development, Kinnerton Confectionery has received many awards.
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Kinnerton (Confectionery) Ltd Established in 1978, Kinnerton has grown to become an £80+ million turnover business, with a significant presence on both sides of the world. Operating from multiple locations here in the UK, Sydney, Australia and in Hong Kong and France.
kinnerton.com +44 (0) 2072 849 500
The Kinnerton brand is no ordinary brand - as well as being the first brand to offer character chocolate in the UK back in 1978, it is also one of the few UK confectionery companies, that offers ‘nut safe’ chocolate.
WORKPLACES
Kinnerton, and its sister companies;- Lir and Humdinger are wholly owned subsidiaries of Zertus GmbH. A privately run company, founded in 1862 with holdings in the food and confectionery business within Europe.
KINNERTON FACTORIES
Kinnerton Confectionery develops an extensive range of seasonal and everyday confectionery with a range that includes indulgent count lines, clusters, Easter eggs, Advent calendars, chocolate bars, chocolate figurines as well as luxury and novelty shaped biscuits. As well as manufacturing private label products for many of the best known retailers around the world;France, Australia, Japan and all the major retailers in the UK. In recognition of our novel concepts and the quality of our product development, Kinnerton Confectionery has received many awards, including; - The Lima Product License of the Year,[three times] as well as The Disney Licensee Sales Team of the Year. In 2013 Kinnerton launched a truly innovative range of branded licensed confectionery; - Magnum, Cornetto and Mini Milk chocolates. The shopper response to this range, has been so positive, that it is being expanded, thus bringing more innovation and interest to the confectionery market.
HEAD OFFICE London - UK and International Sales, Marketing, Innovation and Design Studio
Fakenham, Norfolk – Comprising of four separate business units – moulded chocolate, novelty items and high end specialist nut products, as well as a dedicated packing and wrapping facility – Fakenham is at the heart of Kinnerton’s day to day manufacturing operations. A 125,000 square food site, it employs over 700 personnel and utilises some of the latest technology around. Sherburn in Elmet, York – Since we acquired this site over 3 years ago, it’s won substantial new business, including direct sales to retailers and major brand producers. Investment on the factory’s chocolate and yoghurt coating capability, as well as the 30,000 sq ft combined warehouse and production extension has been recently been completed. The future is bright!
man-group.co.uk +44 (0) 8450 346 676
Man Group The sum is better than its individual parts, an old cliché that certainly rings true for the Midlands Assembly Network. There is nothing quite like the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN) in the world and it’s not difficult to see why.
The very concept of manufacturers working together, sharing best practice, staff, ideas and above all being transparent with each other is pretty much unheard of…well outside of promotional videos that is. Many organisations have tried to replicate the MAN model, but none have been able to fall upon the magic formula that has seen ten companies develop a high profile brand and, importantly, secure more than £30m of orders over a period of 7 years. And those of us with long memories will remember that, that period of time wasn’t exactly kind to UK manufacturing. The strength is in numbers. MAN offers technical excellence in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering and can now take a job from the roughest sketch on a notepad through to full design, prototyping, manufacture and fulfilment.
we work…every project we undertake has to have a tangible impact on the bottom line for at least of one of our members. If not, it’s simply not worth progressing.” Public sector funding ran out in 2009 and the members at the time were left with the decision to continue the group or call it a day. “There was never any question really,” explained Tony, who in his day job is Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems, a global leader in electrical control systems, cable harnesses and sub contract manufacturing. “We knew we had something special and it was worth the investment – about £10,000 a year. “It seems like it was a good judgement call as we’re stronger than ever and winning new work all the time. About £4m in the twelve months has been generated through being part of the Midlands Assembly Network.”
Working under one strong brand, the group promotes itself as a single-source solution, an increasingly appealing trend for customers who are keen to rationalise their supply chains after experiencing problems in recent years.
So who is involved in MAN? It works on the basis of nine manufacturing companies all offering a different form of engineering discipline…no competition is what really makes it tick.
It has a proven track record of taking cost out of the manufacturing process by coming up with innovative engineering solutions and reducing material content.
The only other criteria being you must be based in the Midlands and prepared to embrace the ‘collaboration’ ethic.
Current Chairman of MAN Tony Hague picked up the story: “The Midlands Assembly Network was set up with Government funding in 2006, basically as way of trying to retain some of the work going overseas.
Three of the founding members are still involved today – Alucast, Barkley Plastics and Brandauer with the original companies joined by Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE), Grove Design, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems and PCB specialists SMT Developments.
“It was built on the principles of collaborative working and this is still very much a central theme of how
Together, they operate from 10 world class factories, turnover a combined £60m annual sales and employ 650 people…20 of whom are apprentices learning their trade. Customers stretch across more than 30 different countries and every sector imaginable, ranging in size from global leaders to small inventors looking to bring a new product to market.
This is where MAN comes into the equation. With the arrival of Grove into the group comes the experience and expertise of a specialist design and prototyping studio and this is already proving instrumental in a host of new projects, including work for Guardfreight and Loqski.
“I don’t think there’s a market that MAN doesn’t provide some form of component to,” explained ACE’s Alan Rollason.
The beauty of the Midlands Assembly Network is that clients can choose any element of the engineering expertise and, as things move forward, the infrastructure is already in place to easily ramp up production from small batches to high volume fulfilment in a matter of days.
“Automotive is naturally a big field for us, as is aerospace, construction rail, marine, medical, electronics and increasingly the low carbon arena.
“A major focus last year was on building relationships with Universities and technology hubs across the Midlands,” explained Tony.
“Our member firms have been involved with some really exciting projects too, including components for the Olympic Torch, Formula 1 cars, next generation aircraft and even the Large Hadron Collider that discovered the ‘God particle’.”
“Academia has realised that they need manufacturers to help commercialise their advancements in materials and processes and we’ll never turn our back on something that can give us competitive advantage.
Bridging the valley of death A lot has been written about the ‘valley of death’ that currently plagues many UK inventors faced with bringing a new product or technology to market. Some of the best ideas have fallen at the costly hurdle of taking the designs and turning them into a prototype that can be tested for feasibility and market opportunity. Most of the time this is due to running out of funding, but on a number of occasions it can be down to the fact that many manufacturers don’t actually have the capability to produce complex one-offs.
“It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement and the key is to work with them at the earliest stage and contributeto the process. That way, everybody wins and this is an approach we’re already using with the likes of the Warwick Manufacturing Group.” “Have we overcome the high profile ‘valley of death’? Not yet, but we’re certainly finding ways of bridging the gap.”
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Working under one strong brand, the group promotes itself as a single-source solution, an increasingly appealing trend for customers who are keen to rationalise their supply chains after experiencing problems in recent years.
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(l-r) Phil and John Rowley of SMT Developments
Workers at PP Electrical Systems’ factory in the West Midlands.
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mbda-systems.com +44 (0) 1179 693 866
MBDA
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An excellent partnership with education has strengthened MBDA’s recruitment. Strong links with local schools and colleges are often utilised to recruit apprentices, whilst simultaneously raising the awareness
MBDA, a multi-national group with 10,000 employees in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the USA (60 per cent in Technical and Engineering functions), has always invested in its apprenticeship programme and provides an accelerated learning experience for students, some with no previous experience in an engineering environment.
MBDA conduct a four year programme for their Engineering Apprenticeships, this includes a variety of work placements for example in Test Engineering, Design or Mechanical Engineering. Alongside these work placements, they also attend Wigan and Leigh or Oakland’s College, to complete ONC, HNC and HND qualifications. They are also assessed up to NVQ Level 4 by our partners, Alliance Learning. Furthermore, this programme accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institution Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). The Business Apprenticeship programme operates in a similar format, with a rotation of placements throughout the more commercial functions including Procurement, Logistics and Project Management. Business Apprentices also complete a Business Management BA (Hons) degree part-time at either Bolton or Hertfordshire University and accreditation up to NVQ Level 4 along with a City and Guilds Senior Award at Level 4. An excellent partnership with education has strengthened MBDA’s recruitment. Strong links with local schools and colleges are often utilised to recruit apprentices, whilst simultaneously raising the awareness of the benefits of an apprenticeship programme to young students. MBDA have won several awards in this category including the 2012 Manufacturing Excellence for education links. Moreover, they hold annual events such as robotics and glider competitions which help to get young people enthusiastic about a career in a manufacturing environment. MBDA commented ‘Our development programme makes apprentices well qualified for working in an
advanced technology company like MBDA. It has a highly structured and monitored programme that has a strong focus on personal and professional development as well as academia.’ If you are looking to leave school at 16, 17 or 18, why not consider an apprenticeship with MBDA Missile System at Bolton with a starting salary of £11,000. This apprenticeship scheme is recognised as one of the leading apprentice development programmes in the UK, winning 20 Regional and National Awards since 1997. Their apprentices reflect this success having individually received 136 Regional and National Awards. The apprenticeship programme ensures it meets MBDA’s business needs whilst also supporting each apprentice as an individual. There are two main apprenticeship schemes in either engineering or business which offer the young employees a competitive salary, company benefits, preferential rate for private healthcare and a pension scheme. The company offers extensive development programmes, whilst playing a key role in promoting apprenticeships nationally as a viable and cost effective alternative to full-time University courses. As a snapshot of their recent apprentice success, Anna Schultmann, a Logistics apprentice at MBDA, recently won the Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year at The Manufacturer of the Year Awards and the year before Beth Sherbourne won the National Higher Apprentice of the Year. On starting at MBDA, apprentices attend two Personnel Development courses which take place in Wales; course one develops essential Team Building and Communication skills, whereas course two concentrates on Project Management and
of the benefits of an apprenticeship programme to young students.
Leadership. In addition to this, the young employees work as ambassadors for the Apprenticeship Scheme, visiting careers fairs, organising workshops at local schools, giving presentations in secondary schools and representing MBDA at Farnborough International Air Show. There is even the opportunity to take part in the World Skills Olympics that showcases exceptional Engineering skills, which has seen past Apprentices compete in Canada, Japan and Switzerland, to name a few. Heather Peach, engineering apprentice at MBDA, has recently represented the MBDA in the UK Skills competition for electrical engineering. With the experience of a real working environment and a string of qualifications under their belt, the final aspect of the Apprentices’ Formal Development Programme is their Personal Development in which they immensely benefit. The opportunities at MBDA are endless. Currently, the company has 63 apprentices: 23 in Lostock and 40 in Stevenage. There are 24 Business apprentices and 39 are engineering apprentices, with a ratio of 35 women to 28 men. The benefits the apprentices offer to MBDA are extensive: long-term commitment, skills planning, innovative ideas, enthusiasm, flexibility, high retention rates and significant cost savings. This is due to reduced recruitment and training costs as committed staff are willing to pass on their skills and knowledge to new intakes each year. Not only is each Apprentice assigned a mentor to oversee their progress, but they also record their development by completing a comprehensive logbook throughout their four year Apprenticeship, and
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attend numerous intensive training courses. Therefore, it is not surprising that MBDA boasts a 95% plus retention rate of its young apprentices after the four year scheme, in which Lostock has a 100% retention rate. To qualify for consideration, candidates of the Business Apprenticeship Scheme must be at least have at least 300 UCAS points whereas the Engineering Apprenticeship is open with at least 5 pass GCSEs with Math, Science and English at grade B or above.
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As a UK business with a unique approach to manufacturing, the company strives to create cutting-edge tyres that provide outstanding performance.
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michelin.co.uk +44 (0) 1782 402 000
Michelin UK Leading manufacturer Michelin UK has a rich heritage dating back more than 100 years. The company is proud of its history of producing long-lasting, fuel-efficient tyres that offer high levels of grip and safety. Michelin is also involved in a wealth of other activities including tyre industry training, economic development and publishing the world-famous Michelin guides.
Michelin was first established in the UK in 1905. It saw a growing demand for motor vehicles and decided to open a factory to supply domestic car makers and other customers with tyres. Choosing the right site for its manufacturing plant was vital and the search ranged far and wide. Stoke-on-Trent was chosen as the ideal location in 1926 and the first tyre rolled off the Stoke assembly line in November 1927. With its long-established roots in Stoke-on-Trent, this has grown to become its UK head office and commercial headquarters as well as the location of its truck tyre re-treading factory and tyre industry training centre. Michelin now has major tyre factories in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, which produces bus and truck tyres, and Dundee where car tyres are manufactured. In fact today, Michelin makes more than nine million tyres in the UK every year. Michelin employs more than 2,500 people in the UK, and it is committed to supporting and developing its workforce. As a UK business with a unique approach to manufacturing, the company strives to create cutting-edge tyres that provide outstanding performance. It also endeavours to drive innovation, support the manufacturing sector as a whole and create sustainable jobs and training opportunities. Michelin’s approach to environmental issues – respect for the environment Respect for the environment has been at the heart of Michelin’s values for more than 100 years. The business is committed to developing ever-more sustainable manufacturing processes and to considering its impact on the environment. It is also committed to operating responsibly and ethically and, wherever possible, to promoting economic development in the communities surrounding its factories.
Michelin has adopted a programme of continuous improvement in the production of its tyres. Although the manufacturing process accounts for less than 10 per cent of a tyre’s environmental impact (the remainder occurs during its use on a vehicle), Michelin has implemented a strategy to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. This includes actions to achieve zero waste to landfill, starting with waste from the manufacturing process itself. The two key elements to achieving this objective were to avoid generating the waste in the first place, and then find ways of reusing and recycling all remaining process waste. In the UK, the company’s process yield is more than 98 per cent, making its scrap level just over one per cent. That’s world class for industry, and for many businesses would be considered exceptional. However in Michelin terms, its global benchmark is less than one per cent as it aims to achieve world class performance. To achieve these targets, the company has worked with waste recycling organisations and has now found recycling outlets for all raw materials and their derivatives. A benefit of this strategy has been significant annual savings in landfill taxes for Michelin’s Ballymena site. The recycling rate for the three Michelin plants in the UK for both the process and non-process streams is an outstanding 99 per cent. The business has also prioritised energy efficiency, and Michelin has two 2.3 MW wind turbines at both its Dundee and Ballymena manufacturing sites. The turbines significantly reduce the company’s dependence on conventional carbon-emitting fuels, with any additional electricity generated entering the local grid. To date, the turbines in Dundee have produced well over 43 million kWh of energy and they provide around 30 per cent of the electricity
required for the factory. Installation of the turbines in Ballymena should provide 10 per cent of the electricity requirements of the site. Beyond manufacturing Michelin is keen to support local communities, both socially through participation in local initiatives and in the form of economic development support. Michelin also plays a pivotal role in educating its employees and local residents on the importance of road safety and tyre maintenance. Road safety is a message that Michelin takes very seriously, and as part of a CSR charter, known as Performance and Responsibility Michelin (PRM) which has been running for over a decade, it has supported many worthwhile projects in and around its manufacturing operations and across the country. One example is the long-running road safety show, ‘Routes – The Teenage Highway Code’, performed by puppeteer Steve Wright. The hard-hitting show highlights the importance of young drivers taking responsibility for their own actions, the dangers of peer pressure, and how individuals can become positive role models to their friends. The puppeteer tackles key messages in a memorable way – using life-size puppets as a medium to retell the real stories of teenagers affected by fatal road accidents. Michelin also helps to support the regeneration of local businesses and manufacturers through the Michelin Development Fund, which was set up to offer financial support to small- and medium-sized enterprises in the areas in which Michelin operates. Applicants not only receive financial help, but also valuable business advice from experts at Michelin and support is available for viable projects that can
demonstrate the potential to create or safeguard sustainable jobs. To date, over 190 businesses have benefited from more than £5 million of Michelin Development funding – helping to create more than 2,300 jobs and giving high-potential small companies the chance to grow. Michelin is so much more than a leading tyre manufacturer, it’s also a responsible business which is committed to supporting local economies and driving innovation and change which will help to sustain and create employment.
milliken.com 864 503 2020 (intl)
Milliken European Airbag Products Milliken is an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865. Every day, our community of innovators is invigorated by the challenge of finding creative ways to enhance people’s lives and make the world around us easier, safer, more sustainable and more beautiful.
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Over the last two years, Milliken’s airbag business at the Wellington Mill has competed for a number of awards with the view of testing itself externally against the best businesses in the UK and to drive its continuous improvement program.
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With 39 manufacturing facilities located in the U.S., U.K., Belgium, France and China, and with other sales and service operations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, Milliken’s nearly 7,000 associates work to create entirely new customer experiences, build for the future and create products that do good for the world. Milliken European Airbag Products and the Wellington Mill Built in the Lancashire heartlands of the industrial revolution in 1864, the Wellington Mill has always been a textile plant. Products and processes have advanced from traditional cotton processing to modern man-made fibres, the application of chemical coatings to fabric rolls and industrial laser part profile cutting. In 2014, the Wellington Mill will celebrate 150 years, 50 of those years under the ownership of Milliken & Company. Today, we manufacture safety critical airbag fabric for automotive vehicles and we are proud to demonstrate to all visitors how we have transformed a traditional textile mill into a world class manufacturing operation in all aspects of how we do business. It is in Milliken & Company’s DNA to improve, and whether it is applying deep science, unique insights or innovative designs to processes and products, the company strives to be the best. Our goal in manufacturing is not simply maintaining high operational performance levels but continuously improving them. By striving for zero off quality and zero losses we stretch conventional thinking and reach standards that have not been met before.
At the Wellington Mill, sustaining world class Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), operational excellence, maximising output, running 24/7, and effective visual management enable us to be competitive in the global automotive airbag market. However, it has been the investment, engagement and trust in our 130 associates that has enabled our business to truly flourish -- accepting continual change and totally embracing modern LEAN methodologies across our whole enterprise. Our passionate and enthusiastic associates work in cross functional teams to aid their understanding of products, processes and customer requirements. We believe we have 130 continuous improvement engineers that help us achieve our goals. We believe that world class levels can be achieved by any company in any sector, which is why we offer to share our experience gained over many years to interested companies through our consultancy, Performance Solutions by Milliken. It starts with the desire (and in some cases, need) to improve. This may be higher OEE levels, reduced off quality levels or even cost reduction demands from the customer. A small success is replicated from one machine to another, or one process to another, leading to expansion of best practice. Disengaged associates see the benefits of the improvements as more often than not it makes their job easier. Milliken’s Performance Solutions business specialises in this area and works with clients across different market sectors. The Wellington Mill has become the UK model site for Performance Solutions by Milliken, and represents one of the best examples of Milliken’s operational excellence.
Over the last two years, Milliken’s airbag business at the Wellington Mill has competed for a number of awards with the view of testing itself externally against the best businesses in the UK and to drive its continuous improvement program. Winning the 2013 World Class Manufacturing award at The Manufacturer of the Year ceremony was, without doubt, the pinnacle of this process and would not have been possible without an educated and engaged workforce, robust processes and a desire to improve. The award reinforces the work that we have been doing and demonstrates that the business has achieved world class status after a rigorous submission and assessment process. Everyone within the business is delighted to have been recognised in this way.
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Established in 1967, MAEL has a strong market position and reputation and through strong leadership, industry leading deliverables, motivated and high performing teams, who have embraced lean principles enabled the business to grow significantly over the past four years.
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Monarch Aircraft Engineering Award winning UK based Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organisation, Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL) is part of The Monarch Group and provides important aircraft maintenance services from its principal bases at London Luton Airport (headquarters), Birmingham Airport and Manchester Airport to the Monarch Airlines fleet and a growing number of blue-chip, third-party customers.
monarchaircraftengineering.com +44 (0)1582 398 644
At all locations MAEL perform A checks up to heavy C and D checks, line maintenance, engineering and technical support, with EASA and GCAA Part 21 Subpart J Design Organisation Approval and Management Services Part M, AOG support, component and full material support, spares trading, aircraft engine services and EASA Part 147 Approved technical type training. Line maintenance is carried out within the UK and overseas with permanent line stations established at London Gatwick, London Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Malaga, Alicante, Canary Islands, Warsaw, Kiev, Goa and the Maldives, where technical handling is carried out on Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A300-600, A300B4, A310, A320 family, A330, Embraer 170, 175, 190, 195 and Bombardier Q400 aircraft. Established in 1967, MAEL has a strong market position and reputation and through strong leadership, industry leading deliverables, motivated and high performing teams, who have embraced lean principles enabled the business to grow significantly over the past four years to become a major player in a global market with a client base located in east and west Europe, Middle East, Australia and North America. In November 2013, MAEL officially opened a brand new multi-million pound maintenance hangar at Birmingham Airport. The facility, which immediately created 150 new jobs, also has the potential to add a further 150 posts. The 110,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility supports the continuing growth of MAEL’s high quality aircraft engineering activities. The new facility can accommodate almost every aircraft type in its two bays, incorporates industry-leading design and build standards, and is one of the first to have the capacity
for Boeing 787 Dreamliner maintenance, with sufficient capacity for other wide body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777, 747 and Airbus A350. It is large enough to accommodate two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft or 10 narrow-body aircraft and will contain a number of component-repair and back shops. The vast building, covering c2.5 acres is big enough to house four full size football pitches, 2400 Minis or 450 double decker buses. In its first month of operation, seven different aircraft types entered the facility for maintenance which included Airbus A300, A320 and A321, Boeing 757 and 767, Embraer 195 and Bombardier Q400. MAEL has superior knowledge in maintaining legacy fleets and is also a leading MRO for new technology aircraft, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, where MAEL provides technical support to the first European Boeing 787 Dreamliner, LOT Polish Airlines from a line maintenance facility in Warsaw. MAEL also has the capacity to carry out Boeing 787 Dreamliner maintenance at their Manchester and newly opened Birmingham base maintenance facility. MAEL is also one of a small number of Boeing-approved GoldCare providers worldwide. MAEL are at the forefront in the need to put safety and efficiency at the heart of aircraft maintenance by bringing in enhanced performance and control inventory giving greater visibility when it comes to tool control. In 2013 MAEL agreed to partner with global tooling solutions specialist, Snap-on Industrial. The partnership sees the replacement of all MAEL engineers personal tooling at its new maintenance facility at Birmingham Airport with Snap-on Industrial’s world leading Level 5 tool control system, providing complete security and accountability. MAEL is one of the first aircraft maintenance providers in the UK to
replace all its existing engineers’ personal tools to such an extent with company owned tooling and represents a major shift in working practices for the company. The new facility at Birmingham will ensure the continued growth of MAEL’s highly regarded apprenticeship scheme, now in its 42nd year. More than 700 apprentices have been through the scheme since its inception. With all of this experience we still continue to uphold our reputation for producing high calibre engineers for the industry. The current four year scheme is based on the knowledge and practical requirements of the City and Guilds NVQ Level 3 Apprenticeship in Aeronautical Engineering as well as the EASA Part 66 ‘A’ Licence. Both qualifications concentrate heavily on the students gaining excellent hand skills and a rounded understanding of the whole of the aircraft maintenance field. In 2013 a graduation ceremony took place at Monarch Aircraft Engineering Training Academy for nine successful apprentices who achieved NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Performing Engineering Operations, NVQ Level 3 in Aeronautical Engineering and EASA Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence Category ‘A’. Today, some 60% of the world’s airline carriers outsource heavy maintenance work, with a global MRO market worth $49 billion. This is predicted to grow to $65 billion over the next 10 years (Source: Aerostrategy). The Birmingham hangar will enable MAEL to service a greater share of the growing market for aircraft maintenance service in the UK and Europe. Its own third-party maintenance activities have grown to 30% of business in 2013 from 18% in 2010, and over the next two years this is planned to increase to almost 42% of turnover.
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Building stronger and closer relationships with their brewing and food manufacturing colleagues who are also our customers gave them competitive advantage in their discussions on securing sustainably sourced raw materials.
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muntons.com +44 (0) 1449 618 300
Muntons Muntons builds supply chain relationships for sustainable future business.
Over the past 5 years Muntons has built an enviable reputation for being the greenest maltster. Sustainability for Muntons is not about being clever enough to calculate carbon or water footprint or reduce energy and raw material usage and waste, although of course all these are important and all diminish their environmental impact - and in all those areas they have made remarkable progress. Muntons has been very successful in gaining accolades for sustainability but the aim has been to use that recognition to develop opportunities to engage with supply chain partners at different levels. Sustainability for Muntons is very much aligned with the triple bottom line: People, Profit, Planet. Sustainability just for the sake of good PR is not their aim and this alone will not strengthen their business. Muntons success in winning the Sustainable Manufacturer of the Year Award at The Manufacturer of the Year ceremony 2011 and being a finalist in 2013 gave them great confidence that their message was being well received. A significant new sphere of influence is a seat at the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) business group with a combined turnover of around $1 trillion. It has enabled Muntons to engage with other supply chain partners who source other crops from farms growing malting barley. The aim? To agree what sustainable metrics and practices growers should adopt so that farmers are not faced with multiple audits of good sustainable practice. This aim, although laudable in itself, is a secondary benefit to Muntons in protecting their raw material. Building stronger and closer relationships with their brewing and food manufacturing colleagues who are also their customers gave them competitive advantage in their discussions on securing sustainably sourced raw materials.
For some years now Muntons has shared its data on ethical practices with key customers through a database called the Suppliers Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX). This has been a voluntary scheme to enter information on what are called the four pillars of ethical trading: Labour Standards; Health and Safety; Environment; Business Practices. During a three-day verification audit exhaustive checks were made of policies and procedures affecting their staff, health, safety and environmental procedures, policies on bribery, whistle blowing, staff facilities and communication of sustainability and ethics. Muntons was praised by the auditor for a number of particularly good points that were noted as being different to the norm. They have achieved ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO50001 – the latter being the first time the auditor had found any facility with this important energy management standard. A clear Green Travel policy and Cycle to work Scheme have been implemented at Muntons to actively promote sustainability within the company and through the supply chain. They publish a high quality of information to many audiences. In a recent anonymous staff survey they found complete alignment of their staff with the benefit of environmental excellence and the way in which they report and demystify the climate change debate. This audit is now available to all Muntons suppliers connected through the SEDEX scheme and already a number of customers are suggesting that this will become a pre-requisite to supply discussions within the next 3 to 5 years. Muntons are pleased to be ahead of the game in this important area. Muntons strapline: Practical Sustainability: (P.S) ‘it’s no afterthought’ typifies their approach to sustainability. They have firmly embedded sustainability into their strategic decisions and seek to make real changes in
carbon emissions across the supply chain and avoid hiding behind carbon offsetting to make them look better. Three years ago they had their first zero year payback project when they installed Varinox burners into their kilns. Zero payback? Yes, they saved 8% in gas usage and emitted less carbon which meant they could sell their allocation of spare carbon through the European Emissions Trading Scheme. Following the mapping of their carbon footprint, gas and electricity usage were found to be the biggest contributor to Muntons carbon footprint on their site, hence their drive for investment in efficient technology. Recently they successfully arranged with their electricity supplier to supply 100% green-sourced electricity reducing their group carbon emissions by 18%. Their biggest carbon contributor overall was farming at 60%, with the lions share coming from fertiliser production. That led them to discussions with the fertiliser manufacturer GrowHow to promote the use of their fertilisers which now take 50% less carbon to produce and reduce the carbon footprint of growing malting barley by almost 40%. Not content with that Muntons are actively engaged with research bodies to support their drive to replace even more fertiliser with compost which both reduces carbon and improves soil structure. Real farm trials with compost have been facilitated through Muntons Malt Supply Chain and an enthusiastic regional brewer. Another world first for Muntons was the development of a farming carbon calculator initiated through collaboration with the Centre for Low Carbon Futures and they have run a series of farmer teach-ins in East Anglia and Yorkshire to engage with their suppliers. Feedback is that now 85% of farmers attending understand the challenge and opportunities of being sustainable. Muntons have even taken this message into schools and shown bakers at their national
conference how to reduce carbon by using malted ingredients in their recipes. Their strategy in the future is clear: To continue to invest in green savings and initiatives that protect people, profit and planet. They will continue to look to mitigate risk in the most environmentally, ethical, and cost effective way possible, and whilst their production may increase, their relative carbon footprint must not rise. Projects promoting sustainability and efficiency that have a payback better than three years are prioritised and fast tracked for capital investment. As they so succinctly say; Practical Sustainability, (P.S) ‘It’s no afterthought’!
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As the most widely used item of packaging in the country, any breakthrough in the design of the plastic milk bottle had the potential to have a huge impact.
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eu.nampak.com +44 (0) 1908 611 554
Nampak Plastics Nampak Plastics is the UK’s leading producers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) milk bottles. It manufactures around two billion bottles every year, has nine sites and around 600 employees.
Nampak is well known for the development of the world’s lightest plastic milk bottle – the multi-awardwinning Infini bottle. Since its launch in 2012, over 700 million Infini bottles have been sold in the UK through retailers such as Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Tesco. As the most widely used item of packaging in the country, any breakthrough in the design of the plastic milk bottle had the potential to have a huge impact. During a four-year design process, Nampak focused on minimising stretching by bringing the corners of the bottle closer together and placing the bottle’s handle at a 5 degree angle, giving easier access when removing from the fridge. These critical design elements mean the Infini bottle is up to 25% lighter than a standard bottle (depending on size). That means annual savings of 16,000 tonnes of material and 34,000 tonnes of carbon. In 2013, the company achieved two major milestones. Firstly, Nampak created the world’s lightest four-pint HDPE bottle. Weighing 32g, it is a 20% material saving on the standard version. Secondly, Nampak created a version of the Infini bottle which includes up to 30% recycled HDPE - double that of any other milk bottle on the market. This achievement means that the target of reaching the 30% mark by 2015 – set by Dairy UK and Defra in the Dairy Roadmap – was reached two years ahead of schedule. The two moves outlined above, when combined, could result in 35,000 tonnes of material being saved every year and could also bring significant carbon savings across the industry.
Infini has been a huge success and has been recognised by a number of prestigious awards In 2012, Infini scooped the Best Dairy Packaging Innovation award at the Dairy Innovation Awards, and also won The Green Star Environment & Sustainability category at the Starpack Awards. Further to this, Infini was awarded a Gold Star by National Recycling Stars, as well as the Sustainable Product Development of the Year Award at the CIWM Environmental Excellence Awards. In 2013, Infini was awarded a WorldStar Award, a National Recycling Award and a British Engineering Excellence Award. And so far this year Nampak has been awarded an international Du Pont Packaging Award, as well as a Sir Peter Parker Award for Sustainable Business Leadership at the Sustainable City Awards. Nampak will also be manufacturing bottles under license for the Australian & New Zealand markets in 2014, and discussions are in progress with licensing partners in the US, Europe, Asia and Africa.
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Providing professional engineered solutions to complex challenges demands a broad and diverse range of capabilities. We are proud to offer a comprehensive range of services that provides customers with the flexibility needed to bring value to their projects, whatever the size, and at whatever stage of maturity.
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nisltd.com +44 (0) 1257 265 656
NIS With core values of respect, inspire, protect and commit at the heart of our business NIS Ltd is a specialist design and build supplier of mechanical handling systems and high quality fabrications predominantly for the nuclear sector, but also for the aerospace, security and industrial markets.
NIS Overview With almost 200 employees, and a healthy supply chain, NIS has the capacity to handle a wide range of projects in pursuit of our mission of “Excellence in engineering and manufacturing – powered by pride.” Our Industries In order for the industries that we serve to thrive, they must be supported by suitably qualified and experienced individuals whose knowledge of technologies is continually refreshed. We actively encourage membership of professional institutions, foster and share innovation, and support a number of national skills development programmes that are critical to the long term sustainability of our industry sectors. Our People Our aim is to be the employer of choice within the communities in which we operate. To do this we recognise all of our employees as individuals; treat them with respect and ensure they have a safe and rewarding working environment. We provide competent management, whose actions are just, ethical and supportive of employees’ family obligations, and promote a workplace where achievements are recognised and rewarded, and communications are inclusive. Our Environment In alignment with our Environmental Policy we continually strive to reduce our impact on the environment, to protect our natural resources and to ensure that environmental considerations are paramount in all our actions. Our Community NIS work in many different industry sectors in vastly differing areas of the UK. We recognise our responsibility
to the communities that we operate and we have built a number of relationships within the communities to ensure we contribute to their socio economic growth. We source local labour wherever practicable and encourage our employees to always consider the needs of others and support local good causes through active involvement or charitable donations. Our services Providing professional engineered solutions to complex challenges demands a broad and diverse range of capabilities. We are proud to offer a comprehensive range of services that provides customers with the flexibility needed to bring value to their projects, whatever the size, and at whatever stage of maturity. From front end definition and engineering consulting services, through detailed design, in-house manufacture, installation and commissioning, we bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to assist in turning concepts into reality. NIS are committed to providing clients with a first class engineering service through effective teamwork, quality procedures and a long-term commitment to continuous improvement. The NIS integrated Management System is accredited to IS0 9001:2008 and is subject to regular management review to ensure its continued effectiveness. Our premises are purpose built to accommodate the manufacturing, testing and development of special purpose plant and equipment for high technology industries. The expertise for the machining and fabrication of complex structures, vessels and assemblies all resides in-house and segregated working between stainless steel and carbon steel materials is maintained.
Design NIS has a strong design heritage and capability in the development of workable solutions from feasibility studies, through concept, scheme and detail design to the manufacturing instruction. NIS Design Concept Specialists can work with customers to develop conceptual ideas, which are then formed into a fully substantiated design, compliant with all required standards and legislation, by the engineering and design team. NIS engineers use the latest CAD/CAE software to support the design development providing clients with fully underpinned 3D models for integration and future development.
accreditations to work in a wide range of different environments throughout the world. The dedicated team of site team leaders can also be used to supervise local labour if required.
Manufacture The efficient management of our in house manufacturing facility is fundamental to ensuring the control of the quality of machinery, assembly and delivery schedules.
Security We recognise our responsibility to ensure all company, client and national secrets, of which we are exposed to in our line of work, are duly protected.
Our 40 versatile and highly skilled workshop staff, engineers and technicians, are capable of working to precise specifications and the highest levels of accuracy. Mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic assembly is carried out in a specific controlled area. From the outset NIS has produced welded fabrications which have met or exceeded the national and international standards for weld quality, integrity and durability. Our first class welding engineers apply extraordinary attention to detail and are committed to producing work to the very highest quality standards. Installation and Commissioning Our team of expert mechanical and electrical installation and commissioning engineers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and
Health and Safety NIS personnel understand the need to demonstrate their commitment to all aspects of Health and Safety and maintain high Quality Assurance standards at all times. We have Safe Contractor Accreditation and are a member of CHAS, Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme. Personnel hold CCNSG Passports to Safety and hold CSCS Passports where necessary.
As you would expect from our years of experience working within the nuclear industry we have a wellestablished security system, and place contractual obligations on all of our employees to ensure it is upheld. Our Future With a 30 year track record to be proud of NIS is rightly excited about the future. We plan to build on our heritage and continue on our journey of growth and continuous improvement, with further investment and facility enhancements planned for 2014.
paramount21.co.uk +44 (0) 1626 837 650
Paramount 21 Ltd Founded by Ali Hannaford in 1988, the company was started with an investment of only £3500, some second hand machinery, sheer determination and faith in the future. The company quickly developed from packing prawns to creating a range of value added seafood products for the Foodservice Industry. Within 2 years Paramount was winning awards, the first being from British Frozen Food Federation, and many more followed as the product range expanded.
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Since moving and expanding, the business has become more efficient in its methods of operating and has shown significant growth. The investment in factory capacity and production capabilities has attracted new business and has also opened up new markets enabling future growth and success.
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A jump forward to 2000 sees Paramount being firmly established as an important player in the UK foodservice industry, being renowned for high quality frozen fish and vegetarian based products, innovation and service, at this time the business operated its production facility from leased units in Brixham and Totnes, but there was an acknowledgement within the business that the infrastructure was holding the business back and a growth strategy was required. Ali embarked on a focused strategy of building a self-sufficient management team and growing the business so that it was able to support larger premises.
The business has always had networking at its core, this has occurred throughout the years by working with other businesses, being a prominent member of the British Frozen Food Federation and becoming a Beacon Company in the South West. One additional benefit that has arisen that was not foreseen is the opportunity for Paramount to give something back to smaller companies that are in a similar position to Paramount many years ago. Ali Hannaford has mentored a number of small businesses in the South West, and used her experience and Paramount’s resources to guide and support fledgling businesses.
In 2006 Paramount purchased a freehold factory in Heathfield, Devon. The following year the factory was completely refitted, doubling its size and increasing capacity. In 2010 the growth strategy continued thanks to support from grant funding bodies such as the Marine Management Organisation with a £1m factory extension, new machinery and additional production lines.
The quality aspect has been a key business driver for the business, covering everything from sourcing materials, product development, manufacturing, packaging and delivery to after sales service. This has been under pinned by accreditation to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), a global food standard for which the company has proudly achieved ‘A’ grade since 1999.
Since moving and expanding, the business has become more efficient in its methods of operating and has shown significant growth. The investment in factory capacity and production capabilities has attracted new business and has also opened up new markets enabling future growth and success.
Paramount is actively working towards further improving their environmental and sustainability policies and seeking ISO9001 accreditation. The company was one of the first within the industry to set up a centralised frozen food waste programme with The Devon & Cornwall Food Association (DCFA) in 2012.
The business has shown impressive financial growth year on year due to its strategic business planning and focused management team. In November 2010 Ali brought The Cornish Seafood Company (run by Ali’s sister) into the Paramount family, enabling a fully integrated supply chain of West Country fish. Following this strategic move the company has now developed and launched a range of West Country products such as premium fish pies and fish cakes into foodservice markets.
In 2013 the company refurbished their product development kitchens and re-branded with a new corporate identity, new website, marketing strategy and structured growth plan for the future.
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romag.co.uk +44 (0) 1207 500 000
Romag Romag is a leading glass processor based in County Durham in the North East of England. Specialising in solar PV, architectural, security and transport glass, Romag is an expert in its industry and is trusted worldwide to provide high quality, UK manufactured products to meet the needs of a diverse customer base.
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Romag also offer an extensive range of specialist glass products, providing the most demanding bullet proof glass and blast resistant glass specifications utilising glass polycarbonate laminating technology.
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Romag currently employ around 100 highly skilled staff and support many more throughout the supply chain both here in the UK and further afield. Traditionally a glass processor, Romag has been based in the North East of England since 1943 and is now a subsidiary of the multi million pound Gentoo Group, as such it is committed to providing high quality, UK manufactured glass products. In the past few years Romag has invested around £1.5 million in a complete new state of the art PV production line, the only one of its type in Europe, which trebled its production capacity. Romag offers an innovate range of high output and high efficiency PV products direct to the market. It supplies a range of on-roof and in-roof solar options as well as more bespoke building integrated PV options. Romag’s much-admired ‘glass glass’ PV products offer a more visually pleasing integrated PV option. Having previously supplied PV to several large high profile commercial BIPV projects including London City Hall, The Eden Project and Kings Cross Railway station in the UK, and many more throughout Europe and the Middle East, Romag is well placed to deliver a project such as this. Romag also offer an extensive range of specialist glass products, providing the most demanding bullet proof glass and blast resistant glass specifications utilising glass polycarbonate laminating technology. Our architectural range includes both functional and flexible solutions to meet an array of design requirements, ranging from glass floor panels, balustrades and staircases to high performance solar control glass.
Romag’s range of security glass for the transport market is extensive and includes conventional ‘all glass’ laminates or lighter high performance glass polycarbonate bullet resistant variants. These products are available in curved as well as flat panels and may also include specialist inter-layers further enhancing the performance of the glazing. We offer a flexible range of products and can supply bespoke solutions as required. Typical applications of Romag transport glass include; cash in transit, trains, marine, military, aid agency, government and VIP limousines amongst others serving high profile customers such as Bombardier and G4S.
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As a world leader in high technology systems and sensors with extensive experience across a range of sectors and domains, Finmeccanica – Selex ES is able to meet the diverse needs of customers who require first class solutions.
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Finmeccanica – Selex ES Finmeccanica – Selex ES is an international leader in electronic and information solutions for defence, aerospace, space, security, high-integrity surveillance, network management, information security and mission-essential services.
selex-es.com +44 (0) 1268 823 400
As a world leader in high technology systems and sensors with extensive experience across a range of sectors and domains, Finmeccanica – Selex ES is able to meet the diverse needs of customers who require first class solutions. Within aerospace and defence electronics the company’s experience includes the design and development of tactical ISTAR systems, C4I infrastructures, electronic warfare equipment and mission critical systems for situational awareness, self-protection, wide-area surveillance and information dissemination. Finmeccanica – Selex ES brings similar technologies and skill sets to the security, route management and mission-critical service sectors. These include the control and monitoring of air and maritime traffic, the surveillance and protection of green and blue borders, robust cyber security, secure communication networks, and the deployment of ’smart’ solutions for managing complex infrastructures and ‘systems of systems’. The company’s technical approach is characterised by a focus on through-life solutions that are flexible, adaptable and responsive across the life cycle. In addition, Finmeccanica – Selex ES is committed to continuous innovation and invests approximately 17%
of annual revenues in research and development. Alongside core domestic operations and corporate headquarters in Italy and the UK, Finmeccanica – Selex ES has an established industrial and commercial footprint in the United States, Germany, Turkey, Romania, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. With a workforce of over 17,000 people and total revenues in excess of €3.5 billion, Finmeccanica – Selex ES is entrusted by its customers and partners to deliver solutions for a safer, smarter and more secure society. The Power of One. Defence. Security. Smart systems.
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Ongoing commitment and investment into product innovation has allowed SFIL to position itself as one of the world’s most innovative steel production and engineering facilities, investing between five and ten per cent of its profits into R&D
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sheffieldforgemasters.com + 44 (0) 1142 449 071
Sheffield Forgemasters International Following a successful management buyout (MBO) in 2005 where 600 jobs and the pensions of all employees were protected, Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd (SFIL) now has a strong profit performance, sales of more than £100.1m (2012-13) and an order book worth more than £90m.
As one of only 14 large scale open die forging companies in the world and the only one of its kind in the UK, it has the largest forging facilities in the UK and Europe’s largest foundry capability, putting Sheffield on the map as one of the world’s leading centres of manufacturing. The company’s philosophy is centred around making unique, bespoke, more technically challenging products than anybody else, combined with high levels of customer satisfaction and investment in today’s workforce as well as future generations. Export now accounts for almost 70 per cent of SFIL’s business and in the last year, the company has secured influential global contracts, and is poised to capitalise on the increasing need for power generation worldwide. SFIL is one of the few companies in the world with the capability and expertise to serve nuclear, hydro and other power generating industries with crucial components. Investment in specialist techniques places it at the forefront of nuclear power engineering. SFIL is the only UK firm to hold ASME NCA3800 accreditation to manufacture forged and cast steel nuclear components, and is a founding member of the Nuclear AMRC, placing South Yorkshire at the apex of large scale global engineering. It has recently passed an audit towards accreditation for a higher, ASME NPT qualification, which will enable the company to weld-fabricate components which form the heart of a civil nuclear power plant. Ongoing commitment and investment into product innovation has allowed SFIL to position itself as one of the world’s most innovative steel production and engineering facilities, investing between five and ten per cent of its profits into R&D – compared to a national average of three per cent and a Yorkshire average of less than one per cent.
The launch of subsidiary companies Vulcan SFM and Steel Propeller has enabled SFIL to capitailse on project management, engineering production, design and outsourcing contracts – opening the company up to a diverse market place and expanding its offering with a ten per cent split of turnover now coming from services against manufacturing. SFIL’s award-winning apprentice scheme is built upon the belief that a return to traditional apprenticeships and their values is vital to the health of SFIL and to British industry. The company, which won ‘Apprenticeship of the Year’ at the first annual NEI Training Awards 2013, and was listed in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list in England, invests more than £1m per annum in the scheme and is currently training more than 50 apprentices from a total of 800 employees. The company also won the Leadership and Strategy Award category at The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2013. Its chief executive, Dr Graham Honeyman, is recognised as one of the region’s and UK’s great leaders, who has shown remarkable resilience and is respected by his employees, peers and business leaders. The average length of employment at SFIL is 12 years, leading to an established and loyal workforce. In order to capitalise on a broad global market and compete with emerging economies of the Far-East, management at SFIL identified the need to change the outlook of this 200-year-old company and to adopt innovation, driven by the application of high-technology, as its key strategy to secure valuable contracts. Its pioneering technical developments, including computer simulation of manufacturing processes, material developments and world leading forging techniques, place Forgemasters at the forefront
of manufacture in its chosen sectors with a strong foothold in the burgeoning civil nuclear power industry and offshore oil and gas exploration. The company’s innovation has resulted in advances in metallurgical analysis, development of innovative forging methods for ultra-large forgings and specialist forging techniques tailored to the nuclear power market. Dr Jesus Talamantes-Silva, director of Forgemasters’ research and development facility, has been appointed Professor at the University of Sheffield, underpinning his achievements at SFIL. SFIL’s innovations include the refinement of hollow steel ingot production to help capitalise on key power generation sectors, production of large diameter tubesheets for civil nuclear power and the first time that large-scale integral nozzle forging trials have been successful anywhere in Europe - an application with high potential for civil nuclear power generation. Research into metallurgy has enabled Forgemasters to catalogue and characterise inclusions found in steelmaking to refine processes further and to develop different grades of steel for safety critical applications such as those required within the nuclear power industry. Adoption of the innovation strategy by SFIL has revived the fortunes of this engineering giant with exports now accounting for 70 per cent of its output.
tharsus.co.uk +44 (0) 1670 368 000
Tharsus Tharsus has come a long way since the business was started 50 years ago. The most significant transformation has been during the last decade. As recently as 2003, Tharsus was proud to be a £1million turnover ‘backstreet metal basher’.
The company now embodies many of the characteristics of the ‘factories of the future’ as defined in the Foresight Report published by the Government Office for Science in October 2013. More importantly, Tharsus is driving forward a new manufacturing category, original equipment design and manufacture or OEDM, that integrates the full manufacturing value chain into a single, coherent and proactive service.
product life-cycles prevalent in developed economies such as the UK and Europe, and it provides customers with the capacity and capability to respond in a fleet-footed manner to changing market dynamics, offering late customisation as required, reducing transport costs and the requirement for costly or unnecessary inventory. However, the journey to OEDM hasn’t been without its ups and downs.
30% year on year growth has been driven by CEO, Brian Palmer who took over the business in 2003 and whose entrepreneurial ambition has cascaded throughout the team.
In 2008, 72% of Tharsus’ business was in the telecoms sector and significant penetration had been achieved in the outdoor advertising market and defence sector, both forecast to contribute significantly to future growth.
As a traditional sheet metal fabrication business, Tharsus was operating in an increasingly commoditised market.
The impact of the economic downturn on these sectors was severe and combined with structural changes that occurred as a result of the strategic defence review, the result was a potentially catastrophic drop in turnover and profitability.
Equally the world of traditional contract manufacturing has seen a number of new entrants over recent years as engineering and metalwork companies have looked to develop their assembly capabilities. Palmer was determined to build a service that offered a distinct and clearly differentiated, value-added approach for customers. As an OEDM business, Tharsus is developing and manufacturing innovative products and equipment for customers who boast a market-leading position or have a disruptive proposition that makes them wellplaced for rapid and sustained growth. OEDM is a forward looking service that builds on the globally recognised strength of manufacturing know-how in the UK, with more and more customers recognising the competitive advantage to be gained over the option of manufacture in low cost economies. It addresses the challenges presented by the shorter
In spite of the financial challenges presented by the economic conditions, Tharsus invested heavily in the design and R & D capabilities that would underpin the successful implementation of this new service. It became increasingly clear at the knowledge and experience that the team had gained designing Tharsus’ own products could be applied equally, if not more, effectively for others; especially when combined with such a strong heritage in engineering and manufacturing. The strategy has yielded hugely impressive results with a number of long-term contracts secured against global competition, an increase of almost 500% in the value of exports and a business model that will create sustainable growth through the development of deeply embedded, collaborative relationships.
Customers trust Tharsus to deliver a complete product direct to their customers, fully tested, branded and packaged, as if it had left their own embedded facility. The product portfolio now ranges from an industrial vending system, a weed control system, a market leading parts washer and a glass recycling unit through to a hydrogen generator based on innovative electrolysis technology.
They have come to appreciate that such an embedded relationship ensures a genuine focus on delivering results and return on investment.
In breaking away from the traditional, transactional contract manufacturing model, Tharsus rely on a flexible team with a broad range of skills, all committed to making a contribution to continuous improvement.
Fully aligned with the goals of their customers, Tharsus not only offer problem solving and creativity but also take on the responsibility, and the associated overhead, for dealing with the challenges of system integration and manufacturing efficiency.
At the same time, success is underpinned by incredibly robust and effective processes, and manufacturing metrics that are benchmarked against the best in the world. The team and their achievements have been acknowledged with accolades including SME Manufacturer of the Year in 2012 and Cranfield Best Factory, Best SME in 2013. Whilst the traditional view of outsourcing is driven by cost reduction and scalability, OEDM goes well beyond this basic transactional model to generate significantly increased impact by offering a more value-focused, strategic perspective. However, a key challenge for Tharsus in developing a service that sits outside the scope of what has previously been available is that customers aren’t aware that it exists. It is interesting to note that one of their biggest customers to date was originally looking for contract manufacturing capability but as the relationship developed, they quickly recognised the advantages offered through an end-to-end, fully outsourced design, engineering and manufacturing service.
It’s clear that Tharsus have an important role to play as part of the UK’s vibrant culture of innovation, working with customers to develop exceptional concepts and bring their products to the market.
In the words of the Government’s Foresight Report it’s all about being “faster, more responsive and closer to customers”.
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In breaking away from the traditional, transactional contract manufacturing model, Tharsus rely on a flexible team with a broad range of skills, all committed to making a contribution to continuous improvement.
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tjinternational.ltd.uk +44 (0) 1841 532 691
TJ International TJ International is a book printer and book binder based in Padstow, Cornwall. The Company was established by Tom Jacques in the late 60s in Camberwell, London as TJ Press. At the time TJ employed six staff and operated two printing presses; one for posters, the other for comics. Fast forward some 40 years on and you’ll see a slightly different picture. Currently, TJ employs over 130 people producing over six million books a year across two operations, litho and digital.
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From humble beginnings in 1973 as one small book printer from dozens in the UK, based in a town hundreds of miles from mainstream publishers through successive cutting edge technologies and the emergence of global competition to an award winning, nationally recognised manufacturer of choice for quality book manufacture; the TJ team have taken a significant and rewarding 40 year journey we can all be immensely proud of.
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The original TJ Press had been slowly growing into the book market and in 1973 the Company relocated to a site on the North Cornish coast. The move was the result of restricted growth at the Camberwell site. The book binder that TJ was using at the time also moved to Cornwall, and so a business decision was made to relocate. TJ’s move to Padstow has enabled the Company to grow in strength and develop into a fully integrated book manufacturer. From a modest client base of a few poster clients, a comic publisher and a Large Print publisher, TJ evolved and increased its presence in the market as a quality book manufacturer for publishers of consumer, academic and professional titles. Sales Director Andy Vosper has been with TJ since the early days, “From humble beginnings in 1973 as one small book printer from dozens in the UK, based in a town hundreds of miles from mainstream publishers through successive cutting edge technologies and the emergence of global competition to an award winning, nationally recognised manufacturer of choice for quality book manufacture; the TJ team have taken a significant and rewarding 40 year journey we can all be immensely proud of.” In 1980 TJ built its own bindery, an important milestone in the business’ history as for the first time in TJ’s lifetime, the company had a totally integrated book manufacturing operation. In 1995 a new, purposebuilt factory was built to allow for further growth. TJ’s drive to stay at the forefront of technology has taken the Company from large format Crabtree presses to Heidelberg B1 format and again back to large format KBA presses. The introduction of flow lines for production of hard cover and soft cover books allowed for service and product diversification.
1998 saw the Company enter the market of books printed on digital presses and in 2011 the additional service of Print-on-Demand was introduced. Most recently TJ has installed new bindery equipment to reinforce its position as a quality hardback book manufacturer, and is currently in the process of introducing inkjet technology for full colour book production. Angus Clark, TJ International’s Chief Executive, said: “TJ has always been focused on five key business drivers: Quality, Training & Development, Business Performance, Health & Safety, and Environment. Our core values of empathy, integrity and excellent work performance have enabled us to provide a consistent world-class service to all our customers, developing sustainable and mutually profitable partnerships.” TJ works with publishers across the globe; exporting to Europe and producing books globally with partners in USA, Asia and Australasia as a part of the print-tomarket arrangement.
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In addition to the SME Manufacturer of the Year Award in 2012, Trolex won 5 more awards in 2013 including Best Employer and Training Young People at the Stockport Business Awards, and 2 Export Awards at the Entrepreneur of the Year and EEF Awards.
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trolex.com +44 (0) 1614 831 435
Trolex Trolex are a leading sensor and systems company, based in Stockport, providing reliable safety solutions for some of the most arduous environments worldwide. Their products are relied on to detect gases, monitor other key environmental conditions and optimise machinery performance. They’re intrinsically safe, carry independent accreditation and are at the forefront of safety and condition monitoring technology.
Trolex specialises in bespoke environmental monitoring systems, which include gas monitoring and air flow sensors. Meanwhile, their machine condition monitoring systems use a range of temperature, pressure and vibration sensors to warn of faulty or deteriorating machinery conditions. Put simply, Trolex’s safety monitoring products protect lives, valuable machinery, businesses and the environment. For over 50 years, Trolex have been collaborating with the tunnelling, rail, mining and methane recovery industries to develop an in-depth understanding of how to combine safety with commercial needs. Trolex safety monitoring systems streamline operations and improve performance, and are designed to enable simple installation and minimal downtime, all of which helps reduce costs. In 2013, Trolex introduced a Lean Manufacturing programme, which created production cells for each of the Trolex product families, in which a team is responsible for every aspect of that product’s production. Five production cells cover different product groups: the Sentro gas detector range; fixed sensors for flow temperature and pressure; control and display equipment; power supplies; and general instrumentation. The programme, masterminded by Operations Director Colin Arlott, streamlines the manufacturing process, hugely improving efficiencies and providing opportunities for staff. Colin explains, “In general, before the programme started, the shop floor was functioning well, but was complicated and
departmentalised, and we also realised that a lot of time was being wasted with products moving around departments in the assembly process. The Lean Manufacturing programme not only means better efficiency in production cells but more ownership by the production team. The benefit is improved delivery time, where in some cases we can deliver products to customers in just a few days instead of a few weeks. We make a number of intrinsically safe ATEX-approved products and the auditor for this equipment has been very complimentary about the new manufacturing process that we have introduced. In all, this has been a very rewarding programme as we have achieved in six months at Trolex, what normally takes some organisations one to two years.” The five manufacturing cells now support nearly 500 products on a fast response, assembled to order basis. The programme represents a £100,000 investment by Trolex, most of this being spent on laser etching machines and on fixtures to reduce changeover time on the surface mount line. All training has been conducted in-house and individual production specialists have also been involved in the crosstraining of others in the team. In parallel with the Lean Manufacturing programme, Trolex have also introduced automated optical inspection. They are the first intrinsically safe product company to have introduced this system for printed circuit board (PCB) inspection for improved quality and efficiency. For certification, all intrinsically safe products must be 100% inspected. Before, it was necessary for members of the Trolex team to
individually check safety-critical components on the PCB, which could take up to half an hour. Now, with the automated optical inspection, every component on the PCB in inspected automatically by scanning the board, a process which takes between 25 and 30 seconds. This clearly speeds up production and improves accuracy significantly. In addition to the SME Manufacturer of the Year Award in 2012, Trolex won 5 more awards in 2013 including Best Employer and Training Young People at the Stockport Business Awards, and 2 Export Awards at the Entrepreneur of the Year and EEF Awards. One of their new products, Sentry, a self-contained transportable environmental monitoring system for refuge chambers, was runner-up at the EEF Awards, in the Smart Product Category.
weirminerals.com +44 (0) 1706 814 251
Weir Minerals Europe Weir Minerals is a specialist in delivering and supporting slurry and mine dewatering equipment solutions. Our focus is within the global mining, aggregates and mineral processing sector, the power sector and general industry.
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We are committed to delivering the benefits of value engineering and innovation to our customers, extending the lifespan and enhancing the performance of customer critical processes and equipment in many of the world’s most challenging environments.
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The European business unit of Weir Minerals has a footprint in the majority of nations in Europe, North Africa and Central Asia, with sales offices in 15 countries supported by manufacturing capability in the UK, France and Sweden and strategically placed service centres in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Finland, Hungary, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Sweden, Morocco and Ukraine. Our European headquarters and main manufacturing facility is located in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and is renowned internationally for its quality. We are committed to delivering the benefits of value engineering and innovation to our customers, extending the lifespan and enhancing the performance of customer critical processes and equipment in many of the world’s most challenging environments. Weir Minerals’ product portfolio centres on critical processes in its customers’ operations. The core product line of the company is its range of slurry pumps, which provide slurry transportation solutions with exceptional resistance to abrasion and corrosion. Mine dewatering pumps, hydrocyclones, valves and wear resistant linings complement the range of slurry pumps by offering solutions to optimise slurry transportation and mill circuit processes. The Linatex brand, acquired in 2010, provides rubber products that have allowed the company to offer a wider range of solutions to its customers. Weir Minerals’ product portfolio includes world renowned brands such as Warman® centrifugal slurry pumps, EnduronTM comminution equipment, Linatex® rubber products,
Vulco® mill liners, Cavex® hydrocyclones, Isogate® slurry valves, GEHO® PD slurry pumps, Floway® vertical turbine pumps and Multiflo® mine dewatering pumps. The range is constantly evolving, with recent launches in the core product lines including the Warman WGR slurry pump which is designed specifically with the sand & gravel sector in mind, and the Warman WBH slurry pump which represents a new, upgraded version of the industry leading Warman AH slurry pump. More recently, the company has entered the comminution space, with the launch of the Enduron range of crushers and screen machines, together with high pressure grinding rollers (HPGR). Weir Minerals’ material technology includes abrasion and corrosion resistant alloys and both natural and synthetic elastomers, enabling us to provide the optimum material selection for the most severe abrasive and corrosive applications. Our hydraulic technology varies from submersible mine dewatering pumps to the world’s largest centrifugal mill circuit pumps. This is supported by a global network of technology centres, applications and sales specialists and our own service centres we can provide the equipment that gives our customers the lowest cost of ownership. The development of Weir Minerals’ service and support network recognises that the company’s commitment does not end with the supply of equipment. In delivering on and off site services Weir Minerals is able to optimise the performance of its customers’ plant and reduce total ownership costs. Services range from
on request service through to service partnership, offering an innovative approach to equipment servicing that marks a step change from costly reactive to preventative plant maintenance. Weir Minerals has a heritage of manufacturing innovation, engineering excellence and cutting edge process technology, and is constantly evolving so that we can provide optimised products and services to our customers.
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The quality of Wyke Farms’ cheddar has been heralded as world-class and in 2013 alone, Wyke received over 140 awards and accolades for its cheddar. This included worldwide recognition at the Global Cheese Awards in Frome for the Best European Cheddar and Best Vintage Cheddar, as well Gold for its Extra Mature Cheddar at the 2013 World Cheese Awards.
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wykefarms.com +44 (0) 1749 812 424
Wyke Farms Ltd Wyke Farms Ltd is a family run company based in the heart of the Somerset cheddar-making region, where the Clothier family have been making cheddar on their farm since 1861.
Today, Wyke Farms is the largest independent cheese maker and milk processor in the UK producing over 14,000 tonnes of cheddar per year to the same award winning 150-year-old recipe. The Wyke Farms brand is the 3rd largest brand in the Cheddar category and the only independent company in the top 10 cheese brands with retail sales of over 60 million with double digit growth for the last five years. From an original 3,000 plus, Wyke Farms is now one of less than 10 farmhouse cheese makers remaining in the West Country and the only independent dairy company within the top 10 cheddar brands in the UK. Wyke remains a truly traditional family business. Ivy’s grandsons Richard and Tom now run the cheese making operations with their father John, whilst her other two grandsons David and Roger run the family dairy farming operations. The four grandchildren share Ivy’s passion for cheese making where flavour, texture and taste are paramount. They believe that this attention to detail is the reason that their cheese has won more awards at national cheese shows than any other. Wyke Farms’ range of farmhouse cheddar includes So Mellow Mild, Rich & Creamy Mature, Just Delicious Extra Mature and Simply Gorgeous Vintage. It also produces a premium special-occasion cheddar, Ivy’s Vintage Reserve, which makes reference to grandmother Ivy Clothier, who founded Wyke Farms in the 1900s. Now, three generations later, the Clothier family continues to use her celebrated 100-year-old recipe for turning their fresh milk into award-winning cheese with perfect texture and exquisite taste. Also in the range is Super Light, Wyke Farms’ low-fat cheddar, which has approximately 90% less cholesterol than regular mature Cheddar and contains only 1.3% saturated fat.
The quality of Wyke Farms’ cheddar has been heralded as world-class and in 2013 alone, Wyke received over 140 awards and accolades for its cheddar. This included worldwide recognition at the Global Cheese Awards in Frome for the Best European Cheddar and Best Vintage Cheddar, as well Gold for its Extra Mature Cheddar at the 2013 World Cheese Awards. As well as national success, Wyke Farms’ also has a strong export business, which has grown steadily over the last five years with a growth of 50 per cent in 2012. International praise for Wyke Farms’ cheddar from celebrity chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay, has helped to further boost the brand’s popularity abroad. Its premium vintage farmhouse cheddar, Ivy’s Vintage Reserve, is now sold in over 150 countries worldwide, including Australia, France, India, New Zealand and the Bahamas. Its worldwide success has not distracted Wyke Farms from what is going on locally however. One of their overarching goals is to operate the business in a way that has minimal impact on the Somerset environment and to create a truly symbiotic relationship with the countryside that provides their food, income and home. Rich Clothier, managing director and 3rd generation family member at Wyke Farms, is one of the key drivers behind the company’s 100% Green strategy. His aim is to become a 100% sustainable working farm and with it one of the greenest brands in grocery. And they have already made significant progress. Rich and the team at Wyke Farms commissioned their anaerobic digester (AD) plant in 2013, which reduces and manages the waste from the farm and dairy to produce energy. Wyke Farms now sources all of its electricity from both solar and biogas, saving over 4
million kilos of carbon dioxide per annum. Wyke Farms is proud to be the UK’s first national cheddar brand to become 100% self-sufficient in green energy. Wyke Farms has received national and international recognition for its ongoing commitment to sustainability, and have won numerous awards including The BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2013 (Highly Commended), The Dairy Innovation Awards 2013 – Best Environmental Sustainability Initiative (Finalist), The Blackmore Vale Awards 2013- Environmental Business Award (Winner), The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2013 – Manufacturing in Action (Finalist), The Made in the South West Awards 2013 – Sustainable Manufacturer Award (Winner) and Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2013 – Company of the Year. Rich has also been nationally recognised for his dedication, passion and commitment to sustainable growth in the food industry, beating both national and international brands at the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards’ 2013 for the Personality of the Year Award.
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Founded in 1990 to create a technology licencing business based on research by Cambridge Consultants Limited, Xaar is now a world leader in the development
xaar.com
of inkjet technology and manufacturer of
+44 (0) 1223 423 663
piezoelectric Drop-on-Demand industrial inkjet printheads. Our technology is used all over the world in a wide range of manufacturing applications.
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Xaar Most things that we come into contact with on a daily basis are patterned, decorated, printed or surface finished in some way; the packaging and labels on products in our supermarkets; the boxes containing everything we buy; the tiles and laminate flooring in our homes and offices; the signage and advertising in our shops, malls and airports; the televisions we watch and the solar panels used to power our houses.
In fact, even after excluding home and office printing, over 3 trillion m2 of products are printed and decorated globally every year – equivalent to the surface area of India. The digital revolution The vast majority of this printing, patterning and decoration is still produced using traditional analogue techniques. However, doing things the old fashioned way does not facilitate a fast enough response to modern economic requirements – such as rapid design alterations or on-demand production. Digital technology enables processes which are easily repeatable and predictable and makes possible on-demand production, on-the-fly changes, variable data and as a result, shorter lead times, reduced inventory and more design freedom. One of the technologies leading the digital revolution is industrial inkjet. Xaar’s industrial inkjet technology in particular has already transformed a number of industries, and in other sectors the pace of conversion to digital is starting to gain momentum. Founded in 1990 to create a technology licencing business based on research by Cambridge Consultants Limited, Xaar is now a world leader in the development of inkjet technology and manufacturer of piezoelectric Drop-on-Demand industrial inkjet printheads. Our technology is used all over the world in a wide range of manufacturing applications including large format graphics (indoor and outdoor signage), labels, packaging, ceramic tiles, decorative laminates, and outer-case coding, as well as printing with specialist fluids for advanced manufacturing techniques.
Xaar’s business Xaar designs and manufactures Drop-on-Demand piezoelectric printheads – the key component in a digital printing system that contains multiple nozzles for jetting ink or other fluids onto substrates. A typical industrial inkjet machine, using our printheads, could be firing up to 300 million drops of ink per second, that’s over 1 trillion drops per hour, all controlled within the picolitre range of volume and the micron range of placement accuracy. To date we have focused on three main sectors: Industrial, which covers ceramics, décor and advanced manufacturing; Packaging, which includes product labelling, direct-to-shape (printing directly onto bottles and containers) and coding and marking (printing bar codes and data); and Graphic Arts, which includes wide-format graphics (typically outdoor advertising, posters and banners), commercial print, and varnishing. The wide-format graphics sector was the first to adopt industrial inkjet and is, therefore, the most mature, with the majority of the available market already converted to digital. The ceramics market has been moving into digital inkjet decoration over the last 10 years. However, the pace of change accelerated significantly with the launch of a new Xaar printhead with unique technology and architecture which maximised productivity and delivered significant quality and cost advantages over traditional analogue. Xaar’s direct customers are Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), who manufacture equipment for patterning, decorating, or printing products in a number of different market sectors. We provide our OEM partners with the know-how and ability to
incorporate our innovative range of printheads, systems components and electronics into their equipment to increase the value and functionality of their own products, and minimise the time required to bring products to market. We operate an open ink policy so that our customers can choose the ink supplier that best suits them and their application. In addition, we work in partnership with the world’s leading ink manufacturers to develop and approve a wide range of inks which are optimised for our printheads. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are located in Huntingdon, UK and Järfälla, Sweden. Our HQ is based in the prestigious Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK – which is also where our R&D is located. We have local offices in Hong Kong, India, the USA and Brazil. Manufacturing at Xaar We recently completed a £22 million expansion of our ultra-modern printhead cleanroom manufacturing facilities in Huntingdon, UK. The manufacture of inkjet printheads is, in fact, the manufacture of a system incorporating precision micro machined mechanical components, electronic control circuitry and precision fluid handling. Consequently we make extensive use of SPC to control our processes, with the input measures being made using mechanical, electronic, X-ray or optical techniques, with thousands of measurements made on each printhead during manufacture. The final test of the printhead is an actual print test, with the printhead being ‘filled and fired’ to test the parametric performance of every channel and every drop fired. The obvious challenges are to ensure that contamination during processing is
kept to a minimum (hence the use of cleanrooms), whilst providing real time process control to ensure consistently high yields Inkjet printhead manufacture is a relatively new industry and shares some characteristics with the early years of semiconductor manufacturing – specifically the fact that ‘off the shelf’ processes and equipment do not exist. Much of the equipment and many of the processes that we use have been developed by Xaar or for Xaar by carefully chosen suppliers. The challenge that this represents has been compounded by the fact that we have, in many cases, taken ‘lab’ processes and industrialised them. The guiding principle that we focus on is that the finished product has to have market leading performance and reliability whilst being produced at the appropriate cost. Consequently much of our equipment is highly automated to deliver high process capability with low direct labour costs. Xaar’s mission is to continue to drive Xaar inkjet to be the technology of choice for industrial manufacturers and, not surprisingly, to drive the development of Xaar technology into selected multiple applications and industries, to deliver sustainable profitable growth. The company is committed to investment in its R&D and manufacturing processes in order to fulfil this mission.
The Manufacturer Opus | 77
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