Welcome

In the last few weeks, much has appeared in the media about the unacceptable practice of child labour overseas. Whilst the international company involved has acted swiftly to condemn the behaviour, there is no question that the primary objective behind such practices is the gaining of a cost advantage over manufacturers in countries such as the UK.

In comparison, the manufacturing community in the UK is doing all that it can to introduce the next generation to the world of manufacturing in a positive and appropriate way. If we are going to have a strong workforce in the future, we need to encourage more young people to pursue technical courses at university, apply for apprenticeships and consider careers beyond the seemingly glamorous fields that the media favours.

The long-term rewards of developing and investing in our young, home-grown talent are endless. We are part of an economy where knowledge-based working is paramount for success and as such the value of our workforce resides not in their brawn or endurance, but in their heads and hearts. The key is to work out how to get the value out and retain it.

Initiatives such as Enterprise Week, which the South West MAS is supporting this month, are vital in encouraging children on the path towards careers in science, engineering, technology and manufacturing. Members of South West MAS will be visiting colleges in Cornwall to run the ‘All the King’s Men’ challenge where participants have to launch and land an egg safely. Whilst it may sound like a lot of fun, the challenge tests many personal qualities and skills from financial management, problem solving and innovation to team working, project management and communication – factors which are vital for business success.

We all have a part to play in harnessing the energy and talents of the next generation. If you have any inspired ideas of how to reach young people, why not email us on info@swmas.co.uk?

Arthur Richardson

Director

South West MAS

 

Case Study

Arada turns up the heat with MAS

One regional company that will not be having a quiet Christmas this year is Arada, a manufacturer of highly-fashionable wood-burning stoves.

Arada designs and manufactures a wide range of ‘traditional’ wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves and all processes are contained in-house at its base in Bridport. The stoves are sold nationwide through a large number of agents and distributors and the company receives 75 per cent of its orders during September to December.

Last winter, it experienced unprecedented growth in demand, fuelled by the general public’s appetite for designer accessories in the home and also a growing hunger for sustainable energy products. Like its competitors, Arada went into an out of stock position and could not meet customer requirements. To avoid a repeat of last year’s situation and in anticipation of another busy season, Arada has spent the last six months working with the South West MAS to improve productivity and capacity through the adoption of lean manufacturing techniques.

The project with the South West MAS started with one-to-one coaching with the production manager and then included team leaders and all shop floor workers. A number of initiatives were introduced to control production and eliminate problems in the current processes. Daily production meetings were used to monitor and manage the schedule, a bottleneck was identified in the paint line and material flow was improved by bringing in changes to shop floor layout and work organisation. Team members also carried out waste spotting activities and these led to a number of changes on the shop floor.

To find out more, click here

Spotlight on Dave Goodman, works manager, Fitzgerald Lighting

1. What excites you about your day-to-day work?
I like the fact that I drive into work not knowing what unplanned items will hit the desk. Very often, unexpected work results in little of the planned items getting done until after 5pm!

2. In a typical day, what is guaranteed to put a smile on your face?
Being able to answer or sort out a problem that the people involved did not expect me to do.

3. What has been your greatest achievement in recent years?
Building a team that now takes initiatives forward. This was achieved once I began to consider others’ views and thoughts and allowed them to run with them.

4. On a day-to-day basis, what do you find frustrating about your work?
Political correctness and the extremes of legislation. For example, health and safety is an essential part of life but to allow it to take away the need for people to assess what they are doing or about to do is, for me, wrong.

To read more, click here

News

Pendennis Shipyard crowned Cornwall’s manufacturing champion

The South West MAS has crowned Pendennis Shipyard the winner of the ‘Cornwall Challenge 2007’ - a new competition which pitted Cornwall’s top manufacturers against each other.

The event saw teams from local manufacturers compete in a series of thought-provoking challenges that were created by the South West MAS, and partner organisations including Envirowise, NISP, UKTI, South West Investment Group and Business Link.

Pendennis will now go head-to-head with the winners from other counties next year in a bid to find the South West MAS’ ‘Champion of Champions!’

To read more, click here

Eggcellent challenge takes students to Mars during Enterprise Week

Eggs will be flying during Enterprise Week (12-19 November) as more than 40 students from schools in Camborne, St Austell and Saltash test their engineering and entrepreneurial skills in a challenge set down by the South West MAS.

Young Enterprise SW, Cornwall College and South West MAS have come together to hold ‘All the King’s Men’ which will see pupils from year 10 and 11 (14 to 16-years-old) work in teams to land an egg safely from a height using materials such as ping pong balls, drinking straws and polystyrene cups. Each team will be given a budget to purchase materials which they will then use to design a rocket for their egg with the aim of landing it safely on a mocked up surface of Mars.

The challenge is being held as part of Enterprise Week, an annual UK-wide week of activities and events aimed at encouraging enterprising behaviour in young people. Last year 1,410 organisations led 3,184 events attended by 448,000 young people. The week has been so successful that the USA and India are following suit and holding their own versions.

To read more, click here

Managers invited to hone their leadership and manufacturing skills

The South West MAS’ Operational Leadership Programme (OLP) has been especially designed with first line managers in mind. The action-based development programme, with measurable outcomes, culminates in the delivery of a work-based project and will help first line managers get more from their people and shop floor processes.

Run over approximately 12 weeks, participants will grow in their confidence and ability to lead people, while finding out how to put new process improvement techniques into action.

To find out more or book your place on the course, email olp@swmas.org.uk

The next programmes are

• 14th January, Cotswold Water Park Hotel, Cirencester
• 23rd January, The Exchange, Bridgwater, Somerset

Stop press! Great news - South West SMEs (5-250 employees) may be eligible for a £500 grant for each delegate attending, reducing the cost to £750 +VAT for the 12 week programme

A metal manufacturer calls out to peers affected by REACH

REACH is a new European Union regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals. It came into force on 1st June 2007 and replaces a number of European Directives and Regulations with a single system. It will touch thousands of companies in the UK, from manufacturers and importers of chemicals to companies that use chemical substances in their industrial or professional activities and even metal manufacturers as metals have now been included as a chemical listing.

Beacon South West, an RDA initiative that brings together the leading companies in the region, has contacted the South West MAS on behalf of a Beacon company (metal manufacturer) that is looking to connect with other businesses in the South West that are concerned about how this far-reaching law might impact them. The cost implications of the £10,000 fee per registration are massive and the Beacon company would like to form some sort of group or consortium in order to share the burden of complying with the legislation.

If this affects you, or sounds of interest, please contact the South West MAS on info@swmas.co.uk and it will put you in touch with the relevant regional manufacturer.

Turn in fortune for manufacturers as sales hit all time high

Earlier this month, the South West MAS celebrated the news that the UK manufacturing industry had hit an all time high, recording its strongest sales quarter in almost two decades.

The British Chamber of Commerce net sales index showed that 36 per cent more manufacturers experienced a rise in domestic sales than a fall during the third quarter (July to September), creating a record for the index which began in 1989.

Arthur Richardson, director of the South West MAS, commented on the growth in sales: “It has been over a decade since the movement to offshore manufacturing began with companies attracted by the prospect of high volume production at low cost. Undeniably, companies in the South West have lost out to this trend. But things have come full circle, with these low wage rate locations starting to face the flip side of high growth, such as rising inflation, and decision makers becoming disillusioned by unexpected additional costs, communication and quality issues which can accompany off-shoring.

"While this transition has been taking place, manufacturers in the UK have not stood still. By embracing lean manufacturing, pushing up productivity and investing in technology and specialist skills, the industry in the UK is carving out its own path."

To read more, click here

Finding new ways to gain a competitive edge

UK companies have to compete in a global economy, with customers sourcing products, services and technology on a worldwide basis. In this climate, British companies can no longer expect to compete on quality, cost or delivery alone. They must find new ways to gain a competitive advantage.

Adopting new technology could give you that edge. Another way could be to trade your own technology and expertise.

The role of the South West Innovation Relay Centre (SWIRC) is to bring companies, universities and research institutes together so that they can profit from each others research, technology and expertise.

To read about current technology partnering opportunities, click here

Every month the South West MAS e-Newsletter will highlight select technology partnering opportunities. To find out more, contact Kenny Legg on 0117 933 0293, email swirc@southwestrda.org.uk or visit wwwsouthwest-irc.org.uk

Do you use, recycle or produce plastic products?

If so, here’s your opportunity to let the Regional Development Agency know what your needs are. The South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) wants to understand the needs of businesses that use plastics to establish if assistance with plastics recycling is required to make better use of the region's waste plastics.

On behalf of South West RDA, GnoSys is collecting and analysing information related to the market, economic, technology and materials aspects of plastics manufacture, conversion, use and recycling in the South West.

If you use plastics at any level, whether directly or just as a part of your product, or you have experience of using recycled plastic, or you need more information or training in the use of recycled plastics, or just simply interested in knowing how recycled plastics could save you money then please contact us.

Your participation will enable South West RDA to build a better picture of plastics use in the region and allow informed decisions on what initiatives would help develop and give competitive advantages to your company.

Please follow the link to the simple questionnaire, or contact w.mortimore@gnosysgroup.com to find out more.

 

SWMAS is run in partnership with:

 

 

For general business advice contact your local Business Link 0845 600 9006

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For further information on any of the issues or items mentioned above, or on the South West Manufacturing Advisory Service in general, contact us on 0845 608 3838; email info@swmas.co.uk or visit http://www.swmas.co.uk