Made In Group

Who will you be able to see at Backing Britain Live 2020? (A-L)

Made In Group — 13/07/2020

On the 17th August 2020 the Made in Group will launch a digital exhibition with a big difference, we are going to make it an immersive experience between digital and physical.

The online exhibition will take place over a two-week period and will feature a virtual exhibition hall where you can visit exhibitor stands, this will be coupled with over 30 virtual events which will take the form of Keynote speakers sharing their knowledge, Discussion Panels and much more!

Hosted on www.backingbritain.com, this is an entirely new concept in terms of attending an exhibition; we are creating a virtual expo with a tactile aspect. We will illustrate the entire exhibition hall with booths, interactive seminar room and networking areas on the web. The expo site will be visually inspiring with a high level of thought placed on the user interface, being intuitive and not overly complicated.

There can be no doubt that 2020 will be a significant time in history. One hundred years from now, people will talk about this year. People will not only talk about the virus, but they will talk about the people, communities and businesses. We want to share some of those stories from business, create a catalogue of 'manufacturing heroes', including stories of innovation, community support and resilience.

Looking at the list below, you can see which members (From both the Midlands and Yorkshire) will be attending the event. You'll also be able to visit their Made in Microsite, as well as find out their contact details.

Get your tickets here.

Backing Britain Live 2020 - Exhibitors (A-M)

ACE GROUP

Leaders in Air Technology, providing comprehensive design, installation, commissioning and maintenance packages for compressed air, dryers, filtration, air-con and refrigeration.

Unit 1 Bradley Junction Industrial Estate, Leeds Road, HD2 1UR
01484 454661

ACOUSTAFOAM LIMITED

Acoustafoam specialises in acoustic solutions. We work in a variety of sectors working with our customers to overcome acoustic and thermoacoustic insulations challenges.

Unit D, Halesfield 10, Telford, TF7 4QP
01952 581340

All British Precision Ltd

Specialist in the manufacture of low, medium and high-volume precision CNC machined components. In our Derby factory we house the latest in DMG-Mori and Star multi-axis multi tasking CNC machines.

Unit 5 Howardson Works Ashbourne Road, Kirk Langley, Derbyshire, DE6 4NJ
01332825011

ActOn Finishing Ltd

We are a family run business with more than 50 years of experience in designing and developing mass finishing machinery, consumables and finishing solutions.

213 Torrington Avenue Tile Hill, , Coventry, CV4 9HN
024 7646 6914

ADT Flexibles

Leading supplier and manufacturer of stainless steel flexible hose assemblies.

High Street, Morley, Leeds, LS27 0LE
0113 253 5569

All British Precision

Specialist in the manufacture of low, medium and high-volume precision CNC machined components. In our Derby factory we house the latest in DMG-Mori and Star multi-axis multi tasking CNC machines.

Unit 5 Howardson Works Ashbourne Road, Kirk Langley, Derbyshire, DE6 4NJ
01332825011

Alubend

Alubend is the premium service for curved and twisted aluminium extrusions.

Unit 1 Highbridge Court, Telford, TF3 3BD
0333 939 8888

ADI TREATMENTS LIMITED

ADI Treatments Ltd. specialises in subcontract austempering and annealing of `free issue` customer parts.

Doranda Way, West Bromwich, West Bromwich, B71 4LE
0121 525 0303

Ainscough Industrial Services Ltd

AIS provides engineering services to industry covering Machinery Installation and Relocation, Mechanical Engineering, Technical and Heavy Lifting and Engineering Consultancy & Contracting.

AIS Vanguard, Vanguard House, Bradley Lane, Standish, WN6 0XF
01257 441111

Airmaster Air Conditioning Ltd

At Airmaster we’re passionate about bringing comfort to your environment and we have the capacity and in-house expertise to make that happen wherever your project is across the UK.

Wetherby House, Park Hill, Swallownest, South Yorkshire, S26 4UN
0114 288 9911

Alchemie Ltd

Alchemie Ltd is a privately owned U.K company with over 30 years of manufacturing experience in the Polymer Resin industry.

Warwick Road, Kineton, Warwick, CV35 0HU
01926 641 600

Anochrome

Corrosion protection and decorative coatings for various components within a wide range of sectors

Wood Lane, Fordhouses, Wolverhampton, WV10 8HN
01902 397333

Appris

Leading provider of engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships across West Yorkshire.

BTAL House, Laisterdyke, Bradford, BD4 8AT
01274 668149

Ashcom Technologies

Ashcom Technologies provide maintenance management software. MaintiMizer, our inhouse developed solution is a fully featured platform that promotes maintenance best practice & work flow efficiency.

Technology Park, Basepoint Business Centre, Bromsgrove, Worcester, B60 3ET
0121 368 0172

Atlas Copco

Atlas Copco UK provides high quality air compressors, industrial vacuum pumps, industrial gas generators, power tools and air, power and flow solutions, as well as service plans.

Swallowdale Lane, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7EA
0845 601 0001

Avery Weigh-Tronix

We are the UK's largest manufacturer of industrial weighing solutions with a dedicated UK service division offering calibration & maintenance on a wide range of scales and metrological devices.

Soho Foundry, Foundry Lane, Birmingham, B66 2LP
0845 307 0314

B.B. Price Limited

B.B. Price was founded in 1875 by the great grandfather of the current directors. We specialise in the manufacture of galvanized steel forgings and presswork, priding ourselves on product reliability.

Unit 1 City Estate, Corngreaves Road, Cradley Heath, B64 7EP
01384 413341

B1 Solutions Ltd

We're a digital transformation consultancy and dedicated SAP Business One partner based in Yorkshire.

10 Appleton Court Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 7AR
+443335779906

Balmoral Tanks

Design, manufacture and installation of Europe's widest range of water, wastewater, firefighting, anaerobic digestion and processing storage tanks.

Barrowfield Road, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, S63 0EW
44(0)1226 340370

Bar Products & Services Ltd.

BAR Products & Services, Precision Engineering & one of Europe’s major suppliers of Tungsten Carbide drawing dies, tooling & associated products for the Wire, Tube, Rope and Cable industry.

Hanworth Road, Low Moor, Bradford, BD12OSG
01274 693249

Bauromat UK Limited

Bauromat UK Limited is a Telford-based robotic & automation systems integrator that provides automation solutions for a variety of manufacturing processes.

Bauromat (UK) Limited, Stafford Park 6, TF3 3AT
01952 951 689

BEKO TECHNOLOGIES

BEKO TECHNOLOGIES develops, manufactures and sells components and systems worldwide for an optimised compressed air quality. Based in Worcestershire.

Moons Moat North Industrial Estate, Unit 11-12 Moons Park Burnt Meadow Road, Redditch, Worcester, B98 9PA
01527 575778

Bevan Group

We are commercial body builders that manufacture more than 60 vehicle bodies every week, putting innovation, efficiency and longevity at the forefront of our work.

Wednesbury One Black Country New Road, Wednesbury, Walsall, WS10 7NZ
0121 585 2960

BHP Accountants

BHP is one of the largest independent firms of Chartered Accountants in the north of England.

1st Floor, Mayesbrook House Redvers Close, Leeds, LS16 6QY
0113 274 3496

Birmingham City University

Supporting business engagement, offering a vast portfolio of Business Services.

Research, Innovation & Enterprise, University House, 15 Bartholomew Row, Birmingham, B5 5JU
0121 202 8651 / 07841 535 769

Birmingham Prototypes Ltd

Specialists in Sheet Metal Work and 3D Rapid Prototyping. BPL is a team of highly skilled engineers with diverse industry knowledge, we are family-run with a long established management team.

Unit 5 Catesby Park, King's Norton, Birmingham, B38 8SE
07802571316

Boneham & Turner Ltd

Manufacturer and supplier of Precision Engineered Solutions. Cataloged standard parts and specials for the manufacture of jigs, fixtures, location and alignment systems.

Oddicroft Industrial Estate, Oddicroft Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 5FS
01623 445450

BOGE Compressors

BOGE manufactures a comprehensive range of compressors used by all sectors to supply compressed air for a wide range of manufacturing processes.

Units 10-12 Park Valley Mills, Meltham Road, Huddersfield, HD4 7BH
01484 719921

Bott Ltd.

Bott Ltd is a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of workshop, equipment, in-vehicle storage solutions and van conversions.

9 Tournament Way Ivanhoe Industrial Estate, Ashby de la Zouch, LE65 2UU
01530 410600

Blum Novotest

Globally leading manufacturer of high quality measuring and testing technology for the international machine tool, aerospace and automotive industries. Located at 9 sites worldwide.

Unit 15 Granary Wharf Business Park, Wetmore Road, Burton on Trent, DE14 1DU
01283 569691

Brewin Dolphin

We are one of the UK's leading wealth managers. Founded in 1762, we are here to help you achieve your ambitions through expert, personalised financial planning and investment management advice.

9 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2BJ
0121 710 3500

C.H. BARNETT LTD.

Precision Stainless Steel Fabrication sub contractor based in Birmingham.

18 Seeleys Road, Tysley Ind Estate, Birmingham, B11 2LQ
0121 7735222

Cadspec Ltd

Cadspec Ltd are the leading UK reseller for Autodesk CAD and CAM software. Offering technical support and training, we are ideally placed to assist your design needs whether that be software or techni...

The Pinnacle, 17th & 18th Floors, 67 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5AA
01905458000

CambridgeHOK

Part of Cambridge HOK; Collaboration, Design, Fabrication and Construction.

Wallingfen Business Park, 236 Main Rd Newport, Brough, HU15 2RH
01223 722281

Castalum Ltd

CastAlum is an internationally acclaimed, award winning, aluminium die-caster, located in Mid Wales supplying automotive parts to OEM’s and Tier 1 suppliers.

Buttington Cross Enterprise Park, Buttington Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8SL
+441938557557

Catax Group

Catax are experts in specialist areas of tax relief, including Capital Allowances, Research & Development (R&D) and the Patent Box.

Catax House, 3 Scott Drive, Altrincham, WA15 8AB
0300 303 1903

Contract Production Ltd

Contract Production Ltd specialises in providing low to medium volume contract electronics manufacturing (CEM) services to a range of companies across a wide variety of industries and market sectors.

Unit 1C, Thornton Road Industial Estate, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7JB
01751 475 950

CBE+

CBE+ is a specialist in precision engineering, electroless nickel plating, gears & beam Pumps and laboratories. We strive to combine multiple capabilities into a single supply chain.

Williamthorpe Industrial Park, Holmewood, South Yorkshire, S42 5UZ
01246 529014

Contract Production

Contract Production Ltd specialises in providing low to medium volume contract electronics manufacturing (CEM) services to a range of companies across a wide variety of industries and market sectors.

Unit 1C, Thornton Road Industial Estate, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7JB
01751 475 950

Central Scanning

Central Scanning offer a variety of 3D scanning and related services for reverse engineering, 3D printing and inspection.

Unit 9, Wildmoor Mill Farm Mill Lane, Wildmoor, Bromsgrove, Worcester, B61 0BX
01527 558282

Cimlogic Ltd

Cimlogic provide manufacturing automation solutions and technology integration to improve manufacturing efficiency and productivity in Food & Beverage, CPG and Pharmaceutical customers worldwide.

Cimlogic Ltd, Salts Mill Victoria Road, Saltaire, BD18 3LF
01274 599955

Citizen Machinery UK

ONE COMPANY – TWO WORLD LEADING BRANDS

9A Navigation Drive, Brierley Hill, Dudley, DY5 1UT
01923 591500

Clarion Solicitors

A law firm that offers more, we want to help you achieve your goals in business and in life, contact Clarion solicitors on 0113 246 0622.

Elizabeth House, 13-19 Queen Street, LS1 2TW
0113 246 0622

Comau

We are world leaders in the field of industrial automation, ready to accept any challenge and to face it together.

Unit A2 Swift Park, Old Leicester Rd, Rugby, CV21 1DZ
01788 554500

Concept Group

Point of sale display solutions used for increasing in store sales and promotions. POS displays are ideal for impulse purchases.

Victoria industrial Estate, Victoria Road, Leeds, LS14 2LA
0113 265 0093

Crompton Controls

Specialists in Electric Motor Control Equipment. From Standard Starters, Components and Accessories to Fully Customised Industrial and BMS Control Panels and associated Peripherals.

19-21 Monckton Road, Industrial Estate, WF2 7AL
01924 330219

CTR Carbide Dies Ltd

CTR Carbide Dies is a modern, proactive, evolving and growing precision engineering manufacturing group with a growing portfolio of services and products.

7 Port Hope Rd, , Birmingham, B11 1JS
01217739135

De-Met Limited

We are a principal mechanical engineering company specialising in sheet metal fabrication, laser cutting, fabricating, welding, and powder coating.

Unit G Grazebrook Industrial Park, Peartree Lane, Dudley, DY2 0XW
01384457959

Dura ID

Dura-ID's staff go the extra mile to ensure your labels withhold the quality of your products and the reputation of your brand.

Unit 3, Enterprise Way, Tankersley, South Yorkshire, S75 3DZ
0114 242 2111

Direct Air & Pipework Ltd

Direct Air & Pipework deliver bespoke compressed air solutions and maintenance to businesses of all sizes and sectors.

Unit 38, Herald Way Binley Industrial Estate, Coventry, Coventry, CV3 2RQ
024 7668 8890

E3 Recruitment

Engineering and Manufacturing Recruitment.

Plover Road, Huddersfield, HD3 3HR
01484 645269

The Engineering Technology Group

The Engineering Technology Group delivers niche market, high technology, value added engineering solutions to UK manufacturing businesses.

Wellesbourne Distribution Park, Unit 16, Coventry, CV35 9JY
07875027438

ELECTRO DISCHARGE LIMITED

Founded in 1980, Electro Discharge specialise in Precision Wire, Spark Erosion & 5-axis Laser cutting. Providing Knowledge, Flexibility, Quality and Delivery to our UK and International customer base.

109 Powke Lane, Cradley Heath, Birmingham, B64 5PX
01384 238451

Exactaform

We at exactaform pride ourselves as being specialists in diamond tooling manufacture. With our headquarters in the heart of England, we provide quality tooling to both large and small companies.

Central Boulevard, Central Boulevard, Coventry, CV6 4QJ
07388990115

EXCEL WATER Ltd

Provision, installation and Servicing of Water Treatment & Purification Solutions.

Unit 1b, Kiln Park, Allerton Bywater, WF10 2AT
0113 232 0005

European Springs & Pressings

We are spring & pressing manufacturers with a 70 year heritage, offering exceptional engineering expertise in the spring and pressing industries, coiling from 0.03mm to 65mm.

Spring Moor, Lindley Moor Road, HD3 3TD
01422 377 335

FARO Technologies

FARO brings ground-breaking 3D measurement solutions to companies throughout the world.

Great Central Way Butlers Leap, Rugby, CV21 3XH
442476973010

FBC Manby Bowdler LLP

Award winning law firm that has been uncomplicating the legal process for business and personal clients across the West Midlands and Shropshire for nearly 200 years.

6-10 George Street, Snow Hill, Wolverhampton, WV2 4DN
0800 111 6144

Flexi Narrow Aisle

For over 30 years, Flexi Narrow Aisle Ltd has been one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of very narrow aisle (VNA) equipment, producing articulated forklift trucks and warehouse solutions.

Great Western Way, Great Bridge, Tipton, Dudley, DY4 7AU
0121 557 6242

Fairfield Labels Ltd

Fairfield supply a full range of labels for all applications, bar code reading and scanning equipment and a full range of RFID inlays, tags, encoding and reading equipment.

Lovett Road,Hampton Lovett Industrial Estate, Droitwich Spa, WR9 0QG
01905 794779

Flowdrill (UK)

Manufacturers of tungsten carbide Flowdrills by in-house production. The market leader in friction drilling.

Underhill Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4BB
+441746250003

Futaba Manufacturing U.K. Limited

Futaba Manufacturing is a first-class automotive engineering and manufacturing business, which is renowned for delivering excellence and efficiency based on state of the art technology.

Dove Valley Business, Park Foston, Derby, Derbyshire, DE65 5BT
01283 585651

Gardner Aerospace

Gardner Aerospace is a leading global manufacturer with local capability, supplying the aerospace industry with a flexible and resilient supply of high-quality detailed parts.

Unit 9, Victory Park Victory Road, Derby, Derbyshire, DE24 8ZF
01332 274700

Gallagher

Gallagher, specialists in Manufacturing and Construction insurance. We are committed to not just be another Insurance Broker but to give the best service to the client in an authentic and ethical way.

Newater House, Eleven Newhall Street, , Birmingham, B3 3NY
(0) 121 222 0721

GSM Graphic Arts

As The Label, Nameplate & Fascia Specialist, we manufacture metal nameplates, graphic overlays and plastic labels at our factory in Thirsk.

Castlegarth Works, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1PS
01845 522184

Gesipa

GESIPA® is one of the leading international companies in the blind rivet sector. The experts in riveting technology

Dalton Lane, Keighley, BD21 4JU
01535 212200

Gleeson Recruitment Group

Privately-owned recruitment firm headquartered in Birmingham; various Specialist divisions including Accountancy & Finance, Built Environment, Engineering & Manufacturing, Human Resources, Marketing.

Gleeson Recruitment Group, Edmund House, 12-22 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 3EF
0121 631 1751

Global Precision Group

Supporting Entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs and OEMs from concept through to manufacture of new products

20, Halifax Road, Crossroads, BD22 9DH
0845 003 0672

Greyhound Box

Greyhound Box are a leading manufacturer, specialising in the designing and manufacturing of corrugated boxes.

Beza Road, Hunslet, LS10 2BR
0345 166 2625

GSM VALTECH INDUSTRIES LIMITED

GSM Valtech specialise in the design, manufacture and assembly of bespoke sheet metal enclosures and precision sheet metal work.

Sandbeck Industrial Estate, Wetherby, LS22 7DN
01937 586987

GOM UK

GOM develops and produces software and systems for 3D coordinate measuring technology and 3D testing.

14 The Cobalt Centre, Siskin Parkway East, Coventry, CV3 4PE
02476 639920

THE HARBORO' RUBBER COMPANY LIMITED

At Harboro, we offer a complete rubber moulding service in natural and synthetic rubbers (elastomers), including design support, material selection, prototyping with full production from our UK plant.

Riverside, Market Harborough, LE16 7PZ
01858 410610

Hallmark Sheetmetal Co Ltd

At Hallmark, we pride ourselves on providing quality precision sheet metal components & solutions to various sectors.

Galveston Grove Oldfield Business Park, Fenton, ST4 3PE
01782 598866

Hexagon Production Software

Vero Software is a world leader in Computer Aided Design & Computer Aided Manufacturing Software with a proven track record of reliable product delivery. Based in Gloucestershire.

1370 Montpellier Court, Gloucester Business Park, GL3 4AH
+44 (0) 1242 542040

Hallmark

At Hallmark, we pride ourselves on providing quality precision sheet metal components & solutions to various sectors.

Galveston Grove Oldfield Business Park, Fenton, ST4 3PE
01782 598866

Harris (Steels) Limited

As a quality steel stockholder and material processor, Harris Steels has serviced industry and the individuals steel section and plate needs for the past half century.

Harris (Steels) Limited, Coombs Road, Halesowen, Dudley, B62 8AF
0121 561 2221

Harry Burrows Fabrications Limited

Harry Burrows Fabrications Ltd offers a diverse range of services and capabilities, ranging from basic sheet metal fabrications through to the design, manufacture and installation of complex products.

8-9 Bayton Way, Exhall, Coventry, CV7 9ER
024 7636 1313

Hayley Group Limited

Founded in 1976, Hayley is the UK’s fastest growing engineering inventory supplier. With branches nationwide, we provide the trade, OEM and aftermarket industries with an unrivalled service 24/7/365.

Shelah Road, Halesowen, Dudley, B63 3XL
0121 550 2233

Hazel 4D

Hazel 4D is a global provider of packaging products and machinery to multiple business sectors.

Mill House, Troy Road Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 5TN
0113 242 6999

Hoffmann Group

Hoffmann Group is Europe's leading system partner and provider of quality tools, workstations and storage, personal protective equipment as well as related consulting and services.

GEE Business Centre, Holborn Hill, Birmingham, B7 5JR
01217164301

HEXAGON METROLOGY LIMITED

From our Telford Technical Centre, Hexagon Metrology offers the most comprehensive range of products and services for all industrial metrology applications.

Metrology House, Halesfield 13, Telford, TF7 4PL
0870 446 2667

Hexagon Production SoftwareVero Software

Vero Software is a world leader in Computer Aided Design & Computer Aided Manufacturing Software with a proven track record of reliable product delivery. Based in Gloucestershire.

1370 Montpellier Court, Gloucester Business Park, GL3 4AH
+44 (0) 1242 542040

Hitherbest Ltd

Hitherbest is a sheet metal fabrication business, that works with mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium.

Heath Hill Court Heath Hill Industrial Estate, Dawley, Telford, TF4 2RH
01952632100

Illston and Robson Ltd

We are Europe’s leading manufacturer of couplings for the air brake lines on commercial and agricultural vehicles.

Herbert Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, Birmingham, B10 0QQ
01217725674

In-Comm Training and Business Services

Rated 'Outstanding' by OFSTED , In-Comm is one of the UK's leading providers of training and business services, working across more than 10 sectors with over 450 companies.

12 Vigo Place, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8UG
01922 457686

IST (UK) LIMITED

As one of the world's leading suppliers we develop, manufacture and distribute drying & UV curing systems for the graphic arts and industrial applications using ultra violet light (UV), infra-red (IR)...

St. Andrew's House Otley Road, Skipton, BD23 1EX
01756 700741

Inductelec

Induction Heating Systems, Induction Heating Coils, Induction Heating Machines, Induction Heating Service.

Turnoaks Business Park, Lakeside House Burley Cl, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 2UB
0114 272 3369

Jungheinrich UK Ltd

Jungheinrich ranks among the world’s leading companies in the material handling equipment, warehousing and material flow engineering sectors.

Unit 4 Hydra Business Park, Nether Lane Ecclesfield, Sheffield, S35 9ZX
01142404440

Kilby Packaging

Kilby Packaging is a leading national supplier of packaging materials to industry with over 70 years of experience.

192 Alcester Rd, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5HH
01564 823176

Kadant PAAL Limited

The design, manufacture, supply, installation and servicing of waste compactors, baling systems and free standing tipping systems for General Waste, Waste to Energy or Recyclables.

Meadow Lane Industrial Estate, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 7RQ
01773520565

Klüber Lubrication

Manufacturer of speciality lubricants for all applications and industries to deliver continuous improvement initiatives and meet compliance requirements.

Longbow Close, Pennine Business Park, Huddersfield, HD2 1GQ
+44 1422 205115

Lake Chemicals and Minerals

Lake Engineering Solutions and Cortec work together to create technical solutions to stop corrosion.

3 Paper Mill Drive, Redditch, Worcester, B98 8QJ
01527 594630

Lanemark Combustion Engineering Limited

Lanemark Combustion Engineering Ltd - manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of successful process heating burner systems.

Lanemark House, Whitacre Road, Nuneaton, CV11 6BW
02476352000

LEAN TRANSITION SOLUTIONS LIMITED

We are experts at Industry 4.0, Lean Training / Strategic Business Direction setting. Looking to streamline your business and digitise your operations to deliver MORE with LESS?. Call for a demo.

The Vicarage, Pershore Road, Worcester, WR74NR
01905 23928

Liberty Pressing Solutions (Coventry) Limited

Liberty Pressing Solutions is a manufacturer of automotive pressings, modular welded assemblies, sports car and light vehicle chassis.

Burnsall Rd, Canley, Coventry, CV5 6RT
024 7669 1000

Liquidity Club

Liquidity Club are business finance consultants, helping businesses raise finance from the most appropriate funder.

Cornerblock, 2 Cornwall St, Birmingham, B3 2DX
0121 309 0444

Lloyds Bank

Preferred Banking Partner to Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire

63 High Street, , Dudley, DY1 1PY
07921548347

Can rugby players help tackle the manufacturing skills gap?

Made In Group — 29/08/2023

Former amateur and semi-professional sportspeople may lack deep technical skills but they more than make up for it with leadership, teamwork and a strong desire to win.

While technical skills, qualifications and experience will always be important, employers are increasingly recognising the value of interpersonal – or soft – skills. These skills include teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, adaptability and leadership, and are essential for effective collaboration, communication and overall workplace success.

Those with these skills will work well with others, adapt to fast-changing situations and overcome complex problems. As the manufacturing industry evolves to focus more on innovation, flexibility and agility, the need for interpersonal skills has never been greater.

The rise of automation and artificial intelligence further emphasises the need for such skills because they are difficult for machines or software to replicate. Unfortunately, people with strong soft skills are becoming harder and harder to find.

Military training and experience mean ex-servicemen and women often possess the qualities and attributes sought by businesses. Indeed, numerous organisations exist to help ex-servicemen and women transition into civilian careers. The fact that many veterans will have also received training in various forms of engineering as part of their military service makes them especially desirable for industry.

Former amateur and semi-professional sportspeople are another sizeable, yet largely untapped, source of talent. These individuals bring equally valuable skills and qualities to the workplace, including self-discipline, resilience, adaptability, time management, teamwork, goal-oriented, public speaking, attention to detail and a strong work ethic.

One business benefitting from recruiting former and current sportspeople is Birmingham-based Frederick Cooper Company, a trusted provider of specialist wet paint spraying and powder coating to the automotive and other sectors worldwide.

A winning strategy

Family-run Frederick Cooper Company has long had sport as part of its DNA. Many team members, including the directors, are devoted sports fans and players – with a particularly strong passion for rugby.

As a result, former amateur and semi-professional sportspeople from rugby, netball, hockey, cricket and football are employed at all levels of the businesses. One such individual is Jai Purewal, Operations Director and self-professed “failed rugby player.”

During a recent Monthly Industry Meetup, Jai spoke to Made Members about why they should consider employing sportsmen and women in their organisations.

“The lack of skills has forced us to adapt our learning and development models and practices. Of course, we’re still looking for people with deep technical skills in coatings or paint. But we’ve opened up the bottom end of our recruitment strategy to create employment opportunities for anybody, in many cases, young people, with very few skills,” Jai explained.

“It's often better for us to train a paint sprayer or powder coater from scratch rather than have somebody who’s picked up bad habits that we need to then re-engineer out of them. We talk often about moulding our people to the ‘Frederick Cooper Way’.

“Our business model enables us to bring people in that don't have vast deep experience. We will recruit, certainly for the more junior shopfloor roles, largely on personality and how individuals present to us rather than looking for a packed CV. It's not right for everybody but we've found a way of making it fit.”

Frederick Cooper is heavily involved with numerous sports clubs, societies and communities, meaning many of the sportspeople it recruits are predominantly local.

“Like our business, many of you will have formed CSR relationships with sports teams and associations. We’ve taken that a step further by opening a route to employment for players, young people and associates of those clubs. That additional recruitment and referral steam creates a great opportunity for them and a tangible return on investment for us. It’s win-win.”

Are young people workplace-ready?

Following Jai’s presentation, a Discussion Group of a dozen Made Members explored the broader recruitment challenges businesses face. A theme that ran throughout the discussion was that young people today seem far less prepared for the world of work.

Their assessment mirrors the broader consensus. A recent study of senior leaders in the UK found that most believe that higher education doesn’t prepare graduates for the workplace.

Three in five, 59%, said young people learned more valuable skills during their first two years in the workplace than they did the preceding three years. Their top concerns were courses being unconnected to real-world workplaces and not enough emphasis on ‘durable soft skills’ like teamwork and leadership.

Concerns voiced during the Discussion Group included poor communication skills, with many young candidates reportedly unable to make eye contact during interviews, and a lack of focus.

“Too much time spent staring at screens coupled with constantly watching short videos means it can be challenging to get young people to focus on a project or process, especially over extended periods,” noted one MD.

According to research, attention spans have indeed shrunk over the past decade. However, the decrease is apparent across almost all age groups, not just young people.

The Group concluded by offering several strategies to help better prepare young people for the workplace, including:

Forge stronger connections between academic and industry
Increase the number of University Technical Colleges (the recent approval for two new UTCs in Southampton and Doncaster is certainly welcome but the pace of expanding the network needs to pick up)
Introduce students to manufacturing and engineering early in their education through hands-on activities, workshops, site visits and internships.
Strengthen science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education in schools, with a greater focus on practical, real-world applications
Provide comprehensive careers advice that highlights the different pathways into industry and the range of roles available
Greater emphasis on interpersonal skills like teamwork, leadership, communication and problem-solving
Educate parents and teachers about the opportunities and benefits of careers in manufacturing and engineering
Ensure what is taught in classrooms aligns with the current and future needs of industry

Join our Monthly Industry Meetup!

The opportunity to openly discuss challenges, opportunities and solutions is why the Made in Group’s Monthly Industry Meetups are so invaluable.

During these captivating virtual events, industry experts, thought leaders, and professionals gather to share knowledge, insights and best practices.

The goal is to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and drive growth within the manufacturing community.

Each month, we feature three engaging talks from Made Members, focusing on best practice around key themes that shape the future of manufacturing, including Global Trade, People & Skills, Future Factories and Sustainability.

The presentations are followed by our interactive Discussion Groups, virtual roundtables that enable Members to exchange ideas and gain further insights on their chosen topic.

We look forward to seeing you at the next one:

Midlands SIGN UP

Yorkshire SIGN UP

*Header image courtesy of Pixabay, all others care-of Frederick Cooper Company

No 10 plans to give daily updates on COVID-19

Made In Group — 16/03/2020

The BBC has announced that the Prime Minister or a senior minister will give daily updates on the UK’s plans to tackle Coronavirus. This follows criticism made due to the “lack of transparency” over its plans to hold off the spread of the virus.

The first media briefing regarding the virus will take place this afternoon, Monday 16th March, following the latest meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee. In the meeting, the Government could make additional plans to stop the spread. This will consist of more plans to protect the elderly and vulnerable as well as looking at whether mass gatherings should be banned, as already actioned in other countries such as Poland and Italy.

As members of the Made in Group, you will receive daily updates on COVID-19 when released from Government. Following this, we will also provide additional resources and links that coincide with what is released in the media. Alongside this, we will also have advice and thoughts from Made in Group CEO Jason Pitt.

Talking about what he thinks of the daily updates coming from the Government, Jason said:

“I think the Government has been incredibly laid back considering the current climate. I think it is important we scrutinise the Government now more than ever. It is advisable that communities act independently for the welfare of society.”

Though the matter of COVID-19 is serious and worrying, it is important that we all stay positive during a time of crisis. By doing this, we are able to think clearly and logically when dealing with the outcomes.

Regional Manufacturers Forge Ahead Despite National Challenges

Made In Group — 03/04/2024

Manufacturing businesses are exhibiting bullish confidence despite numerous headwinds, with three in four anticipating substantial growth over the next 12 months.

Made in Group’s inaugural Manufacturing Growth Report paints a largely positive outlook, with UK manufacturers countering uncertainty by investing in both current stability and future continuity.

Industrial businesses across the Midlands, Yorkshire and beyond have shown remarkable growth over the past 12 months, despite facing challenges on multiple fronts, underscoring the sector’s renowned ingenuity and determination.

Three in four, 74%, experienced overall growth, with more than one in two, 54%, seeing growth rates of 10% or higher. However, the three-fold increase in firms experiencing contraction, rising from 4% to 12%, highlights the challenges faced and the need for strategic agility.

Looking forward, Directors express a mix of bullish optimism and caution for the coming year. The majority of companies, 92%, forecast expansion, with more than a third, 36%, anticipating growth of 20% or more.

While the appetite for reshoring appears to have diminished, dropping by a third from 18% to 12%, there remains a hunger for establishing local supply chains and strategic outsourcing.

The sizeable decrease in passing on increased costs to customers, from 40% to 28%, suggests a balancing act as manufacturers seek to maintain competitiveness while absorbing certain cost pressures internally.

Tracking industrial business growth

Set up to champion and promote UK industry, Made in Group – comprising Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire – is a peer-to-peer membership association with more than 500 members representing all sectors of manufacturing and engineering. Approximately 85% of members are owner-managed small and medium-sized businesses.

Made in Group’s series of Big Reports tracks industrial business growth and the strategies manufacturing organisations are executing in response to challenges and opportunities.

In addition, each survey spotlights a key trend impacting the manufacturing sector, including People & Skills, Sustainability, Smart Factories and International Trade. This quarter’s report focused on Risk Management and Succession Planning.

Manufacturers taking a strategic response to uncertainties

Manufacturing businesses face unique challenges, including market volatility, regulatory compliance, operational complexity, supply chain disruption and a need for continuous innovation. Risk management is a key factor in overcoming or mitigating these challenges, alongside being a driver of long-term success, responsiveness and competitiveness.

It’s encouraging to see two in three industrial Directors, 63%, prioritise effective risk management through regular formal assessments. However, the fact that almost a third adopt an ad-hoc ‘as needed’ approach is concerning. While this may indicate a dynamic and responsive strategy, it also leaves businesses vulnerable to unforeseen challenges.

Succession planning, particularly in manufacturing, is more important than ever given the current trading landscape, demographic shifts and global complexities. With a significant number of employees approaching retirement, succession planning is crucial for a smooth transfer of knowledge and skills from experienced leaders to future generations.

Directors present a mixed picture of succession planning practices, with less than a third, 30%, claiming well-established practices. Further encouragement should be taken from the three in four, 77%, who have reportedly identified successors, albeit largely informally.

"As our Manufacturing Growth Report reveals, regional manufacturers, particularly SMEs, have shown remarkable resilience and determination in the face of multifaceted challenges,” commented Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group.

“Made in Group remains committed to championing and promoting the manufacturing sector, recognising its vital role in the UK economy. Despite the hurdles ahead, our members continue to invest in stability and plan for the future, showcasing the industry's renowned ingenuity.

“As we navigate uncertainties together, it's imperative that we prioritise effective risk management and succession planning to ensure the longevity and success of our businesses. Together, we can overcome obstacles and seize opportunities, driving growth and innovation in the manufacturing landscape."

*Header image from Freepik

A Seamless Virtual Journey Through a Top-Class Cannock Facility

Made In Group — 04/05/2023

As part of Laser Process Fabrication's Made in Group microsite you can now take a virtual tour of the company premises through innovative 3D technology.

Over the last 18 months, the Made in Group team have committed to going out to visit members and create 'digital twins' of their factories, using innovative Matterport technology. This technology is used to create 3D walkaround of companies' factories, which is then showcased through their Made in Group profile.

This tour is being highlighted due to the seamless way in which it takes the user on a journey, beginning outside the building and moving through the reception and office areas, before the reaching the shop floor, which hosts a wide range of first-class equipment.

Based in the Midlands for over 30 years, Laser Process is ideally situated to provide a nationwide service from their factory in Cannock. With a highly experienced team, the company has built its reputation on providing a reliable, friendly service.

These factory tours give businesses the chance to share best practices, showcase their capabilities and more. Click the link below to go on Laser Process' virtual tour, which is accessible through their Made in the Midlands microsite.

GO ON LASER PROCESS' FACTORY TOUR

Tips and tricks for attending and exhibiting at the MIM Expo 2020

Made In Group — 14/02/2020

Will you be exhibiting at the MIM Expo 2020? If you are we would like to share with you some tips and tricks that will be helpful on the day and leading up to the event. If you are not an exhibitor, there are also some ideas as to what you can do at the event.

As you may beware preparing for an exhibition can be both exciting and busy, however, we have put together some advice that will help you make the process smooth sailing.

One of the most important aspects to ensure you have everything for your stand is the MIM Expo Exhibitor portal. You should have received an email on 3rd February giving you access to the portal, if you didn’t you can contact events@madeinmidlands.com and we will be happy to help.

Here you will find all of the tasks that will need completing leading up to the event, from compulsory tasks to ones you may want to complete as additions to your stand. A useful tip is to get the compulsory tasks completed as soon as possible, therefore you will be able to concentrate on other things you may want for your stand. Also, by making sure this has been completed early on, it gives you time for any issues there may be with the documents you submit.

A very useful tool on the portal is the A-Z general information to plan your stand, if you have already planned what your stand will look like, you may want to have a look at this section to ensure your plans comply with the venue's regulations. To promote your company at the exhibition you will find the Marketing Toolkit, here you can download banners and graphics for your website, your microsite and social media.

Another tip for exhibiting at the Expo is to bring a product or something that is interactive. This will engage visitors beyond face-to-face sales communications. For example, if you are a robotics specialist, try to bring one of your products along. People will be interested to see how the product works, you may even end up with strong lead as a result of this. If you provide more services than a physical product, it may be a good idea to bring promotional flash games, another popular way to engage visitors. This is fun and brings some lighthearted competition, as well as being a great tool for generating traffic to your stand and website.

If you are not exhibiting and will be attending the event, whether it be to see what manufacturing capabilities there are in the Midlands or to network with potential connections, you may want to bring along some business cards. Though this is a given at any event, make sure you have these to hand as you never know who you may meet and when.

Also, it is almost always beneficial to plan your day before attending the event, make sure to research what companies will be attending and make a list of who you would definitely like to visit. We will soon be releasing keynote speakers for the event, ensure to have a look at the programme of events and plan your visit around some of these sessions. Keynote speakers often offer insightful ideas and best practices that may benefit your company.

The Expo is now only 20 weeks away which will soon go by, if you follow these tips whether you are exhibiting or attending, you are sure to have a successful event.

Improve Your Financial Wellbeing With This Key Advice From Experts

Made In Group — 20/05/2022

Long serving patrons of Made in the Midlands Brewin Dolphin are hosting a masterclass with the group on 14th June. The online event will give attendees insight into vital information on financial wellbeing from one of the leading Wealth Management firms in the region.

Founded in 1762, Brewin specialises in providing financial advice and investment management services to individuals, charities and trusts. The firm is committed to improving financial wellbeing in communities across the UK, as well as breaking down the barriers that many individuals face in accessing investment and financial advice services.

A growing body of research suggests that a significant number of UK employees are suffering from financial stress which in turn is negatively impacting their mental and physical wellbeing. This has been accelerated by the increase in cost of living and challenges brought on by the recent pandemic. Brewin are able to give you peace of mind by ensuring you are aware of how you can improve your finances. For example…

When was the last time you checked your workplace pension?

Whether it be your workplace pension or your bank account, having a robust plan is a key step to securing your financial wellbeing. Brewin is able to help individuals create this no matter what stage they are at in their life or career.

The Made masterclass with Brewin on 14th June will offer ‘on hand’ expertise to help explain important financial considerations and help you make educated decisions on your financial future. Having over 400 expert advisers, Brewin is able to provide both simple and complex solutions for financial wellbeing.

Improve your state of mind and achieve your ambitions by finding out more at the Brewin Dolphin Masterclass on 14th June at 11:15. You will also have the chance to speak directly with experts Paul Fielding and Kirsty Cartwright from Brewin in our breakout rooms.

Members join to discuss Automation and Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing.

Made In Group — 05/05/2020

The Made in Group held another #MFGQuestionTime session last week where members joined Director of Lean Transition Solutions Limited, Brett Griffiths and the Managing Director of Bauromat UK Limited, John D’Angelillo for a discussion on the current climate and challenges faced by manufacturing when it comes to Industry 4.0 and Automation.

This session, which is available to view on the ‘Virtual Meetings’ section of your Made In profile saw the two Midlands members focus their discussion on the challenges members face, how they can overcome these issues and what their best practice tips are.

The discussion began with a comparison to our European allies, and how the UK compares to them in terms of the rollout for automation and Industry 4.0. In terms of the rollout of Robotics, John highlighted how far the UK is behind both the other G7 countries and the rest of Europe, highlighting Italy and Germany as countries which are succeeding much more than the UK.

A key focus of this panel was built on the point of the UK lagging behind its European counterparts, as both members were then asked what strategies members should implement so that by the end of this decade, the UK has a world-class competitive edge.

This discussion covered a wide range of topics, from government policy and training to the role of having management that truly understands what their company needs in terms of automation and industry 4.0. Both members also shared with the attendees the common challenges that they may face when integrating these new technologies, how they can be avoided and the importance of really understanding what you need before committing to a new system.

Speaking during the conversation, James Worthington of MyWorkWear agrees with John’s view on how many factories he visited are not using the automation that they already have, saying, “The number of factories (especially small) that I visit, I often see the robots sitting there doing nothing!”

Likewise, Mike Hodge, the CEO of CIM Logic agreed with the statement put forward by the panellists that Industry 4.0 is not the be-all-and-end-all solution many see it as.

Speaking, he said, “Industry 4.0 is not a silver bullet, it requires a whole change of management piece. The customer needs to want to get better. The analogy is like fitness, just because you bought a running machine - does not mean you will get fit.”

You can watch the full on-demand #MFGQuestionTime session by logging into your Made portal, selecting ‘Virtual Meetings’ and then selecting ‘#MFGQuestionTime.’

Navigating Scope 3 impact on manufacturing: A deep dive into carbon reporting

Made In Group — 12/03/2024

The global shift towards sustainable practices and environmental responsibility has led to increased scrutiny of businesses' carbon emissions. One critical aspect of this scrutiny is Scope 3 emissions, particularly in the manufacturing sector. This article delves into the insights shared during a Made in Group's monthly meetup, highlighting the importance of Scope 3 reporting and its potential impact on the manufacturing industry.

Understanding Scope 3 in Manufacturing

The conversation begins by defining the challenges of reporting Scope 3 emissions. It's acknowledged that Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are already mandatory for large organisations, typically those with a turnover exceeding 36 million and a staff count above 250. However, the focus shifts to Scope 3, which encompasses indirect emissions from the entire value chain, both upstream and downstream.

The Compliance Imperative

The discussion emphasises the need for compliance with carbon reporting, not just for larger organisations but also for smaller manufacturers or SMEs. Compliance becomes crucial not only to meet regulatory requirements but also to address the interests of significant clients who are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their supply chain.

Insights from Industry Players

Members share their experiences in addressing carbon reporting and its impact on their operations. For instance, the scrutiny of burners on ovens to improve efficiency, while another discusses the transition from gas to electric power. The adoption of solar panels and energy-saving initiatives, even for smaller manufacturers, emerges as a common theme.

Proactive Measures in the Manufacturing Sector

Joshua, representing Ecam, highlights the proactive steps taken to reduce carbon emissions. Initiatives include partnering with external entities to monitor gas usage, achieving significant carbon savings, and adopting solar panels. The discussion expands to explore the importance of electric vehicles, EV charging points, and innovative concepts like solar carports.

Scope 3 Challenges and Opportunities

As the conversation progresses, the focus shifts towards Scope 3 challenges and opportunities. The imminent need for organisations to measure and address their carbon footprint is stressed, especially as larger companies with net-zero strategies will increasingly demand sustainability efforts from their supply chains. The group discusses the importance of being proactive in identifying and mitigating carbon hotspots within the value chain.

Technology and Software Solutions

The conversation also touches upon the lack of readily available software solutions to support organisations in tracking and managing their Scope 3 emissions. The integration of technology, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart metering, is proposed as a starting point for organizations to gain visibility into their usage patterns and performances.

Academic Contributions and Digital Transformation

The article highlights the collaboration between industry and academia, with a Birmingham student working on digitising factory processes. This showcases a practical approach to digital transformation within manufacturing, enabling organizations to monitor job progress and reduce paper consumption.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Made in Group's monthly meetup sheds light on the critical role of Scope 3 reporting in the manufacturing sector. The discussion underscores the importance of proactive measures, technological solutions, and collaborative efforts to navigate the challenges posed by increasing environmental regulations. As the manufacturing industry embraces sustainability, organizations must take a comprehensive approach to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more environmentally conscious future.

Webinar Recap: Using Virtual Meetings

Made In Group — 14/05/2020

The Made in Group recently integrated Zoom into the website allowing members to attend exclusive virtual meetings, from webinars and Q&A sessions to Breakfast morning and Mastermind groups. In this webinar, we explore the 'Virtual Meetings' feature and guide members on how to make the most of it.

The 30-minute webinar is available to watch on-demand now and covers the following topics:

What are Virtual Meetings?
How to access Virtual Meetings.
How to schedule Virtual Meetings.
How to interact with Virtual Meetings.
How to watch Virtual Meetings on-demand.
How to add a virtual background to your call.
How to solve common technical issues.
Best Practice tips to consider.

To learn more about virtual meetings, you can check out a range of blogs that the Made in Group has published which provide more insight into the etiquette of Virtual Events. These articles include;

The Made in Group has currently held over 15 Virtual Meetings and aims to achieve over 100 by the end of the year. To see what virtual meetings are upcoming in your region, don't forget to check out the events tab in the menu bar above, alternatively, make sure you follow us on social media where we will be announcing all of our upcoming events.

If you need any more support, please contact newsdesk@madeinthemidlands.com or newsdesk@madeinyorkshire.com.

5 Actionable Tips on CV WRITING AND INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

Made In Group — 31/03/2021

We understand that CV writing and going to job interviews can be quite daunting at times. Your CV should encapsulate who you are in both your personal and professional life, whilst highlighting your key skills and past experiences. As for interviews, it's best to be yourself whilst also showing that you are enthusiastic about the job.

In light of Made Futures - a virtual careers exhibition encouraging job seekers to consider a role in manufacturing accompanied by a jobs board, the Made in Group sat down with Paul Fielding - Divisional Director at Brewin Dolphin.

Having looked through numerous CVs and holding many interviews during his career, Paul offered his expert advice on CV Writing and Interview techniques in a recent live interview. Therefore we have rounded this up into 5 actionable ways you can apply Paul’s advice to your own CV and interview techniques!

1. Preparation

An important aspect of getting ready for an interview is making sure you dress appropriately and arrive on time.

Paul recommends that job seekers consider travelling to the interview location prior to the day of the interview and consider any traffic that may be an issue at that time. Also dress professionally for the interview, punctuality and professionalism are important to all employers.

2. What to take to the interview

Paul also recommends taking a copy of your CV so you can highlight some of your key skills or attributes prompted by the questions in the interview. On top of that, it may be useful to take a notepad and pen to take down any notes or important information to take away from the interview. However, Paul says the most important thing to bring along is questions.

Rather than asking ‘what does the company do?’ showing that you haven't done a lot of research prior to the interview, instead ask questions like ‘I saw online that your company does this, can you tell me more about that?’

3. Don't say too little but don't say too much

It may sound contradictory but hear us out on this one. Paul mentioned that interviewees tend to repeat themselves when asked a question, going over the same point as to ‘why you would be perfect for the role’ which could possibly lose the interviewer. However, make sure you don’t just respond with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as this won’t get your personality across. Find a balance, and if you get stumped by a question don’t hesitate not to answer straight away - employers usually do not penalise you for this.

4. ALWAYS include your contact details

It may seem obvious, but Paul says quite often applicants forget to include their contact details on a CV. Make sure your phone number and email address are at the top of your CV along with your name and home address.

5. Why you should check your CV and how to structure it

The first and most important thing you should do before sending your CV off is to check for any spelling or grammatical errors. Ensure to check your CV numerous times using spelling checkers such as Grammarly or Word. You could even get some else to have a look over it just to make sure.

When it comes to structuring your CV, Paul recommends that you place your name and contact details right at the top followed by your profile, training courses, experience, education interests, and references. Find out what you should include in each of these sections by heading to page 99 of the Made Futures book.

So what are you waiting for? now you have read our actionable tips make sure to upload your CV to www.madefutures.com and apply for current vacancies in the manufacturing sector. Good luck!

What are Made in Group's In-Person Expo "Fringe" Events?

Made In Group — 02/12/2021

Made in Group's upcoming hybrid expo features a variety of digital benefits, however, what role will the in-person "fringe" events play for members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire?

Alongside a virtual exhibition, featuring state-of-the-art immersive virtual reality technology, Made in Group's upcoming exhibition Backing Britain 3.0 has live features to ensure members get to experience "real life" networking amongst fellow industry leaders.

Featuring three top-class venues across the country set to host Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire members, there is expected to be 300+ attendees in total at the Backing Britain 3.0 in-person fringe events, which will complement the online expo.

At the upcoming instalment of Made in Group’s famed expo, there will be three locations throughout the Midlands and Yorkshire - Derby, Leeds and Wolverhampton - giving both Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire members the chance to connect.

The selected locations allow for the most number of members possible to be able to attend at least one venue, whilst not needing to travel too far. Therefore, this “Backing Britain 3.0 Expo” also aims to far reduce the environmental impact which has been seen in previous exhibitions.

There will be 3 celebrity speakers and 3 industry speakers in total, with one of each at every one of these in-person "fringe" events. So far, industry thought leaders and celebrity speakers Robert Llewellyn and Felicity Aston have been confirmed as keynote speakers - with the remaining 4 speakers yet to be confirmed (so watch this space!).

April 2022's Backing Britain 3.0 will see the launch of Made in Group’s brand new virtual directory, which will comprise Silver/Gold member expo stands, all year round. Through using Matterport cameras and technology, this will also allow people to visit members’ premises using 360° immersive features and (optionally) VR headsets.

Casting our eye to what you can expect from the physical events at the 2022 expo, Made in Group plan to book world-class venues, with delightful refreshments, and state of the art technology.

Ultimately, this technological aspect will form the link between the physical and virtual side of Backing Britain 3.0. For example, each physical event will give those in attendance the option to choose which member's factory to visit, through a virtual floor plan of QR codes, and virtual reality headsets scattered around the in-person venue. This technology aspect will of course be optional however, meaning that those in attendance can choose to live fully in the “real world” at these physical events if they would prefer!

Exhibit at Backing Britain 3.0 (26-28th April 2022) by contacting events@madeingroup.com, or register your free ticket using this link

“Act before, not after” – Most manufacturers one cyberattack away from a crisis

Made In Group — 18/02/2026

Manufacturing was the most targeted industry by cybercriminals in 2025, for the sixth consecutive year. Yet only one in seven businesses assesses cyber risk in their supply chain – and attackers know it.

Cybersecurity now threatens the day-to-day operations, reputation, and survival of manufacturing businesses across the UK. That’s the assessment from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), reinforced by a pattern of incidents that should concern every management team.

“With a 50% rise in highly significant attacks on last year, our collective exposure to serious impact is growing at an alarming pace. The best way to defend against these attacks is for organisations to make themselves as hard a target as possible. That demands urgency from every business leader. Hesitation is a vulnerability, and the future of their business depends on the action they take today,” says Dr Richard Horne, Chief Executive of the NCSC.

The most immediate danger facing manufacturers is ransomware, which exploits something every manufacturer understands: the cost of downtime. Attackers find a vulnerability in your IT network, encrypt your data and wait. Every hour your production is offline, the pressure to pay grows. That pressure is deliberate and effective, and one of the main reasons victims feel they have no choice but to pay up – typically in cryptocurrency as it's significantly harder to trace.

In the past 12 months, victims have included major organisations such as M&S, Co-Op, Jaguar Land Rover and large healthcare organisations. Attackers don’t care who you are or what sector you serve. They target whoever is vulnerable, whoever can’t afford downtime and whoever holds data worth ransoming. Manufacturers tick all three boxes.

At Made in Group’s latest Industry Meet-Up, a Cyber Protect Officer from West Yorkshire Police set out what manufacturers can do to get ahead of the threat.

Three reasons manufacturers still aren’t acting

The NCSC has identified a consistent pattern behind why businesses remain underprepared, and it has nothing to do with technical complexity.

The first is optimism bias – the belief that “we are unlikely to be targeted.”

The second is competing priorities – cybersecurity is recognised but rarely treated as urgent, so it gets pushed behind day-to-day pressures like production targets, orders and deadlines.

The third is the most widespread – cybersecurity is still treated as an IT issue rather than a business risk. It isn’t. Cyber risk belongs alongside fire, health & safety and financial risk. The businesses that understand that are the ones building genuine resilience. The ones that don’t are waiting for a crisis to make the argument for them.

“Small businesses often tell us that cybersecurity feels too technical, too expensive or too time-consuming. Yet, the cost of not acting is far higher,” the Officer warned.

The shift every manufacturer needs to make

The scale of the threat has forced a shift in the NCSC’s message. Prevention still matters, but recovery is now equally important. Waiting to be attacked and then responding is no longer a viable strategy – by the time you respond, the disruption and the cost are already compounding.

That shift in thinking has a specific implication for manufacturing businesses: your supply chain is as much a vulnerability as your own systems. Only 14% of businesses assess cyber risk across their supply chain. Attackers know this. A compromised supplier is a back door into your operation, and most manufacturers have left it unlocked.

At the same time, threat actors are evolving. AI is increasingly being used for more targeted, more frequent and harder-to-detect cyberattacks.

5 actions to improve your cybersecurity

The good news is that the required actions are straightforward and within reach for most manufacturers. They do not require specialist technical knowledge or significant capital investment. They require decision-making and follow-through.

Own cyber risk at the leadership level – Cyber risk needs to sit on the board agenda alongside every other operational risk. Assign clear accountability, put governance processes in place and make sure senior leaders are actively involved, and not just informed after an incident.
Train your people – The majority of successful attacks begin with human error: a clicked link, a weak password, an unverified request. Regular, practical awareness training reduces that risk significantly.
Secure and update your systems – Outdated, unpatched software is one of the most common entry points for attackers, and one of the most straightforward to address. Configure systems securely, disable features no longer used and keep everything up to date. The NCSC is also pushing passkeys as the new standard to replace passwords.
Tighten access controls – not every member of staff needs access to every system. Limit permissions to what each role genuinely requires, and enforce strong authentication across all systems. Reducing access is one of the most effective and underused controls available.
Secure your own supply chain – Set clear cybersecurity expectations for suppliers. Understand where the shared vulnerabilities are and work with partners to address them. Your resilience is only as strong as the weakest point in your chain – and most of those weak points remain unassessed.

No longer a question of if, but when – and whether you can recover

The cyber threat to manufacturing is real, growing and not going away. The Officer concluded: “Those that act early, that build resilience, and treat cybersecurity as a core part of business risk are the ones that will survive disruption, protect their customers and maintain trust in their brand.”

For more information on protecting your business, visit the West Yorkshire Police Cybercrime website.

Cyber Protect Officers operate regionally across the UK. To find your local officer, visit the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) website or ask your local police force.

Join our Next Industry Meet-up!

The opportunity to openly discuss challenges, opportunities and solutions is what makes the Made in Group’s Industry Meetups so invaluable.

During these captivating virtual events, industry experts, thought leaders, and professionals gather to share knowledge, insights and best practices.

The goal is to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and drive growth within the manufacturing community.

Each meet-up, we feature three engaging talks from Made Members, focusing on best practices around key themes that shape the future of manufacturing, including Global Trade, People & Skills, Future Factories, and Sustainability.

Presentations are followed by interactive Discussion Groups. These virtual roundtables enable Members to exchange ideas and gain further insights on their chosen topic.

We look forward to seeing you at the next one:

*Images courtesy of Freepik and Deposit Photos

Building a Trade Network, Apprenticeships & Automation Transformed Discussed at VBM

Made In Group — 23/03/2023

At a Virtual Breakfast Morning held on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 for members of Made in Group, three business leaders within UK industry shared their inspiring stories with attendees.

Virtual Breakfast Mornings are networking and best practice sharing events, exclusively for members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire. Attendees have the chance to learn best practice from 3 hosting speakers, followed by a 30-minute round table discussion on relevant topics.

The speakers for this event were 3 business leaders at leading firms: David Green (Managing Director at Handling Concepts), Carl Hollier Managing Director at Industrial Washing Machines, Paul Stockhill Managing Director at Agemaspark.

David Green, Managing Director at Handling Concepts, had a talk on Automation Transformation. David spoke about how to assess if your factory may or may not be suitable for automation of your goods movements and the best practice for planning an introduction of automation. David also covered which goods movement methods both automated and non automated are best suited to a selection of industrial environments.

Carl Hollier, Managing Director at Industrial Washing Machines, discussed Building a Successful International Trade Network. As Queen's award Winners for International Trade, Industrial Washing Machine is the perfect company to discuss how to build a successful global trade network. Carl shared sharing the company’s best practices on how to successfully make connections across multiple countries by focusing on opportunity.

Paul Stockhill, Managing Director at Agemaspark, then spoke about Apprenticeships and Recruitment. He shared Agemasparks targets of engaging with education, as well as recruiting and growing their own apprentices. The reason Paul decided grow his own specialised work force was that there was no experienced people out in the market place that were suitable.

You can find all of the talks below and discover a wide array of stories of success, innovative best practice and more by visiting Made U. Made U - short for Made University - is your home for best practice talks from the manufacturing community and expert masterclasses to help you expertly network, market and sell your brand.

5 Industry Leaders Offer Sustainable Manufacturing Solutions

Made In Group — 12/04/2023

Sustainability is something which manufacturing and engineering companies throughout the UK are striving towards everyday, therefore, we have compiled 5 videos in which business leaders share exclusive insight on this topic.

Made U - short for Made University - is your home for best practice talks from the manufacturing community and expert masterclasses to help you expertly network, market and sell your brand. Whether you've been creating on Made for years, or are just getting started, we've got you covered.

Keep scrolling below to discover 5 videos which you can access today through Made U which offer guidance and inspiration on sustainability solutions in manufacturing.

Director Angus Rose Speaks About the Potential of Solar Energy

What is the Made in Energy Club?

How Manufacturers Can Improve Compressed Air Efficiency and Reduce Costs

Which Digital Technology Can Help Reduce Manufacturers' Energy Consumption?

How Schneider Electric Uses Smart Technology to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Introducing The Great 100

Made In Group — 21/04/2025

In a time when the resilience of British industry has never mattered more, the Made in Group is proud to launch The Great 100 — an annual initiative spotlighting the people powering progress across UK manufacturing and engineering.

This isn't just another awards list. The Great 100 is a movement — a tribute to the changemakers who are strengthening domestic industry, championing local supply chains, developing future talent, and shaping a low-carbon future for us all.

Every year, we’ll recognise 100 individuals whose work exemplifies quality, innovation, and commitment to British industry. These honourees will be celebrated at an exclusive event in London, following our annual Parliament Reception — a unique moment where industry meets government to shape the future together.

Why The Great 100?

Because we need to shine a light on those doing the work — not just talking the talk. From strategic thinkers and engineers to educators, mentors, and operations leads, these are the people building a better industrial future.

Aligned with our broader Backing Britain campaign, this initiative will amplify the stories of resilience, sustainability, leadership and innovation at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing engine.

When times are tough? Keep Calm and Back Britain.

The Four Categories

• Industry Advocates – Policy-shapers, influencers, and industry ambassadors giving voice to the sector and fighting for its future.

• Made Futures – Educators, early-career champions, and mentors nurturing the next generation of makers, builders, and innovators.

• Resilience Drivers – Supply chain specialists and operations leaders fortifying the UK’s industrial backbone through smart, agile thinking.

• Sustainability Champions – Engineers and innovators embedding circular practices and green solutions into the DNA of British manufacturing.

How Nominations Work

Nominations are now open — but here’s what makes this process unique.

At Made in Group, we believe that the best way to champion the champions of our sector is to ensure their stories are seen, shared, and celebrated. That’s why our team will be using content published on the Made Platform as the primary way to identify and nominate manufacturing champions for The Great 100.

We do still provide a nomination form — and we absolutely want to hear about the unsung heroes and quiet achievers. If you know someone doing outstanding work but not shouting about it, let us know and we’ll engage with them directly.

But our core methodology has a purpose:

To champion those who are championing the sector — publicly.

That’s why we encourage everyone in the community to share their good news more often. Whether it’s about success, investment, innovation, resilience, or local impact — your stories matter.

And when those stories are told, they help strengthen the future of British industry.

“There are so many brilliant, diligent people within the Made community and the wider manufacturing sector who prefer to stay out of the spotlight. As someone who has worked in this space for decades, I’ve seen firsthand how many in engineering are natural introverts — logical thinkers who quietly get the job done.

While modesty is a noble trait, it can also mean our sector is underrepresented in the public eye. That’s why we’ve lined up 100 awards: to recognise a broad cross-section of talent, not just those with the loudest voices. We are actively encouraging nominations for individuals who are doing exceptional work but haven’t been celebrated publicly.

If we all begin sharing more about what we do — and what makes us proud — we’ll attract more opportunities, inspire future talent, and build a stronger national appreciation for the vital role manufacturing plays in the UK economy.”

— Jason Pitt, CEO, Made in Group

Nominations close: 30th October
GREAT100 event 4th December, London

Upload a story to the Made platform, 🔗 Submit your nomination via our online form: https://g2made.uk/GREAT100 or both.

Download the GREAT100 methodology and briefing document

Save the Date

The Great 100 Class of 2025 will be revealed at a special celebration on Thursday 4th December 2025, following our Parliament Reception in Westminster.

This is your chance to be part of a national movement to recognise excellence, celebrate industry, and champion the people building Britain's future — from the ground up.

Recap: #MFGQuestionTime with Lloyds Bank and Richard Jenkins

Made In Group — 03/04/2020

The Made in Group was joined by Patrons, Lloyds Bank, for the first #MFGQuestionTime session. You can watch the live Q&A on demand today.

The event, which was hosted alongside the launch of Zoom integration within the Made in Platform, lasted 35 minutes and invited pre-submitted questions from members of both the Midlands and Yorkshire region.

Heading-up the event was the CEO and Founder of the Made in Group, Jason Pitt who was joined by Richard Jenkins, the Area Director for the Black Country, Shropshire & South Staff as well as being the Manufacturing Ambassador for the Lloyds Commercial Banking Group.

The full running order, which included 10 questions, covered topics ranging from mortgages to the CBILS scheme, the safety of the banks and general best-practice tips.

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:56 - Do I have to go with the bank my business is associated with?

00:03:48 - Do Mortgage payment holidays apple to commercial mortgages as well?

00:05:40 - What are the categories for the CBILS scheme?

00:09:52 - How can we access the CBILS scheme?

00:13:52 - How long will it take for the money to appear in my bank account?

00:22:00 - How can I access the CBILS scheme if I can’t access

00:25:00 - Is our money still safe in our accounts?

00:28:25 - Is there any support available that we have not accessed as a business?

00:31:49 - What are Lloyds’ Best Practice tips for members?

This interview was the first in a series that the Made in Group is calling #MFGQuestionTime. These live Q&A sessions occur every Tuesday and Thursday and invite members of the group to submit questions to key industry figures.

Members can watch these events on-demand via the ‘Virtual Meeting’ tab on their Made in Group profile. If you would like to be considered to host a live Q&A session, contact alessandro@madeingroup.com.

What are Made Masterminds and how can I be part of it?

Made In Group — 03/04/2020

CEO of the Made in Group, Jason Pitt, recently announced that the Made Group are introducing Made Masterminds via Zoom on the back end of members microsites. This will see decision-makers come together every two weeks to discuss and solve strategic business issues.

The Made Mastermind groups have been set up in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and to ensure the Made community stays connected during a time of crisis. These discussions will take place every two weeks, once confirmed what the particular group would like to focus on. Jason said:

“The objectives of each mastermind can be whatever the group focuses on; however, each member must be able to follow a few simple rules before joining.”

These rules include a code of conduct to ensure everyone within the group has a safe space to discuss issues and solutions, including things such as encouraging and supporting each other and focusing energy on constructively finding solutions to challenges.

There are many reasons why members may want to take part in the mastermind, especially during such uncertain times. This could apply to decision-makers within companies who are looking to redefine their role and develop their vision, and who would like to think more creatively about business problems.

Each Mastermind group will take place on Zoom, along with a selection of members and a representative of the Made in Group team. The sessions will start with each member reminding others of what they do within their business and what challenges they would like to overcome. After, the Made team representative will choose a selection of challenges and the group will brainstorm possible solutions. Jason said:

“Over a period of time, we will eventually reach every problem in the group. Two challenges are discussed each mastermind meet-up, then we not only get our challenges presented, but we also get to learn from other's challenges which usually has some crossover in our businesses.”

To find out more about how the masterminds work, what we need from you and how you can join, click here to fill in the form to see if you are eligible.

Alternatively, contact a member of the Made team today or email newsdesk@madeinthemidlands.com.

Coffees and Catch Ups with Crompton Controls, Yorkshire Profiles & Garthwest

Made In Group — 18/03/2025

Over the past few weeks, Sam Sleight has had the pleasure of calling in on several of our valued Made in Yorkshire members, spotlighting the fantastic work they’re doing.

Independent, family-run UK SMEs are at the heart of our mission to strengthen British industry. It’s companies like Crompton Controls, Yorkshire Profiles, and Garthwest that ensure our manufacturing sector keeps moving forward. Despite operating in very different sectors, each one truly epitomises the dynamic, ambitious spirit that defines Yorkshire-based industry.

In this article, we’re highlighting what’s been happening on their shop floors (and behind the scenes), and we’ll also share some insights gleaned from the visits.

Crompton Controls

Building on a proud heritage that stretches back more than a century, Crompton Controls is forging ahead by embracing modern technology and adapting to new market demands. In the last couple of years, they’ve enjoyed record-breaking sales and healthy profits – something they’re modest about, but it truly is worth celebrating!

Investing in Automation: Crompton Controls has introduced a state-of-the-art automated milling machine and, more recently, an innovative automated wiring machine (the first of its kind in the UK). These additions will help increase capacity and prevent them from turning work away, enabling the company to pursue exciting new opportunities in data centres, battery manufacturing, hospitals, and more.
New Software & Processes: The team is also adopting new software to support its automated machinery. This 3D design approach allows them to preconfigure and prep wiring looms more efficiently, pushing them another step closer to full “Industry 4.0” capability.
Eye on Emerging Markets: Such high demand for their specialist electrical control panels has led Crompton Controls to promote Andrew Agar to BMS (Building Management Systems) Manager, paving the way for further partnerships with major energy providers and carbon-reduction initiatives.

Yorkshire Profiles

For Yorkshire Profiles, it’s all about precision, flexibility, and meeting the broad requirements of a wide-ranging client base. Their team has earned a reputation as an approachable yet highly capable sheet metal specialist, offering services that range from laser cutting and deburring to fabrication, welding, and finishing.

Advanced Laser Cutting Capacity: Multiple laser cutters – some of which have fully automated loading and unloading towers – allow for extensive unmanned operation. Last summer, they invested in a new machine to expand capacity for bigger jobs and faster turnaround times.
In-House Nitrogen Generation: Generating their own nitrogen keeps the cutting process efficient and cost-effective, allowing Yorkshire Profiles to pass those benefits directly on to customers. This also makes the business more resilient and sustainable.
Diverse Customer Base: Whether it’s bespoke furniture, agricultural machinery, high-end audio enclosures, or even military components, Yorkshire Profiles is well-versed in a variety of sectors. Their ability to deliver precise, reliable service has put them in a strong position for the future.

Garthwest

Hull-based Garthwest is a family-run packaging and display business that balances traditional customer service values with modern design and manufacturing techniques.

Steady Growth and Resilience: Though the packaging world has seen its fair share of ups and downs lately – particularly with rising material costs and shifting customer demands – Garthwest remains healthily profitable by staying agile and diversifying whenever needed.
Packaging & Point of Sale (POS): Around 90% of Garthwest’s output is corrugated packaging, but they also specialise in designing and producing POS displays. Their expertise really shines when creating eye-catching solutions for retail campaigns.
Focused on Innovation: Keen to keep a competitive edge, Garthwest has been developing its digital presence through SEO and online marketing. Despite going up against some large, integrated packaging giants, they continue to carve out a niche by offering top-quality service and collaborating with partners to navigate challenges in retail and supply chains.

A Few Words from Sam

My recent visits to these three companies have really showcased the best of what Yorkshire manufacturing has to offer: hard work, mutual support, and a keen eye on the future. From Crompton Controls introducing advanced automation, to Yorkshire Profiles bolstering production with new equipment, to Garthwest expanding its service offerings and digital reach, there’s a great deal of optimism across the board.

It’s exactly this kind of forward-thinking approach that makes the Made in Group network so special: sharing best practices, sparking collaborations, and championing one another’s achievements. It has been a pleasure to see how each of these businesses is forging new opportunities and building solid foundations for long-term success.

I’m sure there’ll be plenty more articles like this in the run-up to summer as I continue visiting members throughout the region. For now, here’s to the continued success of Crompton Controls, Yorkshire Profiles, and Garthwest – and to seeing even more Yorkshire manufacturers taking the spotlight in the months ahead!

No 10 plans to give daily updates on Coronavirus

Made In Group — 16/03/2020

Talking about what he thinks of the daily updates coming from the Government, Jason said:

Unison's Alan Pickering Speaks with adi and OGL on Apprenticeships and Cyber Safety

Made In Group — 09/12/2021

WATCH THE EVENT BACK

For this instalment of “The Editor’s Pick”, hosted on Wednesday 8th December at 12pm, the guest editor was Alan Pickering - Managing Director of Unison Ltd.

Alan sat down with James Sopwith from adi Group and Alex Barnett from OGL Computer.

Alan kicked off the live segment, which is streamed across all Made in Group social channels every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month to the group’s 30K+ followers, by introducing himself and the event’s guests.

As Editor, Alan had the opportunity to select 3 recent featured articles from the Made in Group platform and spoke directly with the members who published them.

Protecting your “Big Six” from Cyber Crime: Essential Info for Manufacturers

Alan chose to speak to OGL Computer, as a follow up to their recent event which is being held on December 14th, offering essential info for manufacturers on protecting your "Big Six" from cyber crime.

Alan began the event by asking Alex what is the biggest mistake made within the manufacturing industry when it comes to cyber security. "I'm too small to be of interest to a cyber criminal" was cited by Alex as being a common standpoint, which results in companies failing to protect themselves adequately.

Alex emphasised that there has never been a more important time to protect yourself as a company from cyber attacks, such as having an instant response plan, and ultimately being proactive when it comes to identifying what risks exist within the organisation, and what can be done to mitigate against these.

Gold status for adi Group as it extends commitment to young futures

As a response to their recent "Gold Status", Alan chose to speak with adi Group; with the manufacturing firm having been recognised for its work in building young futures with a new award from a government-backed accreditation.

Alan wanted to know firstly what initially trigged James' passion for an apprenticeship program, with James highlighting that not everyone is "cut out for an academic route", when it comes to their career development, and therefore they wish to inspire those who are more hands on to embark on a "fantastic career in engineering".

This recognition highlights adi Group as one of Britain’s brightest businesses investing in the STEM skills agenda. Showcasing those that are excelling at providing a number of ‘earn and learn’ opportunities for young people across a number of industry sectors, adi’s Gold Award is the highest honour bracket, recognising that at least 5% of its 700-strong workforce is made up of apprentices.

WATCH THE EVENT BACK

Accelerate Your Contribution to Net-Zero with the BB2022 Expo

Made In Group — 23/09/2021

As a business leader, it’s natural to think about innovation and growth in business to increase turnover. However, it is critical now for all industries to become familiar with the solutions available to help accelerate their contribution to Net-Zero. By exhibiting in a hybrid format and selling B2B using digital twins, you could be achieving success in a ‘greener’ manner.

From 26th-28th April the Made in Group will be hosting an immersive digital exhibition accompanied by three in-person networking events. Backing Britain 3.0 has been created to encourage more manufacturers to embrace the benefits of digital, due to the acceleration of its usage throughout the pandemic. Exhibitors and visitors can dive into a completely digital environment where they can explore all aspects of a company’s stand. To immerse yourself further, you will also be able to view a digital twin of a product or facility. As an exhibitor, the digital twin footage could put companies ahead of the competition with off-site viewings of products or places.

In a recent Backing Britain Breakfast Morning hosted by the Made in Group David Wigglesworth, Managing Director of SFS Group, highlighted the unprecedented acceleration of using digital capabilities because of the pandemic. As a result, whilst many people are still holding hope things will go back to normal, David urges manufacturers to embrace the change as digital isn’t going anywhere. He said:

“Throughout the pandemic, we have discovered new ways of working. Whether it be remotely or in a semi-virtual world, we adapted to the times and the challenges we faced. However, embracing this isn’t for that period in time only. The market is still changing and the emergence of traditional and digital will strengthen the way businesses operate.”

A recent report revealed that in as little as three years, 85% of companies will be selling in a hybrid format. And ⅔ of a customer’s journey is already digital, from order process and research to reorder process. With digital revealing itself to be deeper and more embedded than ever before, the employment of digital twins to sell to the B2B market will put companies ahead of those not embracing the new ‘normal’.

That being said, the major hurdle the world needs to overcome is achieving net-zero by 2050. Whilst 300 guests are expected at the three in-person events at the Backing Britain 3.0 exhibition in Wolverhampton, Derby, and Leeds. With the exhibition being hosted in a virtual environment, 2,700 cars worth of air pollution won’t be on the road on their way to attend the event. No major transport for goods and stands will be used and there will be no need to light up an enormous exhibition hall, instead, exhibitors will be accelerating their contribution to Net-Zero.

Contact events@madeingroup.com to find out more about exhibiting at Backing Britain 3.0

How Manufacturers Are Uncovering Recruitment Solutions with Made Futures

Made In Group — 05/09/2023

The Made Futures jobs board offers a genuine solution for our members to address the recruitment challenges they face whilst actively contributing to closing the skills gap within British industry.

Since the launch of Made Futures back in March 2021, over 450 jobs have been advertised through the recruitment platform - a free service for members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire.

Alloy Heat Treatment and TWP Manufacturing, seen in the image above, are two members of many within Made in Group who have recruited using the Made Futures platforms.

What makes Made Futures so powerful as a recruitment tool is that it aggregates the job vacancies of the manufacturing industry into one place. A variety of users, from graduates to people currently working within the industry in senior roles looking to advance their careers further, have accounts on the Made Futures jobs board.

Made in Group initially launched in an effort to inspire manufacturing as an “Industry of Choice” and also to support UK industry in growing alongside a new generation of skilled workers. All paid members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire have access to this powerful platform.

The Made Futures initiative also aims to elevate your employer branding endeavours and foster the exchange of inclusive recruitment best practices. One of the key ways in which it does this, is through giving those who take the Equal Employer pledge access to an Employer Toolkit. Furthermore, the Made in Group platform provides a convenient job vacancy template, allowing you to create tailored social ads with ease. By leveraging these powerful tools, you can effectively convey your organisation's unwavering commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, both within your team and to the world outside.

As a member of Made in the Midlands or Made in Yorkshire, you can find out how to simply upload your latest job vacancies to the Made Futures jobs board and how to make them appear on your microsite through through the tutorial below.

HOW TO ADVERTISE JOBS ON MADE FUTURES

Tour in Focus: A Global Leader Within Their Industry

Made In Group — 21/09/2022

As part of Gardner Denver's stand at Backing Britain 3.0, you can now take a virtual tour of the company premises through innovative 3D technology.

This year, the Made in Group team commited to going out to visit members and create 'digital twins' of their factories, using innovative Matterport technology. This technology is used to create 3D walkaround of companies' factories, which is then showcased on their stand at Backing Britain 3.0.

This tour is being highlighted due to the brilliant way in which it it takes you on a journey through the premises, whilst also listing the names of certain areas and machinery, as can be seen below.

Gardner Denver is a leading global provider of flow control technology, application expertise and support services to a diverse customer base through a family of trusted brands.

These factory tours give businesses the chance to share best practices, showcase their capabilities and more. Backing Britain 3.0 is an all year round virtual exhibition which members of Made in Group the tools to sell in a post-covid world with engaging 3D content, whilst helping them reduce their carbon footprint.

The stand at Backing Britain 3.0 is going to be available 365 days a year, giving people the opportunity to walk around Gardner Denver's factory, find out more about the company, ask questions and more. Click the link below and then navigate to 3D TOURS on the left to go on this virtual factory tour yourself.

GARDNER DENVER'S VIRTUAL FACTORY TOUR

What Happens When You Step Back and Work on the Network

Made In Group — 18/01/2026

Over the last few weeks, we deliberately stepped away from day-to-day delivery.

Not to create another strategy deck, of for a brainstorming session.

But to run a practical internal workshop focused on the Made network itself, how it works, how people experience it, and where it can quietly become harder to engage with than it needs to be.

The workshop brought together our team members from across the Midlands, Yorkshire and the South West, and we held it at Birmingham Library, the largest public library in the UK, and one of Lord Whitby’s most recognisable projects.

Built as part of Birmingham’s Big City Plan, it was designed to put the city firmly on the map: ambitious, civic, and forward-looking.

It turned out to be a fitting setting. The question we were there to answer was straightforward:

How do we make membership easier to engage with, easier to explain, and easier to get real value from?

So we pressure-tested three things.

First, how members actually move through the network. Not the intended journey, but what really happens once someone joins.
Second, where friction shows up.
Moments where value exists, but isn’t always obvious, visible, or easy to act on.
And third, how we support engagement without asking for more time than people realistically have.

For most manufacturing leaders, time, not willingness, is the real constraint.

The outcome wasn’t a shiny new strategy, it was clarity.

Clearer journeys.
Clearer signals.
Clearer expectations, for us and for members.

One insight stood out more than any other:

Membership works best when people can engage at the level that suits them, without feeling they have to “use everything”.

That thinking is now shaping the next update to how events and engagement work across the network, which I’ll share separately.

For now, the important point is this:

We’re continuing to invest behind the scenes so the network stays practical, human, and genuinely useful as it grows.

Fewer assumptions.
More clarity.
And systems that support people, rather than overwhelm them.

Exactly the kind of work that’s easiest to overlook, but hardest to do without. Following this workshop we will have a lot of ideas to engage and grow the memerbship and would just conclude with a thank you to all of the members who have supported us over the yearts and made this movement possible.

How SMEs Can Navigate the Shifting Automotive Landscape

Made In Group — 07/04/2025

The automotive industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. For suppliers, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities.

Electrification. Emerging digital technologies. Supply chain disruption. Adapting to changes happening across the automotive industry requires proactive planning, strategic adaptation and strong industry collaboration. Below are the key insights from a recent webinar* organised by SMMT on how SMEs can safeguard their place in the supply chain of tomorrow and position themselves for long-term success.

The session highlighted the challenges facing the UK automotive supply chain and the importance of effective leadership in managing a business through uncertainty and transition. In particular, it emphasised the importance of stepping back and prioritising time and space to plan effectively for the future.

1. Prepare for an Uncertain Future

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is inevitable, but the path forward is complex. Government policies, regulatory changes and infrastructure development are influencing adoption rates, making it difficult to predict demand with certainty. Fluctuating consumer preferences further complicates matters, as some buyers embrace EVs while others hesitate due to concerns about charging infrastructure and battery longevity.

For SMEs, adaptability is key. While fully electric powertrains are the future, the market is currently in flux, with hybrids serving as an interim solution. Businesses should monitor technological advancements, stay informed about regulatory shifts and be prepared to pivot their operations accordingly. This means investing in flexible manufacturing capabilities and diversifying product offerings to remain relevant as the industry evolves.

SMEs that build flexibility into their operations now are more likely to weather volatility, respond quickly to tenders and win business from OEMs seeking adaptable supply chain partners.

2. Restructuring Is Not a Dirty Word

To stay competitive, SMEs will need to reassess their operations, cost structures and business models. Restructuring does not necessarily mean downsizing – it can involve optimising supply chains, improving production efficiency or even expanding into new market segments.

For instance, a business might pivot from producing components for internal combustion engines to supplying parts for EV drivetrains or energy storage systems. Others may find opportunities in adjacent sectors like aerospace or rail where similar capabilities apply.

Instead of viewing restructuring as a last resort, companies should see it as an opportunity to enhance efficiency and build resilience. This may include leveraging digital tools for better resource management, adopting lean manufacturing practices or collaborating with strategic partners to share costs and capabilities.

3. Stronger Collaboration Across the Supply Chain

The automotive sector is an interconnected ecosystem where no business operates in isolation. SMEs must foster strong relationships with suppliers, industry bodies, and peer networks to stay ahead of market changes. Open communication within the supply chain can help identify upcoming challenges and opportunities early, enabling businesses to adapt before disruptions occur.

By engaging with trade organisations, participating in industry forums and forming strategic alliances, SMEs can gain valuable insights, negotiate better terms with suppliers and explore joint ventures that enhance competitiveness. Collaboration is particularly important in securing access to emerging technologies, such as advanced battery materials and next-generation manufacturing techniques.

4. Future-Proof Your Workforce

Technological advancements are reshaping workforce demands. The rise of automation, digitalisation and EV-specific manufacturing techniques means new skill are required. SMEs must take a proactive approach to workforce development, ensuring employees are equipped to handle emerging industry requirements.

Attracting young talent to the manufacturing sector remains a challenge but businesses can improve their appeal by clearly communicating career pathways, investing in apprenticeships and offering continuous professional development. Collaborations with educational institutions and technical training programmes can also help bridge the skills gap and build a pipeline of future talent.

5. Work on Your Business, Not Just in It

Many business leaders find themselves consumed by daily operations, leaving little room for strategic planning. However, in an industry undergoing such rapid transformation, taking a step back to assess market positioning and long-term objectives is essential.

Structured strategy sessions, competitor analysis and market research can provide the clarity needed to make informed decisions. Business leaders should also prioritise storytelling – crafting a compelling business narrative that highlights their unique strengths and future vision. A clear, well-communicated strategy helps align internal teams and strengthens relationships with investors, OEMs and partners.

6. Stay on Top of Funding Opportunities

The availability of government grants, loans and tax incentives is constantly shifting, making it essential for SMEs to stay informed about funding opportunities. While financial support can be inconsistent, resources exist for businesses looking to invest in innovation, sustainability and workforce development.

Building strong relationships with financial advisors, grant agencies and industry organisations can help SMEs navigate the funding landscape. Funding windows close quickly, so having a ready-to-go business case – including clear financial projections, market insights and strategic growth plans – can significantly improve the likelihood of securing investment or lender support.

7. Be Ready to Pivot

The industry’s direction isn’t set in stone. While hybrids are bridging the transition to EVs, market dynamics could shift rapidly based on consumer sentiment, policy changes and technological breakthroughs. SMEs must remain flexible, ensuring their supply chains, product offerings and operational strategies can quickly adapt to evolving conditions.

This means continuously evaluating business models, monitoring industry trends and maintaining an agile mindset. Companies that embrace change and proactively position themselves for the future will be best equipped to seize emerging opportunities and mitigate potential risks.

The Bottom Line

There is no single formula for success in today’s automotive industry, but SMEs that remain informed, agile and collaborative will be well-positioned to thrive. By fostering strong industry partnerships, investing in workforce development and maintaining a proactive strategic approach, businesses can turn uncertainty into opportunity.

Peer-to-peer learning, strategic adaptability and continuous innovation will be the cornerstone of long-term success. The future is being shaped now – and it’s those who act with clarity and purpose today who will shape it.

*Watch the webinar on-demand here

**Header image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay

Championing plans to reshape British Industry

Made In Group — 20/11/2023

Amidst a push for increased investment in British industry, the Made in Group orchestrated a compelling event at Westminster in 2022, amplifying calls for further support. Led by a chairman whose voice resonates in the House of Lords, the Group serves as a powerful advocate for its members, ensuring their ideas reverberate within the corridors of power. Jason Pitt, the CEO, applauds the government's recent commitment of £4.5 billion in funding as a positive step and eagerly anticipates its effective implementation, emphasising the importance of efficiency in the process.

In 2022, the Made in Group held discussions with the government ministry overseeing industry, alongside several influential figures in the government, to advocate for British industry. Jason Pitt, expressing the group's ambition, articulated, 'We ambitiously requested £100 billion in investment for the sector, aiming to stimulate a shift in perspective, moving beyond mere token grants towards impactful funding. In addition to engaging with MPs, we ensured the distribution of our letters to every MP and Lord through their respective pigeonholes during our Westminster visit.'

Jason further elaborated, 'This year, our focus revolves around advocating for a renewed approach to ministerial attention. I encourage our members to watch for an incoming email in their inboxes, where I will provide a copy of the 2023 letter along with the option to add your endorsement."

Government pledges £4.5 billion for manufacturing

This substantial investment, earmarked for eight pivotal sectors, notably includes £960 million dedicated to bolstering clean energy initiatives. Such a strategic allocation of funds aims to not only spur growth but also fortify energy security across the nation. The government's responsiveness to industry recommendations signals a concerted effort to foster innovation and progress. Of particular note is the emphasis on advancing digital technologies, a move expected to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and drive widespread innovation.

This initiative stands as a rallying call for collective support to fortify the future of British manufacturing. It champions sectors crucial to economic growth and national development, notably allocating over £2 billion for automotive industries and £975 million for aerospace. These allocations are set to support not just manufacturing but also the development of zero-emission vehicles, aligning with the global shift towards sustainability.
Moreover, the commitment of £960 million to the Green Industries Growth Accelerator underscores the government's dedication to fostering clean energy manufacturing. This investment aims to expand clean energy supply chains, including areas such as carbon capture, hydrogen, and offshore wind, aligning with the nation's ambitions for a net-zero future.

The government's acknowledgment of the importance of regulation and standards in driving innovation further underlines its commitment to progress. Accepting all 14 recommendations put forth by industry experts, the government looks to accelerate the deployment of cutting-edge technologies like digital twins. This tech, already making waves in sectors such as automotive, promises transformative outcomes in product development and efficiency.
As part of wider plans to boost growth in SMEs, the Made Smarter Adoption program's expansion promises to democratise access to advanced digital technologies across all English regions. This program aims to reduce carbon emissions, enhance productivity, and foster skill development, thereby empowering smaller businesses to thrive.

In essence, this comprehensive plan represents a united front in bolstering British manufacturing. It not only seeks to fortify existing industries but also pave the way for innovative, sustainable, and competitive sectors that will drive the nation towards a prosperous future. As these initiatives unfold, they invite collaboration and participation, marking a pivotal moment for all stakeholders invested in the growth and success of British industry.
If you are interested in joining us in December, then we have a few spaces left.

Join us in Westminster

Please login to your dashboard and add yourself to the delegate list. Not a member? Please contact us www.madeinthemidlands.com/contact or www.madeinyorkshire.com/contact for details on how you can support our trip and attend.

Backing Britain Pledges Funds Project to Plant 5,000 trees

Made In Group — 07/09/2022

Made in Group (MIG), including Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, has partnered with Ecologi, an organisation helping businesses tackle climate change. MIG has already made its first donation which has funded a project to plant 5,000 trees and offset 100 tonnes of carbon. The donation was made as a result of 143 pledges made to net-zero by Made in Group members.

In April 2022 Made in Group launched Backing Britain 3.0, the third online exhibition for manufacturers available 24/7 and all year round. The interactive online show allowed members to showcase their capabilities and more to an endless number of visitors. One of the major benefits of the virtual stand was the 3d scan feature, which showcased a members manufacturing facility in a virtual reality format.

Made in Group developed the online exhibition to encourage manufacturers to utilise digital capability more effectively and help their next steps toward a net-zero future. Live trade shows are heavily relied on by manufacturers to generate interest in their businesses and showcase their products to the right audience. However this reliance on trade shows is unnecessarily damaging to the planet with the materials that are used to build stands and fuel used due to transport. Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group, said:

“The benefit of heavy industry duty industries making a move to showcasing their products online in a visually appealing format adheres to the collective agenda of being net-zero in the future”

To solidify this dedication to a net-zero future, members who exhibited at Backing Britain made a pledge to the cause at the live networking events in Walsall, Derby and Leeds. In total, 143 members made a pledge and £15 per member was donated to the Ecologi forest which will see thousands of trees planted and tonnes of carbon being offset.

Made in Group will continue to encourage UK manufacturers to fully integrate themselves into the digital world whilst we strive towards a net-zero future. Every business who signs up to the Made in Group to become a member, the team will fund a project to plant 25 trees via Ecologi.

Find out more about Ecologi and check out the projects funded by Made in Group so far by heading to https://ecologi.com/madeingroup.

Exciting Times for Yorkshire Firms as Showcased in Latest Editor's Pick

Made In Group — 18/08/2021

WATCH THE EDITOR’S PICK WITH EDITOR CAROLINE BROAD

Made LIVE TV hosted another interesting, inspiring, and engaging discussion between Yorkshire firms today for an episode of The Editor’s Pick. Editor Caroline Broad, Business Development Manager at Clarion - patron of Made in Yorkshire, sat down with representatives from Unison, Additive X, and Catax to discuss the latest news published to the Made in Yorkshire platform.

The Editor’s Pick is a great way to stay up to date with the latest Midlands and Yorkshire manufacturing news, streamed every other week on Wednesday at 12 pm. Handpicked from the Made in Group membership every fortnight, the editor has the chance to select up to three articles published to the group’s platforms. Guests are then invited to a live stream with the editor to discuss their latest news and delve deeper into the stories. Interested in being an editor, hosted LIVE across all Made in Group social channels? Contact yasmin@madeingroup.com for Midlands and joe@madeingroup.com for Yorkshire.

Kicking off the round of discussions with Made in Yorkshire members Unison, Stauff, and patron of the Made in Group Catax, Caroline spoke with Steve Chambers - Sales Manager at Unison. The pair discussed the announcement of Unison’s strategic partnership with fellow Made in Yorkshire member Stauff.

The UK’s leading tube bending specialists Unison have been supplying to global hydraulic industry supplier Stauff for the past 10 years. During the course of their long-established relationship, Stauff has purchased around thirty tube bending machines from Unison for their manufacturing facilities in Brazil, India, the USA, Russia, Australia, and the UK.

Steve said the two Yorkshire firms have a great relationship, and the strategic partnership affirms this. With Unison being guaranteed future orders and support contracts from Stauff, Stauff can benefit from discounted machines and tooling alongside training on annual service visits. This highlights the importance of collaborating with local businesses to future proof both parties and supporting the local economy.

Up next, Caroline spoke with Jacob Wilson - Growth Lead at Additive X who has recently achieved ISO 10993-1 certification for their Formlabs Tough 1500 Resin. This means the material is accredited for skin contact - making it specifically suited for the medical industry.

Jacob mentioned whilst many of Formlabs materials are suitable for skin contact, the Tough 1500 Resin is great for functional parts that need to flex and bend whilst keeping their shape. Additive X, 3D Printing specialists, first partnered with Formlabs in 2013, and together they have solutions to tick every box for their clients.

Finishing off the insightful discussion, Caroline chatted with Chris Parkhurst - Regional Development Director at Catax Group. The two discussed how grant funding is taking UK manufacturing to the next level and how Catax can support businesses with this.

Chris gave an outstanding figure that grant funding and R&D tax incentives could fund up to 70% of a manufacturer's innovative project. Manufacturing businesses can tap into this by proving that their project or idea will help the business improve efficiencies such as energy. This is especially important as governments look to manufacturers to help towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

WATCH THE EDITOR’S PICK WITH EDITOR CAROLINE BROAD

Who will you be able to see at Backing Britain Live 2020? (S-Z)

Made In Group — 05/08/2020

On the 17th August 2020 the Made in Group will launch a digital exhibition with a big difference, we are going to make it an immersive experience between digital and physical.

Looking at the list below, you can see which members (From both the Midlands and Yorkshire) will beattending the event. You'll also be able to visit their Made in Microsite, as well as find out their contact details.

Get your tickets here.

Backing Britain Live 2020 - Exhibitors (S-Z)

Safe and Vault Company

Safe and Vault Company are the leading supplier of safes and vaults, ATM security and cash safes. We design and manufacture ATM safes and vault security.

Units A1-A3, Wyther Lane Industrial Estate Wyther Drive, Leeds, LS53AR
01132744627

SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd

SFS is the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of carbon and stainless steel fastening systems.

SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd., 153 Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS4 2AT
0113 208 5501

Spectrum Industrial

Spectrum Industrial is a British manufacturer with over 20 years’ experience of providing businesses with solutions to help identify, manage and reduce safety risks and hazards in the workplace.

Centurion House, Hunt Lane, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN5 9SH
01302 788700

Stauff

STAUFF UK Ltd based in Sheffield with a state-of-the-art distribution and manufacturing facility of hydraulic hose assemblies and manipulated tube assemblies.

500 Carlisle Street East, off Downgate Drive, South Yorkshire, S4 8BS
0114 251 8518

Steelphalt

Harsco Environmental’s SteelPhalt has been developing and manufacturing high performance asphalt products for roadmaking in the UK since the 1960's

Sheffield Road, The Ickles, Rotherham, S60 1DR
01709 300500

SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH (UK) LTD

The activities of SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH UK are focused on providing the highest quality Tool Steels, Stainless Steels and Engineering Steels from our own mills.

33 Hainge Road, Oldbury, West Bromwich, B69 2NY
0121 377 3400/0121 544 1923

Siemens

The leading global engineering and technology services company.

Sir William Siemens House, Princess Road Princess Parkway, Manchester, M20 2UR
08458 507600

SMC Pneumatics (UK) Ltd

SMC is a global leader in automation through the most advanced pneumatic and electric technologies.

Vincent Avenue, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0AN
01908 563888

Specialised Laser Products Ltd

Specialised Laser Products (SLP) are the preferred company for laser cutting services in many different industries.

Ford Park, Canklow Rd, Westgate, South Yorkshire, S60 2JB
01709 837333

Salamander Fabrications

Salamander Fabrications are a sheet metal fabricator based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Old Bank, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, HD7 5HB
01484 843599

SHEA Global

More than a software vendor—we’re your strategic partner in end-to-end business transformation and ongoing optimization.

111-113 Fort Dunlop, Fort Parkway, Birmingham, B24 9FD
01212605292

Stephenson group

World leaders in the development & supply of specialty soap bases & natural ingredients. Creating chemistry since 1856.

Brookfoot House, Low Lane, Horsforth, LS18 5PU
0113 205 0900

Spectrum Industrial

Spectrum Industrial is a British manufacturer with over 20 years’ experience of providing businesses with solutions to help identify, manage and reduce safety risks and hazards in the workplace.

Centurion House, Hunt Lane, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN5 9SH
01302 788700

Sorion Electronics Ltd

Your partner for manufacturing guided assembly, traceability and electrical test solutions

Magreal Industrial Estate, Freeth Street, Birmingham, B16 0QZ
+44 (0)121 454 8966

Subcon Laser Cutting

Subcon Laser Cutting is a leading UK based subcontract manufacturing service provider. Two dimensional and three dimensional laser cutting.

Bermuda Road, Nuneaton, CV10 7QG
02476642221

Schneider Electric

Leading the digital transformation of energy management and automation.

123 Jack Lane, Leeds, Leeds, LS10 1BS
0870 608 8608

Superite Tools

Superite Tools Ltd has been designing and manufacturing injection moulds, die casting tooling and press tools since 1955.

Vigo Place, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8UG
01922 451151

Samuel Taylor Ltd

Manufacturer of precision stamped components, assemblies and strip bonding of precious bi-metals, typically used in electro-mechanical switches. STL has in-house design and toolmaking capability.

Arthur Street, Lakeside, Redditch, Worcester, B98 8JY
01527 504910

Sargent Electrical Services Ltd

Producing bespoke electrical wiring harnesses, associated cable assemblies, and complete electrical systems for multiple sectors.

Unit 39, Tokenspire Business Park, , HU17 0TB
01482 678981

SD Products Limited

SD Products Ltd is a third generation family owned business with over 40 years of experience as a stockist distributor of specialist fasteners, we supply product across all industries.

Unit 1 Fulwood Road South, Fulwood Industrial Estate, Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 2JZ
01623 655 265

SSC Laser Cutting

Providing the best sub-contract laser cutting service, as well as an extensive range of other quality engineering facilities, SSC is THE one-stop workshop for the manufacturing and production industries.

New Road, Hixon, ST18 0PJ
01889 270241

Thorlux Lighting

Thorlux is well known throughout the world and provides a comprehensive range of professional lighting and control systems for architectural, commercial, floodlighting, industrial and hazardous areas.

Merse Road, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 9HH
01527-583200

Tri-Tech 3D

Tri-Tech 3D is the UKs foremost supplier of Objet and Stratasys 3D printers, offering servicing, support, maintenance and consumables for all 3D printers.

3-4, North Staffs Business Park, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4BF
01782 814551

Tudor International Freight

Tudor International Freight have been working with businesses to deliver bespoke solutions to logistics requirements for the last thirty years. We offer a variety of services to companies from a wide range of industries.”

Tudor International Freight Limited, Low Hall Business Park Low Hall Road, Horsforth, LS18 4EF
0113 250 1155

The Harboro Rubber Co Ltd

Riverside, Market Harborough, LE16 7PZ
01858 410610

The Sempre Group

Your Strategic Partners in Quality, Automation, Innovation & Efficiency.

37 Barnett Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3RT
01452 632712

The Partners Group

We're an experienced, creative and friendly team of PR, communications and digital marketing experts who provide strategic, creative and straight-talking PR, marketing and digital support.

105 The Mount, York, North Yorkshire, YO24 1GY
01904 610077

TLM Laser

We have a wide range of laser machines for marking, engraving, fume extraction, wafer marking, welding, sorting, cutting, micro machining as well as safety eyewear.

TLM Laser Ltd Global HQ, Navigation Court Harris Business Park, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcester, B60 4FD
+44 (0) 1527 959 099

Total Control Pro

Data-sharing systems to enable manufacturers around the world to increase productivity through the use of smart cloud based technology that’s Available, Accessible and Affordable.

Innovation Centre, Green Street, Northamptonshire, NN1 1SY
03456804045

Twente Express Ltd

Twente Express operate daily departures between the UK and the Benelux region – specialising in the delivery of parcels, pallets, part and full trailers.

Centrum House Coppice Side Industrial Estate, Brownhills, Walsall, WS8 7TE
01543 362 220

TWP Manufacturing Ltd

Designers and manufacturer of precision pressings, tube manipulation, mig welding, injection moulding and assembling components.

3 Malthouse Road, Tipton, Dudley, DY4 9AE
07799111570 / 0121 520 2345

Tantec UK ltd

Tantec manufacture plasma and corona surface treatment systems - enhancing adhesion of inks, adhesives and coatings.

19 Howard Road, Park Farm Industrial Estate, Redditch, Worcester, B98 7SE
01527 304004

Technetics Group UK

Technetics’ aerospace elastomer solutions business designs and manufactures precision elastomer seals and components for various markets.

Acan Way Coventry Road, Narborough Leicester, LE19 2FT
0116 272 7411

tesa UK Ltd

As a leading global adhesive tape manufacturer represented in over 100 countries, it’s our aim to build a strong bond with our customers which goes beyond simply selling you tape.

Yeomans Drive, Milton Keynes, MK14 5LS
01908 211333

The Deritend Group Limited

The UK’s leading provider of engineering solutions for industry. With nearly 120 years' engineering experience, we have the expertise to exceed your expectations.

Cyprus Street, , Wolverhampton, WV2 4PA
01902 426354

Victor Manufacturing

For moving, storing, and holding hot and cold foods, UK equipment producer, Victor Manufacturing can help. Based in Bradford.

Lonsdale Works, Gibson Street, Bradford, BD3 9TF
01274 722125

Verder Ltd

Verder Ltd is a manufacturer and distributor of pumps and pumping systems with provision of workshop and site engineering services for all pump types.

Unit 3 California Drive, Castleford, WF10 5QH
01924 221001

Varlowe Industrial Services

We are an Industrial Services company specialising in CNC Machinery, Class 1 Coded Welding, Pipework Services, Bespoke Metal Fabrications, Installation and Industrial/Commercial Gas Services.

Patrick Gregory Road, , Wolverhampton, WV11 3DU
+44 1902861042

Vero Software (Hexagon Production Software)

Hexagon is the world leader in CAD/CAM and simulation solutions. Our portfolio is completed by our software solutions for aiding the design and manufacturing process.

1370 Montpellier Court, Gloucester Business Park, GL3 4AH
01242 542040

Vertex (Autocraft Solutions Group)

Vertex Engineering Solutions Ltd is a leading provider of fixtures, prototype components, low volume special components and CAD/CAM engineering solutions.

24 Icknield St, Birmingham, Birmingham, B18 5AU
0121 551 4692

WMG, University of Warwick

Are you looking for resources? Need support to overcome a challenge? We are a dynamic team based at the University of Warwick and help facilitate innovation in UK manufacturing businesses.

International Institute for Product and Service Innovation, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL
02476 574 299

Warrior Doors

Warrior Doors Ltd are a British manufacturing company offering high-security door solutions ranging from stainless steel, aluminium, and fully glazed doors.

Unit 4 Kings Road Industrial Estate, Kings Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, B112AX
01217068400

Wrekin Sheet Metal

At Wrekin Sheetmetal we can design and manufacture anything from simple mounting brackets to complex multi part products for prototyping or batch production.

Unit A, Stafford Park 18, Telford, TF3 3BN
01952210300

WinMan

From production management, stock control to CRM, WinMan ERP software is a scalable and flexible all-in-one business solution.

Suite 220, Second Floor Fort Dunlop, Fort Parkway, Birmingham, B24 9FD
0121 749 8050

WKW Precision Engineering

WKW Precision Engineering are top sub-contract manufacturers of high tolerance precision engineered components and our vision statement is: "Competitive, Reliable, Quality Service".

Shaw Royd Works, Shaw Lane, Halifax, HX3 9HD
01422 351720

Yorkshire Profiles

Laser cutting, metal folding, sheet metal fabrication, metalworking and automated deburring. Countersinking, tapping and inserts / studwork all in-house services. MIG, TIG and Spot welding.

6A New Rd, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 8LE
01904 737095

Zimmer Group UK

Zimmer Group creates cutting-edge products, which are marketed globally under the established brand names of Benz, Zimmer and Sommer-automatic.

Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road E, Bretby, Burton-on-Trent, DE15 0YZ
01283 542103

Brand New Factory Tour for Cube Precision Engineering

Made In Group — 31/01/2023

Recently, West Bromwich based company Cube Precision Engineering Ltd have worked with us to create a brand new virtual tour of the company premises, through innovative 3D technology.

This tour is fantastic due to the seamless way in which it takes the user through a journey of the factory, whilst embedding text which describes the top-class machinery on show.

Established in January 2009, Cube Precision Engineering has grown to provide press tools, jigs and fixtures to the leading aerospace, defence and automotive industires.

These factory tours give businesses the chance to share best practices, showcase their capabilities and more. Made in Group has set out to provide its members with the tools needed to sell in a post-covid world with engaging 3D content, whilst helping them reduce their carbon footprint. Click the link below to go on this virtual factory tour yourself.

CUBE PRECISION'S VIRTUAL FACTORY TOUR

What Does the Future of Work Look Like for Manufacturing?

Made In Group — 25/03/2021

WATCH EVENT NOW

An important question for both seasoned industry professionals and those starting those careers, Made in Group enlisted the advice of some experts within the industry to help get a better understanding of what the future of manufacturing looks like.

As part of this 1 hour event, industry leaders offered expert advice on what manufacturing jobs will look like in the future, with the age of industry 4.0 upon us. On the third day of the Made Futures Virtual Careers Week, these selected speakers provided their expertise into what jobs may look like in manufacturing and what skills will be required to get up to speed with these.

Members of the panel included: Iain Cole (Senior Employer Engagement Manager for Engineering and Manufacturing at Dudley College of Technology), Dr Daniela Sawyer (Technical Lead - Robotic Machining at The University of Sheffield AMRC), Colin Bancroft (Strategic Development Manager at MTC) and Alan Pickering (Managing Director at Unison).

Following on from the speakers giving an introduction into their respective companies and backgrounds, Made in Group’s Yasmin Banner posted the question of “How will Industry 4.0 impact manufacturing?”.

Dr Daniela Sawyer suggested that this could have an environmentally friendly impact, perhaps through the emergence of more commonly seen paperless floors, and also greater flexibility through robotics replacing “traditional machining”.

Alan Pickering emphasised that, with things moving at such great pace, it is important to spend time understanding analytics tools that exist now. Ultimately, jobseekers and those looking to further their skillset within the industry could benefit greatly from ensuring they’re competent in the tools that analyse data - even the likes of Microsoft Excel.

Iain Cole suggested that now is an exciting time to be starting your career or entering the sector, as many businesses are still learning when it comes to “digital”, and therefore thrtr are lots of opportunities to help companies through implementing new technologies into their business.

In terms of what jobseekers and manufacturing professionals can do now to “get ahead of the curve”, Colin Bancroft highlighted that the skills employers are currently looking for are often slightly “softer” or more attitude-based, such as enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to learn. Then, one this is demonstrated, that that is when companies will be looking to invest in them as employees and upskill them with more technical skills within the manufacturing sector.

Ultimately, the takeaway message offered by Dr Daniela Sawyer was that, perhaps the best way to keep yourself ahead of the curve within this industry is through constantly wanting to learn.vFollowing on from the panelists' short presentations, there were a lot of questions which were asked through Zoom by Made Futures attendees.

If you missed the event or you simply want to watch back any of the content, then you can access this video on the Made in Group YouTube channel now.

Green Manufacturing: Why Does UK Industry Need to Take Notice?

Made In Group — 09/09/2020

On Tuesday 25th August our Virtual Roundtable discussed the green manufacturing agenda and casted their eyes to the fact that Climate Change is now indisputable as a challenge to our planet as well as the way we will do business within it (unless your name is Donald Trump?).

The impact on our planet’s invaluable but finite resources creates one of the most pressing paradoxes of our time: how do we achieve industrial growth whilst also being considerate of the environmental impact of production?

The UK simply must find the right balance. In a recent United Nations report, it is warned that CO2 emissions must be cut nearly in half by 2030 to protect the planet from additional threats of climate change.

It appears that now is the time for change - but what role will “Green Manufacturing” play in this? Our roundtable discussed the changing business style and manufacturing practices, as well as the role of agents and stakeholders and governments, to reduce the industrial impact on climate change and the environment in which we live.

Our attendees were quick to point out that Green Manufacturing is a subject that is emerging and constantly evoking, much like the recent discussion on Smart Factories. So, as this subject grows, will the sector be led by legislation or the consumer?

It was suggested that the sector is not only very consumer led in terms of investment, but very much shareholder led, as they will hold the power to say if companies need to be focusing on green operations in the first place. However, shareholders ultimately need to see the company thriving as well, clearly company’s can’t just be green with no growth from an investment point of view.

Although, perhaps greater education and communication is required to these shareholders, as financial growth and environmentally conscious business operations are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the more efficient a company is, particularly in terms of minimising waste, the more financially sound they will be in the long run. Ultimately, “green manufacturing” and “smart manufacturing” are synonymous in many ways; a link which should perhaps be pushed more persistently by UK industry leaders.

In terms of recommendations to manufacturers going forward, it was suggested by one of our attendees that companies need to start their journey in green manufacturing as soon as possible. This will give you an opportunity to understand your carbon footprint and begin seeking advice from reputable and knowledgeable experts in the industry.

As mentioned above, there is both an economic and moral reason for all companies to invest in this efficient way of working. If they don’t already, the average consumer in 5-10 years will demand that products and services come from a carbon neutral supplier. Ultimately, therefore, we must consistently bang the drum of Green Manufacturing, in hope that companies do not continue to push it to the bottom of the pile - as is of course so tempting to do in 2020 - before it’s too late for both their brand and the planet at large.

Mural Showing Recognition to 500+ UK Manufacturers Created by Made in Group

Made In Group — 01/04/2021

As part of the Made in Group’s mission to inspire and encourage people to get roles in manufacturing, the company recently put together a collage of employee images from its members.

With over 500 representatives of the Midlands and Yorkshire industry featured on this image, the Made Mural has been printed and distributed across the membership.

On Made in Group’s side, hundreds of hours of work has gone into this project - from the planning stage, to the communication which went into sourcing images, all the way to the graphic designers who helped make this idea a reality.

Initially, members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire were asked to “nominate” an employee or team member. Members were encouraged to nominate someone who they believed deserved particular recognition, allowing some of the industries “unsung heroes” to have appreciation shown for them.

Joanna Pieprzak, Client Success Manager at Made in Group, spent a lot of time on the phone with members, to explain this project and ensure that enough companies took part, so that the mural was well populated.

For other Made in Group team members, email communication and social media engagement were also important tools in ensuring this message of the Made Mural was passed on throughout the membership.

Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group, said that "We developed the Made Futures mural as a powerful way to communicate the importance that we all play in the success of the future of manufacturing. There are more than 500 images, including apprentices, members and people from within the industry.

"Metaphorically, if you place this mural in your boardroom or reception area, every time you look at it, you are reminded of why you do what you do, and importantly you are not alone.

"This project, like any good piece of art, creates a talking point and speaks to you in a way that the observer can uniquely interpret."

Not only has the mural been posted out to 477 people so far, but it had also been included within the Made Futures book - both digitally and in print.

This project coincided with the launch of the Made Futures jobs board and also the Virtual Careers Week (held March 22nd-26th 2021), which were both launched to also support careers and skills within UK manufacturing.

Ultimately, Made in Group invested so much resources into this large project, as they wanted to give their members the opportunity to show recognition to the hard workers who keep this proud industry going, and have continuously risen to the challenges which faced them in recent times.

Proven Strategies to Master Change Management

Made In Group — 03/09/2024

Effective change management is vital for maintaining operational efficiency, meeting market demand and navigating unforeseen disruptions. Yet, many companies fail to implement change successfully.

Change is the new constant. Never is this truer than in manufacturing. Whether it’s adapting to new technologies, responding to shifting customer demands or managing supply chain disruptions, the ability to manage change effectively can make or break a business.

Yet, despite its importance, many manufacturers struggle with successful change implementation. Why? Because change management isn’t just about making changes – it’s about ensuring those changes stick.

A well-executed change management strategy can boost productivity, enhance employee engagement and position your company as an industry leader. On the flip side, poor change management can lead to confusion, resistance and costly project failures. The stakes are high, but with the right approach, any company can turn the challenge of change into a competitive advantage.

Few understand this better than Andy Dawson, Managing Director of Siddall & Hilton, the UK’s largest manufacturer of welded mesh, processing around 30,000 miles of wire each month. With over 35 years of experience in engineering and operations, Andy has a proven track record of revitalising underperforming companies.

During a recent Monthly Industry Meet-up, Andy shared practical tips for mastering change management, including fostering a culture of adaptability and leading the team through tough times.

Identifying Barriers to Change

Andy began by discussing common barriers to change. He pointed out; “Implementing new technologies can be challenging due to the cost, training requirements and potential disruption they may cause. “Process changes, too, can lead to inefficiencies, quality issues and production delays until new ways of working become embedded. But by far, resistance to change from workers remains the biggest challenge.”

To effectively manage this resistance, Andy stressed the importance of understanding how different employees respond to change. The workforce can typically be categorised into five distinct groups:

Innovators (2.5% of the Workforce) – Eager to adopt new ideas and technologies, they are usually risk-takers and enjoy being at the forefront of change. These individuals are often the ones who champion new initiatives in the workplace.

Early Adopters (13.5%) – While enthusiastic about new ideas, they are more selective than innovators. They are usually well-respected and their influence within the workforce can be crucial in gaining broader acceptance.

Early Majority (34%) – Pragmatic individuals who prefer to wait until the change is established before getting on board. They form the first large group of users who are critical to achieving widespread adoption.

Late Majority (34%) –Sceptical and cautious, this group only adopts changes after a significant number of people have already done so.

Laggards (16%) – prefer things the way they are and adopt changes only when they are necessary or become inevitable. They are set in their ways and may require significant persuasion to embrace new methods. On occasion, they may never change and ultimately, may have to exit the business.

“Identifying which employees fall which group is vital,” Andy explained. “Managers need to tailor their change management strategies to address the concerns and motivations of each group, thereby improving the odds of success. With only 16% of the workforce likely to embrace change willingly, winning over the Early Majority is crucial. This group can tip the scales and create the momentum needed for widespread adoption.”

Effective Change Management

The key to effective change management, according to Andy, is involving all stakeholders and employees in the process. “You can never over-communicate when it comes to change. All employees must be informed about every change, the rationale behind it and the potential benefits to them and the business.”

Andy also stressed the importance of involving employees in the planning and implementation process. “This fosters ownership and reduces resistance,” he noted. “Providing the necessary training to employees ensures everyone has the skills and knowledge needed to adapt to the change.”

Equally crucial is having a clear strategy or roadmap. “Identify the core objectives – those absolute must-win battles, along with key milestones and known challenges,” Andy advised. “By anticipating potential risks, such as a drop in efficiency or quality, you can develop mitigation strategies to minimise their impact.

He acknowledged that performance might dip initially as new processes are implemented but emphasised the importance of maintaining high expectations; “Remember, you’re making changes because they’re necessary. Never lower your expectations; always aim high.”

Where to Start

Manufacturing companies often have the advantage of being able to implement changes on a small scale before rolling out company-wide. “Use pilots to demonstrate what can be achieved and the positive impact it can have,” Andy suggested. “Leverage the influence of innovators and early adopters, and shout about successes to drive confidence and momentum. Support the change by encouraging continuous improvement through Kaizen methods.”

Failure is a natural part of the change process, Andy concluded; “It can take between six months and two years to successfully embed a change, and not everything you do will work. Keep going! Create an environment where it's ok to fail.”

He also highlighted the importance of measurement and evaluation; “If you don't know where you are, you can't improve. Implement key performance indicators (KPIs), establish measures of success, communicate improvements and continuously monitor progress to make necessary adjustments.”

Signs Your Operation Needs to Change

Following Andy’s presentation, a Discussion Group of Made Members identified common signals indicating a need for significant change.

Two clear signals stood out: a loss of revenue and/or market share. Such losses often lead to cutbacks in training, R&D, preventative maintenance and operational investment – all of which can compound into bigger issues.

Another sign, according to Andy, is when employees, especially managers, spend most of their time firefighting instead of focusing on more critical, long-term projects.

In discussing generational shifts in attitudes towards change, one MD noted; “We’ve had to rethink how we handle change management due to younger workers’ expectations being different from older generations.

“Younger people often see work as their main place to socialise, more so than older peers, who may socialise in the pub or sports clubs. As managers, we need to recognise that shift and create spaces at work that encourage that kind of interaction.

“Younger workers also expect more from their jobs—they want a two-way relationship where they get as much out of the job as they put in. It’s not just about paying the bills anymore; they want work to be fulfilling. The expectations on us as employers are higher now, and we’ve got to meet them. It’s a balancing act, but if we get it right, we can create a work environment that works for everyone – employees and the company."

Change management is a vital skill in today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape. By understanding the barriers to change, involving employees in the process and strategically managing the transition, companies can turn the challenges of change into opportunities for growth and success.

As Andy Dawson’s insights demonstrate, the right approach to change management can not only enhance productivity and employee engagement but also position a company as an industry leader in times of uncertainty.

To learn more from Andy, he appeared as a guest on Made in Group’s podcast series Our Finest Hour.

In the episode, he shares invaluable insights into conflict resolution and the leadership lessons he's gathered throughout his career, offering further guidance for those looking to refine their approach to leading through change.

CLICK HERE => Our Finest Hour - Series 2: Episode 9 - Andy Dawson from Siddall & Hilton

Join our Next Monthly Industry Meetup!

The opportunity to openly discuss challenges, opportunities and solutions is what makes the Made in Group’s Monthly Industry Meetups so invaluable.

During these captivating virtual events, industry experts, thought leaders, and professionals gather to share knowledge, insights and best practices.

The goal is to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and drive growth within the manufacturing community.

Each month, we feature three engaging talks from Made Members, focusing on best practices around key themes that shape the future of manufacturing, including Global Trade, People & Skills, Future Factories, and Sustainability.

Interactive Discussion Groups follow the presentations. These virtual roundtables enable Members to exchange ideas and gain further insights on their chosen topic.

We look forward to seeing you at the next one:

Midlands SIGN UP

Yorkshire SIGN UP

*Header image from Freepik

400 Job Vacancies Promoted Through Made Futures

Made In Group — 16/09/2022

Since the launch of Made Futures back in 2021, 400 jobs have now been advertised through the recruitment platform.

These jobs are for a wide range of positions - from apprenticeships to management roles, and have been based all around the UK, primarily in the Midlands and Yorkshire.

What makes Made Futures so powerful is that it aggregates the job vacancies of the manufacturing industry into one place. A variety of users - from graduates to people currently working within the industry in senior roles looking to advance their careers further - have accounts on the Made Futures jobs board.

Made in Group also sends out a biweekly newsletter to every job seeker who has an account on Made Futures, promoting job vacancies that have been uploaded recently.

Alongside being a tool for UK manufacturers to recruit skilled employees, it aims to inspire the next generation with content regarding what it’s like to work within their particular subsector (Made Futures’ NEWS section).

As a member of Made in the Midlands or Made in Yorkshire, you can find out how to simply upload your latest job vacancies to the FREE Made Futures jobs board (madefutures.com) and how to make them appear on your microsite through THIS VIDEO.

VISIT MADE FUTURES

MIG Members Celebrate Unison Ltd's 50th Anniversary in Scarborough

Made In Group — 25/05/2023

This week, Made in Group had the privilege of cohosting Unison Ltd's 50th anniversary event in Scarborough, joined by members from Made in Yorkshire and Made in the Midlands.

Unison Ltd, based in Scarborough, has been at the forefront of the industry for half a century, and their commitment to innovation and excellence is truly commendable.

As part of this event, attendees had the opportunity to tour Unison Ltd's state-of-the-art factory, witnessing their cutting-edge manufacturing processes first-hand.

Alongside this factory tour, attendees also were treated to a fantastic breakfast, lunch, networking opportunities, and even ice cream to finish!

It was fantastic to see so much Made in Yorkshire branding as part of this event, including branded high visibility jackets as part of the tour, as well as a goody bag filled with various items - such as a flask, keyring, sweets, and more!

Unison have a design and management team experienced in running large complex military and commercial projects, with the constant demands which these large projects exert on quality and technology.

Unison was established in 1973 to design and build computerised control systems for industry. Unison designed the first computer controls for several well-known Tube Bending machine manufacturers in the late 70s and early 80s.

Made in Group would like to give huge congratulations to Unison Ltd for their remarkable milestone and their dedication to driving the industry forward. Alongside this, we would like to say thank you to all those who attended to help us celebrate this Unison Ltd's achievement, as well as continuing to support the success of British manufacturing.

4 Ways to Boost Views on Your Made Microsite

Made In Group — 21/01/2021

In the last 12 months, Made in Group have put serious investment into their digital platform, to ensure that members receive maximum value from their microsite.

With Live Chat functionality, HTTPS Security, unlimited content marketing opportunities through News uploads and much more, Made Microsites have now developed into seriously powerful tools for members to foreground their company within the UK manufacturing industry.

Made in Group recieve an exceptionally high number of visitors to their online platform, evidenced by the fact that madeinthemidlands.com and madeinyorkshire.com rank no. 1 on Google for "Midlands Manufacturing and "Yorkshire Manufacturing" (respectively).

With the best performing microsites having tallied up tens of thousands of views, the success of a member's Made Microsite is predominately down to how they use the platform. Therefore, to ensure members are making the most of this powerful platform, Made's Digital Team have put together 3 simple yet effective tips to ensure you are boosting traffic to your microsite.

1. Upload Regular News

Posting articles through your Made Microite is a great opportunity to share positive success stories and champion industry knowledge through your brand. By posting regularly, you will become recognised as a regular face by members and they will be more likely to engage with you as a company in the future.

We recommend posting articles once every 2-4 weeks to maximise on the limitless content marketing and PR potential of the Made News section.

The best articles are also "Featured" - which means they will be shared out in Made in Group's weekly email digest to thousands of industry leaders - and also shared on the group's social media platforms.

2. Use the "Proud Member Of" Logo

This one's important. Using the "Proud Member of" Made logo and "Backing Britain" logo (which can be found in the "Resources" section after logging in to your account) is vital for boosting external traffic to your microsite.

Paid members can use these logos in a variety of ways, such as placing them on their main company website and email signature, with a link going back to their Made Microsite.

3. Promote Your Microsite on Social Media

Whether it's posting a link to your main page or to an article you have, promoting your microsite on social media is imperative for increasing traffic to your platform. Encourage others to visit the microsite and find out more about your company and the latest content you have posted.

4. Update Your Directory Listing

With Made in Group recieving thousands of visitors to their respective Midlands and Yorkshire sites every month, it is vital for members of both regions to keep their Directory Listing information updated to capitalise on this potential traffic. The Members Directory is a powerful tool which allows website visitors to pinpoint local UK companies based on their capabilites.

Your information can be updated by logging in to your account and going to the "Directory Listing" section on the left, where you can input the likes of "Sells", "Sectors", "Accreditations" and "Buys".

How UK Manufacturers are Leading During a Global Crisis

Made In Group — 29/10/2020

There has been little information out there on how to lead a business during a global pandemic whilst also juggling other activities associated with the boardroom. Read our top tips and stories for leading during a crisis from members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire.

At the start of the pandemic, Made in Group organised several Mastermind groups for leaders to share best practice and get problems off their chests to relieve some of the pressure regarding business challenges.

These discussion groups highlighted that there is an immense amount of knowledge and experience, which offers some reassurance that despite external pressures and political uncertainty we do have large numbers of competent people in leadership roles across British industry.

We’ve reached out to some of these members so they can share their thoughts on what makes a good leader during a crisis and how you can learn from these spirited leaders.

ThreeWayPressings Group: Bringing Business Back to Britain

Between March and July 2020, manufacturers experienced their biggest decline in production and sales since 2013. The pandemic not only massively affected production but also the resilience of UK supply chains.

However, businesses such as Tipton based manufacturer ThreeWayPressing (TWP) Group started staying ahead of the curve, during this time, by reshoring some of its production.

Paterson Photography, part of the TWP Group, reshored the production of their ball and socket heads, used on camera tripods, from China. Their capability and innovative forward-thinking allowed the firm to design the product themselves and produce it at a lower price than purchasing from further afield. Phil Stanley, Managing Director at ThreeWayPressings, said:

“The pandemic has proved that our reliance on supply chains can easily be affected. We have led during the crisis by taking matters into our own hands, looking at our own capabilities and producing the product accordingly at a lower price.

It’s also helping the environment by not getting these goods imported, we also aren't waiting for the products to arrive."

Citizen Machinery: Innovate, Innovate and Innovate Some More

Citizen Machinery, a world-leading CNC machine tool manufacturer, is leading during the crisis by listening to market needs and ‘constantly innovating’. This year alone the global manufacturer, with UK based demonstration and engineering facilities, has introduced 8 new machines to market and plans to launch another 3 in Spring 2021. Since 2016, the firm has seen a 20-25% increase in yearly growth, which has continued well in 2020 even after its challenges. Edward James, Managing Director at Citizen Machinery UK, said:

“We have spent a lot of time this year working with our large customer base to understand what they really need. By working with us on cost per part, efficiency and automation they can become more flexible and achieve more with less. COVID has further shown weaknesses and it is clear that efficiency challenges exist in many of customers.

We are continually leading during the global crisis and beyond by continually training our specialist team in new areas of technology and have recently employed 3 new staff, further we are actively looking for 2 to 3 more.”

Interflex: Diversifying into New Markets and Networking

Acoustic and Trim component suppliers for the automotive industry Interflex have diversified into new markets as a result of the global pandemic, to meet current demands of the industry. The firm has invested in new equipment that will help them produce half a million CE marked face masks a week. On top of this, they are also producing other vital PPE such as medical-grade gowns, aprons and face visors.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Interflex put out a call to manufacturers notifying them of the company’s availability to help with production needs, leading to the successful new leg of the business ‘Pinnacle PPE’.

The firm has also continued to invest in the Interflex leg of the business by investing in the property; redecorating and maintenance on equipment. However, the real success of the business has been down to opportunities through networking with like-minded individuals through virtual events and meetings. Jim Griffin, Managing Director at Interflex said:

“As leaders of businesses, networking is key for finding opportunities in difficult times. These people can give us the next tip to take our businesses further and have proven a success for us here at Interflex. The work you are looking for is around the corner and attending events, like breakfast mornings with MIM, is helping with this.”

Heald: Supporting Employees and Increasing Stock Levels

Since the start of the pandemic in March, Heald decided to increase stock levels of raw materials and major component parts, to mitigate any supply chain problems. Managing Director at Heald, Debbie Heald said:

“This has helped us meet our delivery lead times without delays to our customers.”

Continuous communication to employees has also been a key factor in the businesses success. The team have created a WhatsApp group to ensure all employees are aware of government updates and give guidance to avoid any misunderstanding of rules. Debbie concluded:

“I am leading as I have always done by sharing information, giving reassurance, supporting my team and ensuring consideration for their health, safety and well-being. Most of all just getting on with it and continuing to trade.”

AUS Ltd: Embracing the Digital Era

Like many other manufacturers, AUS Ltd has continued to innovate over the course of the pandemic. This has led to industry-changing and innovative designs such as their sustainable plastic footbridge - produced for the rail network and span wire clamp also used in the rail industry. Simon Gibson, Managing Director at AUS, said:

“We have been fortunate during the pandemic as we supply to key industries the majority of the time. However, government grants towards innovation have massively affected our success, as we believe innovation is the future.”

However, the firm has also embraced the digital era over the last several months, in terms of reaching out to customers, prospecting and reaching their audience in general. This has included investment in their social media marketing and rebuilding its website to include e-commerce. Simon added:

“By investing in our digital marketing strategy, we have noticed the increase in awareness of our products across our social channels. The digital world is vital at the moment as it is the only way to reach everyone.”

CBE+: The Importance of Networking and Continuous Communication

After being impacted by supply chain issues, CBE+ quickly realised that communication has been a leading aspect in their success over the course of the pandemic. They kept constant and clear communication with their suppliers to ensure their needs were met and vice versa.

In addition to this, the firm has continued to network with their customers and relationships made with the Made in Yorkshire network. Marie Cooper, CEO at CBE+, said:

“Ensuring we stay close to our customers and connections through a wide variety of communication platforms has been key to staying ahead of the curve within our business. This has covered everything from understanding each other’s needs and capabilities and how we can help and support each other keep up to date with what is happening within the industry.”

These connections have led to various opportunities including working with Made in the Midlands member Boneham & Turner on the central effort for the ventilator challenge.

Andel Plastics: Restructuring Working Hours to Ensure Safety and Production

Toolmaking and injection moulding specialists Andel Plastics has also prioritized communication to lead during the crisis. Helena Flowers, Managing Director at Andel Plastics, spent time ringing their customers and suppliers to see how they were approaching things at the start of the pandemic.

This also applied to employees within the firm, giving them regular and clear communication around Government guidelines and how it will apply to the business. Helena said:

“Giving the reasoning behind my decisions quite clearly in writing, I think helped people appreciate that I was considering a lot of facts as they were, looking at all the angles and making the best possible decision at the time, even if that then changed as the situation developed.”

This has led to changes within the business such as the restructuring of working shifts to ensure staff safety and continuous production. Helena concluded:

“Once our customers' production started to ramp up again after lockdown, we changed to a 24-hour shift pattern. This enabled us to create two ‘bubbles’ of staff, so at least if one person on a shift had symptoms the business could still run – after a deep clean- with the other shift.

We have since increased our capacity by putting on a night shift three nights a week, to do that we employed three new people.”

Stauff UK: Adjusting Lead Times to Meet Customer Demands

Lastly, Stauff UK - global pipework component manufacturers felt that their success has also been down to clear communication as well as making adjustments in the businesses to suit current demands. John Morris, Managing Director at Stauff UK, said:

“Regular and transparent communication with all of our employees has been paramount during this situation and fully appreciated.

We produced our own roadmap back in March outlining how and when we would review the situation going forward and what steps we would take. This roadmap was updated and communicated as and when the situation became clearer or government guidelines changed.

All decisions were executed swiftly and feedback was encouraged from the teams across all 4 locations.”

In terms of making changes in the business, John concluded:

“We are part of a global company and have local representation in most countries so we have a network of colleagues to assist us with overseas suppliers, we adjusted our lead times accordingly by combining our knowledge and the overseas knowledge to ensure we could meet all of our customers’ demands.”

5 Steps to Maximise Visits to Your #backingbritain Stand

Made In Group — 19/05/2022

The Backing Britain online exhibition is a unique platform that showcases manufacturing businesses all year round. A virtual booth includes interactive content for visitors to download, videos, and the chance to directly message staff. What makes the exhibition really unique are the 3D facility tours of manufacturing plants up and down the country, part of each Backing Britain stand.

To ensure your stand is receiving the attention it deserves, there are a few things you can do to make sure you are reaching out to as many relevant people as possible. Below is a list of things you can do to maximise the exposure of your stand, and therefore get more visits.

1. Press Release Template and Publish Regularly

The resources section of the Made in Group websites are the perfect asset to help you promote your involvement in the group and your presence at the Backing Britain exhibition. Download the ‘Backing Britain 3.0 Exhibition Press Release Template’ by heading to the resources section at the backend of your microsite. Post this to your website and microsite and share it on your socials. To give it an extra push, tag people and ask them to share your post.

2. Use the official exhibition artwork social graphic

Also downloadable via the resources section of the Made platform, save our social graphic. This graphic also allows you to insert your own company logo, editing software such as canva.com is a useful tool to do this.

Schedule this to go on your social channels and repeat it regularly, changing the content of the post. Your first post could be explaining what the Backing Britain Expo is all about, the following posts could focus on one part of your stand e.g your virtual tour.

3. Use our promo email graphic

Just think about how many people you email on a daily basis, that may not even be aware that you are part of an innovative exhibition like Backing Britain. Grab our email graphic from resources and add it to your email signature, remember to link it to www.backingbritain.com. You could give this feature an extra push by adding some text with graphics ‘such as check out our 3D facility tour via Backing Britain’.

4. Attend Made in Group Events

Made in Group events are a great way to connect with a multitude of industry leaders. From Virtual Breakfast Mornings to Masterclasses, you are able to see who attends any event and download the list of contacts that attended. Meeting people at an event and following up with a communication afterwards is a perfect way to engage people with your stand. Send out a mass email to the attendees asking them to visit your Backing Britain booth.

5. Add the Backing Britain artwork to your website

Lastly make sure to add the Backing Britain artwork to your website with a link to backingbritain.com. This could be on your ‘About us’ page with text that mentions that you are able to take a factory tour.

www.madeinthemidlands.com

www.madeinyorkshire.com

Industry Leaders Discuss Sustainability in Its Many Forms

Made In Group — 09/03/2023

The Virtual Breakfast Morning held for members of the Made in Group on Wednesday 8th March saw industry leaders gather to share their experiences regarding a variety of important industry topics, including a designated group which discussed “Sustainable Suppliers".

This discussion topic followed on well from the talk which members heard from Pam Jackson (Director at Siddall & Hilton) who discussed how the company is using new digital technologies to improve sustainability by optimising operational efficiencies through monitoring and measuring manufacturing processes.

The Challenge of Increased Environmental Compliance

It is apparent within all industries, particularly the UK manufacturing & engineering sectors, that firms are having to work increasingly hard to adhere to increasing legislation, such as waste into water bodies, emissions, etc.

There are now severe penalties and environmental and health critical processes which if broken could have catastrophic consequences for a firms, so companies are having to keep up to date with environmental compliance. Sustainability measures are not only often a mandatory government compliance, but they are also can be favoured by customers and other companies within the supply chain.

As part of this discussion, it was voiced that many customers would appreciate if a company has an EPD. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document where you can find data about the environmental impact of a certain building material.

However, whilst having an EPD can be desirable for many different reasons, these require a large amount of time and money to be invested, so often sustainability needs to be also strived towards through other means...

Sustainability In Its Many Forms

Whilst the likes of acquiring an EPD is desirable for many firms, companies will often first look for quicker to implement means of boosting their sustainability, such as the likes of installing LED lights, and ensuring less waste is produced by recycling.

Another venture for sustainability which companies can strive towards is assessing the sustainability of their supply chain. Supply chains within UK manufacturing & engineering are complex, due there being inter-connectedness and dependencies across the supply chain network. Keeping track of all sustainability measures applied in a product’s supply chain is therefore another layer of complexity, and companies have the additional job of monitoring every step of a product’s manufacturing journey. Which is a big challenge!

From a short-term perspective, implementing new measures of sustainability - such as acquiring EPDs, reassessing supply chains and setting new working standards - will often use more resources and increase costs. However, once these sustainability efforts have taken effect, these can ultimately not only reduce costs but also enhance a brand and its reputation, help to develop new partnerships, and further business innovation.

UPCOMING MIM EVENTS | UPCOMING MIY EVENTS

Masterminds: Uncertainty has brought opportunity and encouraged agile working

Made In Group — 24/06/2020

As Winston Churchill once said “never waste a good crisis”, as with uncertainty comes the opportunity to change. Wednesday’s Mastermind group discussed how their business has benefited from a time of uncertainty with an agile working force and changing business processes.

Made in members Anthony Bevan from Bevan Group, Jamie White from Exactaform, Daren Lightwood from Alwayse engineering, Maja Foster from Hexagon and Rowan Crozier from C. Brandaeur & Co joined the Mastermind to discuss current challenges within the business.

The main outcome of the discussion saw members more positive since the start of the pandemic, with certain individuals mentioning that they have seen success after remote working and online meetings. However, it is still difficult to make sales in a time of uncertainty for all businesses and individuals alike. Some members have benefited from changing the pricing structure of their business by moving to direct debit, as a more manageable payment method in a time of crisis.

Whilst some businesses have benefited from the change in methodology when it comes to making sales, business leaders have noticed that customers are tired of video chat meetings and are craving face to face contact. This also applies to staff, according to Made Masterminds, as they are noticing a dip in morale as interaction is significantly missing.

Members agreed that though the pandemic has brought on financial issues and necessary redundancies, it has encouraged their workforce to become more agile as well as giving business leaders the chance to refocus their business processes.

These changes in their staffs day to day work responsibilities, due to the effects of the pandemic, has helped them with discipline, multi-tasking and a better way of working in an uncertain environment. On top of this, has also encouraged staff to gain an all-round understanding of their businesses.

With lockdown pressures easing over the last week, some businesses are also bringing more staff back to the work from furlough. However, since the success of agile working, some businesses have had to let staff go and will continue working with a smaller team and new business structure.

Are you a Gold member and decision-maker within your business? Join the conversation and click here to fill in the form.

1 in 5 Engineers Will Be Retired by 2026

Made In Group — 12/05/2023

Recent statistics have shown that nearly 20% of the current engineering workforce within the UK is set to be retired by 2026. So how do we tackle this problem?

This statistic means that around 500,000 of the most experienced and skilled engineers, technicians, operators and leaders leaving the industry in 36 months. This is a worrying premise, especially when you consider the makeup of the industrial workforce.

Within UK manufacturing, most workers are over 40 years of age, with the average age being 52. The majority of apprentices are aged between 16 and 24, which leaves a sizeable gap in the middle. This is the group that typically provides team leaders, supervisors, department heads and managers but it has effectively been hollowed out in recent years.

Ultimately, organisations within UK industry need to take responsibility and work together to help solve this problem, close the skills gap, and encourage the next generation of talented workers to take up a career within this fantastic sector.

To help in addressing this challenge, organisations such as Made in Group are working to promote the industry and showcase the opportunities available in manufacturing. Made in Group, comprised of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, helps manufacturing companies with their recruitment efforts by connecting them with potential employees and providing training and development opportunities for existing staff.

Made Futures is an initiative that was established by Made in Group to promote the manufacturing industry and address the skills gap. This initiative is designed to inspire young people to consider a career in manufacturing by providing them with information about the industry and the opportunities available.

Through the innovative digital platform which Made in Group have developed, both Midlands and Yorkshire members can easily post all of their job vacancies onto the Made Futures jobs board. From there, these vacancies are shared out to Made in Group's network of thousands, including through high-traffic website pages and popular social media platforms.

HOW TO PROMOTE JOB VACANCIES WITH MADE IN GROUP

5 Stories of Business Innovation and Revolutionary Best Practice

Made In Group — 20/09/2022

Made Talks are a collection of exclusive videos by industry experts, which are there to share best practice, inspire and educate yourself and your staff. From "creative ways for manufacturers to go green" and "how to balance global presence with local identity", to "the basics of manufacturers protecting themselves with cybersecurity" and "how to build a successful company culture" - there are a wide variety of topics that you can find.

Here, we have compiled a list of 5 Made Talks which highlight innovation and revolutionary best practice from industry leaders...

Can Manufacturing Lead a UK Recovery in 2021? Quotes from Industry Leaders

Made In Group — 04/11/2020

The manufacturing industry may indeed hold the power to propel the UK to a recovery in 2021. Industry leaders from Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire discuss some of the key factors in this happening successfully.

The UK economy suffered its biggest recorded slump between April and June of 2020, with the pandemic lockdown measures pushing the country officially into its first recession in over a decade.

However, manufacturing can play a vital role in dragging the economy back to its feet, as the nation cautiously looks to remerge from lockdown in the new year. The UK government can look to manufacturing as being this catalyst for a recovery, largely due it its renowned reliability and efficiency.

Whilst many industries have been heavily impacted by coronavirus, there are many sectors within manufacturing that have remained relatively intact; including the likes of defence, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. We have also seen the manufacturing sector serve its country proudly in rising to the ventilator challenge and being at the forefront of innovation in the design and production of PPE.

As part of a survey with Made in Group members, 73% of respondents believed that "Manufacturing will lead the UK to a recovery in 2021" - with 27% of remaining respondents responding "Maybe". We spoke to some of our members to provide further thoughts on what will be vital if the manufacturing industry is going to lead a UK recovery in 2021?

Jim Mangan, CEO of The Sempre Group

“Fully embracing Industry 4.0 technologies is key to our recovery. When investing in new equipment, we often think of big machine tools or sophisticated robotics, rather than measurement equipment. However, digitising quality management is central to Industry 4.0 — metrology can drive real value.

Quality 4.0 offers manufacturers a path to full control over their measurement data, so they can use it to make better decisions, improve traceability and improve productivity by improving the manufacturing process. Automating processes also allows manufacturers to make better use of their workforce — staff can move away from monotonous low value tasks and focus on more important areas of the business.”

Joanne Munns, Director of Ductec Ltd

"Manufacturing in the UK is growing and is creating much needed jobs in many sectors. The key is to buy British as much as we can to sustain the growth and positivity in a time when so much is uncertain."

Gareth Jones, Managing Director of In-Comm Training and Business Services

“For any economy to be a strong one, you have to be designing and manufacturing products, this is engrained in the UK through our industrial heritage and capabilities. Our manufacturing/engineering organisations may not look the same after this unprecedented period with a heavy shift to more technical roles, but through innovation, skills, people and sheer commitment to succeed,tThe UK will lead the world recovery in our fantastic sector.”

Rebecca Waterfield, Head of Employer Engagement at South & City Colllege Birmingham

"Research has shown that skills and talent pipeline are one of the biggest barriers to growth within the manufacturing industry and although things have been hard and companies are still adapting to new ways of working given the current pandemic, it is fantastic to see such a surge in interest in careers in this sector at South and City College Birmingham. This year we have had nearly 300 candidates start on engineering manufacturing qualifications, through partnership working with employers we are confident that they will have access to the right talent to meet their business needs as we come through the pandemic and into a brighter future."

Helena Flowers, Managing Director of Andel Plastics Ltd

"I think in 2021 manufacturing will lead a recovery across the UK. We have already seen the adaption of manufacturing challenges so that now 70% of PPE is UK sourced. I believe that the more businesses and Government will look at supply chain security in the coming months. If they give the Domestic market a chance to demonstrate how we have invested and improved over last two decades ... they will see we are best placed to offer the full package of services. Offering the best value added service and product they can get.

Looking as a whole we are more economical and environmentally friendly, without those added shipment and travel costs to support a foreign supply chain. I hope we see more decisions from the government to procure their defence supplies, ships etc in the UK as they can lead the change in mindset. Manufacturing has always been the backbone of Britain and I think this pandemic has highlighted the need to support and grow it for future generations."

If you are a member of Made in Group, then please complete this form for early access to our March 2021 "Manufacturing Careers and Skills Week" - Made Futures. If you are a non-member and wish to learn more then please complete and a member of our team will contact you in due course:

COMPLETE EVENT FORM

What are the Benefits of Digital Networking?

Made In Group — 16/06/2020

As you will be aware, the current pandemic situation has meant that many of us have been forced to take business operations such as networking solely into the digital sphere. Face-to-face meetings and catch-ups over coffee have been wholly replaced by video conferencing applications, whilst even the likes of exhibitions have gone digital.

Thankfully, modern technology has meant that there are many adequate alternatives to physical networking, many of which are on offer to Made in Group members, such as virtual breakfast mornings, roundtable discussions, webinars, live Q&As and much more. Whilst this digitalisation of networking would not have been everyone's first preference, the reality of the worldwide pandemic is that industry professionals needs to embrace these changes in order to not be left behind, and there are even ways in which this alternative can actually serve as a positive with many benefits to be capitalised on.

10x Your Output

One of the most obvious benefits of remote working and digital networking is that, suddenly, the days have become longer through saving time on the likes of daily commutes and long trips to meet prospects and business associates. Many salespeople will be used to travelling across the country for "coffee catchups" and the like, however, through all of your meetings being conducted digitally you should have the capacity to conduct there more of these. This isn't just a benefit for salespeople meeting prospects, but also for meeting up with clients and providing some TLC to accounts who may have fallen down the pile.

With the sudden capacity to 10x your output, there should be no excuse for to not 10x your results also. However, it is important that you are conscious of this new digital medium you are operating in and mindful of how you may need to tailor your old habits accordingly; read our article on "The Challenge of Building Trust on Virtual Sales Meetings" to find out more about this.

Build Familiarity Beforehand

With the advent of digital networking, there are now further opportunities to lay the foundations of trust and build familiarity beforehand. Social media, email, virtual meetings and online conferencing all provide further chance to develop a relationship with other businesses and individuals which may not have been facilitated so regularly before.

One way in which you can lay the foundations for familiarity is to ensure that your pre-meeting information matches your website and your brand. For the salesperson conducting the meeting, it can also be important that the prospect has a good understanding of what they look like and even what environment they will be conducting the interview in, so they are not surprised by what they see in the meeting. Sending a Loom video introducing yourself can be a great way to do this.

Larger Prospecting Opportunities

Prospecting, business development and networking opportunities have been expanded greatly through the digitalisation of networking. How?

For many professionals, the regional scope of potential clients and customers has been expanded, due to the simple fact that business operation being taken online compresses both time and space. With unfeasible distances no longer being a stumbling block for arranging meetings, prospects who seemed "out of range" prior to remote working trends may now seem like a worthwhile opportunity.

Experiment with New Ways of Working

As digital networking becomes an imposed reality for many, successful firms will be adapting and embrace industry change and trends. This offers businesses a rare opportunity to experiment with new ways of working and perhaps stumble upon more efficient and successful processes.

One clear example of this is, for many firms who would previously been unable or unwilling to commit time and money to attending a physical exhibition with high ticket costs, there is now a virtual alternative which provides all the simar major benefits for a fraction of the financial commitment: Backing Britain Live 2020 - the live digital business festival.

Over the course of two weeks, Made in Group will be hosting many virtual meetings at our groundbreaking exhibition. Beginning 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical which will take place over two weeks:

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5 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Manufacturing

Made In Group — 06/07/2022

More and more workers of all ages are looking to join the manufacturing industry due to its ability to offer an exciting career, working with advanced equipment and in world-class facilities.

Ultimately, the manufacturing and engineering industry is vital within any economy. In the UK, the manufacturing sector accounts for 23% of the country’s profits and is responsible for over 7.4 Million jobs, within its direct and indirect supply chains. Discover 5 reasons to join the UK manufacturing and engineering industry below.

1. Learn New Abilities

The manufacturing and engineering industry relies heavily on hard skills, meaning that by taking up a job role in this sector you will be given the chance to learn a wide array of skills and abilities.

2. World-class Facilities and Equipment

The technology and innovation used throughout UK manufacturing is top of the range and constantly improving, meaning that you'll have the chance to work with the best in class of facilities and equipment.

3. No 2 Days Are The Same

One of the biggest benefits of taking up a career within this sector is the strong variety it will offer in your job role, as the manufacturing industry feeds into virtually all other sectors, including the likes of aerospace, textiles, agriculture, food, retail, pharmaceuticals, and much more.

4. Support the UK Skills Market

It is no secret that there is a skills gap within the UK industry, meaning that joining the proud manufacturing and engineering sector would allow you to support the skills market.

5. Progress Your Career

With the manufacturing sector accounting for approximately 23% of the UK's profits, there is a large amount of investment within this industry which will give you the opportunity to advance a successful career.

DISCOVER MANUFACTURING CAREERS OPPORTUNITIES

Microsite vs Website: Why Do I Need Both?

Made In Group — 28/04/2020

A microsite is an individual web page or a small cluster of web pages that exists outside of your company’s homepage and acts as an entirely discrete entity. Made in Group's personalised microsite offer members an unrivalled opportunity to cultivate tailored marketing to a targeted audience of industry professionals.

The difference between a microsite and website can become confusing as on many technical levels they are both similar. For example, you still require a domain name for a microsite, as well as a hosting package to keep your site active online. Alongside this, both websites and microsites require regular maintenance and updates to keep content relevant.

With a personalised Made in Microsite, you can capture visitors from the Made homepage, utilise the search directory to contact relevant companies, capitalise on the vast array of external links to your unique digital space and much more. When used correctly, they can also be an excellent addition to the SEO strategy of your brand.

Tailored Marketing to a Targeted Audience of Industry Professionals

The major difference between a microsite and a static landing page on your website is that a microsite will typically focus on its own specific theme. Generally speaking, businesses often use microsites as a wholly separate entity from their main website, in order to focus on a singular goal, product, service or marketing campaign.

A microsite with Made in Group will offer you the exclusive chance to market your content towards a targeted group of the people you really need to see it. Some great alternate examples of how you could cultivate unique and relevant microsite content which maximises exposure and gets the right eyes on your digital profile, include:

Promoting a specific sub-section of your business
Providing further details about a specific service
Announcing a new product or solution launch
Promoting an upcoming event
Experimenting with a rebrand
Publishing study results
Promoting lead generation campaigns
Highlighting what British manufacturing means to you!

Additional Real Estate in Google

Essentially, through operating with a multi domain strategy, your company will have the potential to win more real estate in Google. Through having multiple domains operating within the same search engine, you are far more likely to have more clicks to your website.

In short, a multi domain strategy allows you to take over the search engine results page, meaning that users are more likely to land on your website, as they have less choice. More websites to represent your brand mean you will have more opportunities to rank for specific keywords on Google, as well as taking up more space on SERPS.

Instead of simply ranking for one domain, ranking for multiple domains will enhance the odds that a user clicks a link to one of your company websites. A personalised microsite with Made in the Midlands provides the perfect opportunity to supercharge your SEO results with a multi domain strategy which distills unique content throughout the manufacturing and engineering industry.

High Organic Web Traffic Guaranteed

A personalised microsite is listed in our Made directories, including the Made site and also www.madeinlondon.com (containing our public affairs communications), to ensure you are reaching maximum industry visibility across the region.

The large amount of organic traffic we recieve to our site will have the chance to get to your microsite through visiting the "Members" section of the Made website. To put this into perspective, at the time of writing, we rank number one for the keywords "midlands manufacturing" and "yorkshire manufacturing" on Google - so there are many ways that your microsite can be discovered easily.

Amongst hundreds of other members, you will feature on our interactive Britain to the World Map, so that potential customers and work associates will be able to pinpoint your exact location for seamless business contact.

Streamline Your Digital Brand Strategy

A Digital Membership will give you maximum online industry exposure throughout the region. You will be given the unique opportunity to produce professional content to a tailored group of manufacturing professionals and champion your success stories through a genuine high traffic medium.

Browse Made in the Midlands' range of membership plans today or get in touch to find out more.

Industry Leaders Discuss How Manufacturers Can Recruit the Best People

Made In Group — 24/02/2023

This week’s Virtual breakfast Morning from the Made in Group saw industry leaders gather to share their experiences regarding a variety of important industry topics, including a designated group which discussed “Recruitment Challenges & Successes”.

There were major two issues which seemed to resonate with those in the room: recruiting staff who hold the right skills for the job, and then retaining those who have the right skills for the long-term.

Growing a Skilled Workforce from Within

The widely-reported skills gap within the UK manufacturing and engineering industry appears to be prevalent here and, ultimately, attracting young people into the UK manufacturing & engineering industry seems to be a commonly shared problem. However, it seems one which companies are united in trying to produce a solution to.

One solution to this proposed within the discussion was providing open days, which shed light on the true nature of working life within UK manufacturing and engineering. These events are said to prove effective in wiping away negative misconceptions of this industry through showcasing the top-class facilities and equipment that young people would be working with on a daily basis.

Upskilling and training employees, therefore, is an effective and proactive way in which companies can take responsibility for closing the skills gap, whilst also bettering the effectiveness of their workforce.

However, a key issue raised within the discussion was the risk of investing time and resources into developing a young professional - such as an apprenticeship - only for them to move to another business, now that the skills learned at their current company make them an attractive proposition to another. This risk then brought the conversation back around full circle to the importance of investing into current employee retention, to lessen the burden of recruitment…

Talent Retention: The Best Form of Recruitment

The reality of losing talented employees to an employer who is either more conveniently situated, or is able to offer greater potential for quick career progression, is a commonly faced problem within the industry. Similarly, it is often reported that the pull of a higher salary, and increasingly more days of annual leave, is enough for many employees to move companies.

However, whilst simply offering more money or more days of holiday can often be an effective and indeed retention tools, it is not always a viable option for a business, and indeed it may simply be papering over the cracks of a deeper issue.

Other effective means of achieving talent retention within a business include offering a pathway of personal development, such as training, which simultaneously allow for an employee to feel valued and also to feel as though they are progressing their own career.

One particularly important - and perhaps underappreciated - factor in retention is being able to facilitate a working environment which produces genuine social connections. For younger people, those coming out of university and school in particular, a working environment which allows them to develop friendships with colleagues can be hugely beneficial to minimising their own want to look elsewhere for a more fulfilling career.

Facilitating this important element of employee retention may even be as simple as putting on regular working social events, such as regular team sports or team dinners outside of working hours, which allow for co-workers to build social bonds which provide far greater levels of retention than a pure working relationship could.

Another interesting strategy raised was empowering current employees to recommend a prospective new employee when advertising a vacancy, as this simultaneously boosts the retention likelihood of the current employee, whilst also solving the challenge of employing a new person.

Ultimately, whether it is staff retention or recruiting skilled staff into a business, Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire as communities are key vehicles facilitating these ideals, as between us as a collective we have much more insight and resources than as individual businesses.

Manufacturing Leaders Share Their Stories at the First 'Monthly Industry Meetup'

Made In Group — 16/06/2023

As part of the first of a brand new event series called the Monthly Industry Meetup — which was held on Wednesday 14th June 2023 for members of Made in Group — three business leaders within UK industry shared their inspiring stories with attendees.

Each month, Made in Group hold engaging talks from renowned speakers, focusing on key themes that shape the future of manufacturing. Our Meetup series covers a wide range of headline topics, including: Future Factories, Sustainable Manufacturing, Global Britain, and People & Skills.

After listening to thought-provoking talks, attendees engaged in interactive virtual roundtable sessions with their fellow industry leaders, on the topics of their choice.

The first speaker was Andrew Eastwood, Managing Director at Carrs Tool Steels. Andrew shared the success story of Carrs Tool Steels' investment in solar energy. Attendees heard of the benefits and outcomes they have experienced and gained practical insights on implementing renewable energy initiatives in a manufacturing setting.

The next speaker was Jennifer Hughes, Finance Director at Transicon Limited. Jennifer spoke with attendees about effective recruitment strategies to attract a wider demographic and promote diversity and inclusion in the manufacturing industry. Through this talk, Jennifer shared how companies can work to empower women and create rewarding career opportunities in manufacturing.

Guillaume Lafforgue, Digital Transformation Manager at Schneider Electric, gave a talk on how companies can potentially optimise their production processes in high mix, low volume environments.Guillaume provided valuable insights on identifying efficient ways to adapt to frequent changes and shorter production runs. By leveraging digital technologies, Guillaume explored strategies to improve operational efficiency and enhance productivity in this context.

What was discussed in the Q&A on Expert Legal Advice with the Made in Group?

Made In Group — 03/04/2020

Chris Booth, Partner at Clarion Solicitors, patron of Made in Yorkshire, Daniel Carlton, Senior Associate at Clarions, and Jason Pitt, CEO of the Made in Group held a Q & A webinar on Expert legal advice yesterday. They were answering members questions regarding employment, contracts, governments schemes and general legal advice.

The Q & A began with an introduction from Chris Booth, who gave attendees insight into what Clarion’s are doing at the moment in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Chris said:

“My colleagues in corporate, commercial and banking etc have been looking at the impact in different ways. Whereas the Clarion employment law team have been dealing with a variety of client organisations. For example, organisations who are in high demand such as the medical and food sector, it is about transferring some of its people to different warehousing to help that supply chain.”

“However we are also dealing with businesses who have closed down, for the foreseeable future, and we are furloughing their staff etc.”

Chris continued to say that furloughing has been the continued theme regarding the work Clarions have done and gave more examples of how different organisations from a range of sectors are dealing with the interruption.

Talking about current Government schemes in place and how Clarions are helping businesses, Chris continued:

“We are getting to the point now where we will assist organisations in the application process, as there is some grey area around the Furlough schemes and for us, it is about trying to be as accommodating as possible.”

Daniel Carlton is a Senior Associate at Clarions, usually dealing with debt collections and recovering funds. Daniel said:

“I manage the debt collection team here at Clarions, mainly commercial debts and therefore is business to business debt. We do work with everyone from manufacturers to utility companies though.”

“We are trying to assist clients on the debt side at the moment, we are doing this by trying to offer advice on what will keep the cash coming in.”

Daniel continued the conversation mentioning how it is difficult for organisations due to the growth of the supply chain in recent years. Daniel said:

“I think it is all about communication at this point. We need to keep talking, especially large companies liaising with their customers and working out what their cash flow is.”

Offering advice, he said:

“I don't think you should be embarrassed to ask customers what their cash flow is and what their plans for the next few months, especially during this time.”

Jason then introduced the questions sent in by various different members, he said:

“If I let someone go before the Job retention scheme was implemented, can I re-employ them now?”

Chris responded:

“As long as they were releasing them on the terms and in response to COVID-19, what the guidance now says is that they can re-employ that person and designate them as furlough. However, the employer must be able to confirm that they let the person go on or after the 1st March 2020.”

The next question asked: Do I still have to go to work if I don't feel my job is essential and likewise what do I do if I have an employee who doesn't want to come to work?

Chris answered:

“I am not sure there is a definition of something that is an essential job, however, there is a regulation that people should attend work if they are within certain sectors such as social care and key frontline services.”

The discussion continued with reference to force majeure and Government schemes, in terms of where this can apply or may apply. To hear what our members had to ask and what advice Chris and David gave during the Q & A, head over to the back end of your microsite and watch the session under Virtual meetings.

5 Made Talks Which Will Inspire Sustainable Manufacturing Within Your Business

Made In Group — 30/05/2022

Sustainable manufacturing, or green manufacturing, is the process by which firms aim to optimise their processes in a way which minimises negative environmental impact. Conserving energy and natural resources in this way is widely accepted as vital for a future which is projected to be carbon and resource constrained for manufacturers.

In an effort to inspire and educate businesses regarding this topic, we have put together 5 Made Talks on sustainable manufacturing. In total, there are over 50 Made Talks by industry experts, which are there to share best practice, inspire and educate yourself and your staff. From "creative ways for manufacturers to go green" and "how to balance global presence with local identity", to "the basics of manufacturers protecting themselves with cybersecurity" and "how to build a successful company culture".

Manufacturer Uses Creative Ways to Go Green

This instalment of Made Talks sees Malthouse Engineering Managing Director Dr. Roy Taylor speak to members of Made in Group at a Virtual Breakfast Morning which took place on 21st January 2022. Roy goes into detail about how Malthouse now harvests all of its own water and has made further progress to being more sustainable, with the net-zero goal in mind.

5 Tips to Manage Your Energy Costs

Given the extreme energy market conditions, Liam Conway of Control Energy Costs talks about The Made In Energy Club and how to proactively manage energy costs. The content is relevant to those within the membership who are responsible for the energy costs and strategy of their business.

How Schneider Electric Uses Smart Technology to Reduce Carbon Emissions

This instalment of Made Talks sees Schneider Electric Plant Director Laurent Bergier speak to members of Made in Group at a Virtual Breakfast Morning which took place on 23rd June 2021. Laurent discusses Schneider's sustainability journey, what they can offer in their services, the EV charger story and the softwares for industry 4.0.

The Importance of Decarbonising Operations in Manufacturing

Here, Pro Enviro Managing Director Nersi Salehi speak to members of Made in Group at a Virtual Breakfast Morning which took place on 23rd February 2022. Nersi spoke about the company's recent ventures and the importance of decarbonising operations.

Airbus' Mission to Produce a Zero Emissions Aircraft

At a Backing Britain 3.0 LIVE expo event which took place on Tuesday 26th April 2022 at Walsall FC, Graham Davidson (Industrial Architect at Airbus) spoke inspirationally about Airbus' mission to produce a zero emissions aircraft.

To support in this topic also, The Made In Energy Club enables all members to save money on their business energy bills. The Club has been formed in partnership with patron Control Energy Costs. The purchasing power of the this energy club allows businesses to benefit from a reduction in the cost of energy – an ongoing and unavoidable cost to all our members. The more businesses that join the Energy Club, the more they can save. Find out more about this here.

MD Shares Captivating Story Behind Building a Successful Business in UK Manufacturing

Made In Group — 20/04/2023

Made in Group have now released the fifth episode of a new podcast series which celebrates resilience, share business and life lessons, and highlight the UK's impressive history of stoicism and innovation, by speaking with key members within British industry.

In this captivating podcast episode, Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services Kirsty Davies-Chinnock embodies the grit, determination, and passion that UK manufacturing is world-renowned for.

Kirsty - who began her journey with Professional Polishing Services in 1989 - shares her inspiring story of building a business and the the growing confidence which has come along with this.

Based at Swethwick in the West Midlands, PPS offer a bespoke stainless steel polishing service to the UK and worldwide businesses.

Made in Group is an advocate for championing British Industry, campaigning to shine a light on this fantastic sector, whilst connecting businesses, sharing knowledge, and helping companies reach their full potential.

By watching "Our Finest Hour," you will hear directly from some of the best and brightest in British Industry. From entrepreneurs to innovators, there’ll be a wide array of guests who will inspire and educate you as a business leader within UK manufacturing.

Interviews are from a mix of Midlands and Yorkshire companies with the majority filmed at the Made in Group studio in Wolverhampton. For members who want to join a live audience and also participate in mini networking and lunch, you can visit either www.madeinthemidlands.com/login or www.madeinyorkshire.com/login and register for these under the “Events'' section.

New episodes are released on Fridays at 9am, on Our Finest Hour YouTube channel. Scroll below to watch the latest episode of Our Finest Hour.

Paperless Shopfloors: How FC Laser enhanced efficiencies and control

Made In Group — 05/12/2023

The move towards paperless operations is gaining momentum across manufacturing. Beyond its evident environmental benefits and cost-savings, the shift is reshaping workflows, minimising human errors and providing real-time information access.

The concept of the ‘paperless’ office emerged in the 1970s with the arrival of computers. However, despite more than half a century having passed, most workplaces still contain mountains of paper.

At a time when digital storage, software programmes and electronic devices are more affordable and accessible than ever, many companies continue to rely on legacy paper-centric processes.

The drawbacks of paper-based workflows and record-keeping are numerous, including:

The environmental impact of paper production, transportation and disposal
Paper-based processes are inherently slower to create and retrieve information from, with a higher likelihood of manual errors
Paper documents are susceptible to loss, theft or damage, posing risks to sensitive and confidential information
Tracking the progress of tasks within paper-based systems can be difficult, leading to reduced oversight and control
The significant expense of paper, printing and storage could be redirected toward more strategic initiatives
Physical documents are often confined to specific locations, which is a barrier to real-time collaboration and access to critical information
Paper-based systems lack the adaptability and flexibility of digital tools, making it complex and cumbersome to evolve and scale with changing business needs

Recognising these challenges, organisations are embracing digital workflows. One such company is FC Laser, the fastest-growing precision laser company in the Midlands.

The need for greater control

As a 75% employee-owned company providing laser cutting, folding and fabrication services, FC Laser operates in a highly competitive market where speed and turnaround time are paramount. The company’s typical turnaround time is just two to five days, during which it will quote, review, develop and process an order, fold profiles, cut parts, assemble, inspect and deliver finished goods.

In a typical month, the company produces around 250,000 parts, uses more than 300 different grades and thicknesses of material, and delivers to 200-plus customers. The nature of their operation demands agility, quick decision-making and a robust planning and control system.

Until recently, FC Laser relied on whiteboards and T-card planning boards for tracking work-in-progress. The system was extremely manual, relying on a lot of handwritten information being transferred around the operation.

“It worked, it was organised and people knew what they were doing but it didn't give us much control or flexibility and it made us very reactive,” explained Daryl Lowe, Managing Director of FC Laser.

“To grow as a business, we needed to change how we managed our production planning and capacity. I wanted to produce more with the same resources. I wanted a better flow of jobs and information through the business. I wanted more control.”

During a recent Monthly Industry Meetup, Darly shared his journey from basic planning to a more sophisticated, integrated and automated system.

Overcoming the ‘Fear of Change’

FC Laser, like many small manufacturing operations, faced the challenge of a “We’ve always done it that way” mindset. Key to its recent transformation was encouraging a growth mindset focused on continuous improvement. Today, employees are constantly looking to make processes easier and more efficient, to improve themselves as individuals, as teams and the business.

“Over the last five years, we've made a lot of changes,” Darly said. “To me, it's all about making positive change and experimenting. Try it, does it work; if it does, you move forward; if it doesn't, try something else. Enable your people to try new things and, most importantly, to fail.”

The appointment of a dedicated control systems and software manager played a crucial role in FC Laser’s successful transformation.

“Our CAD manager was very software savvy, he understood SQL programming, and I felt that moving him into a systems and software manager role would be more suited to his skillset,” Darly explained.

“His key remit is to integrate and optimise all our business systems, automate processes and create custom dashboards and reports. It’s proven to be a key strategic role and we’re now utilising the systems more fully and in a much better way than we were without him in that role.”

Manual whiteboards have been replaced with a digital system capturing real-time data to track work-in-progress. Software installed on each cutting machine automatically informs FC Laser’s material requirements planning (MRP) system when a job has been completed and a new job can be taken on.

“The changes we’ve made have enabled us to work more productively and efficiently with increased control and flexibility. We have so much more granularity now in terms of business information, and all of it is real-time and accurate. We understand capacity to such a degree that if a customer needs parts urgently, we know exactly which jobs can be advanced and which moved back. It gives us full work-in-progress trackability and traceability.

“Dashboards serve as our early warning system. If we don't cut or fold something when we should, the system flags it. As a result, we find problems earlier in the process rather than discovering them at the end when it’s more costly to rectify.”

Overcoming industry’s lack of systems managers

Following Daryl’s talk, a Discussion Group of a dozen Made Members further explored the advantages of having a dedicated systems and software manager. Although fairly rare in industry, it was agreed that this role can provide immense value by streamlining the adoption and integration of new and existing technologies.

“A lot of key improvements we've achieved either wouldn’t have been possible without having that person in place or would have taken us five, six, seven years to achieve,” noted Darly. “If I was the MD of any manufacturing company, I would be looking to hire someone in that role because the benefits for me are vast.”

Despite the advantages, the group went on to discuss the reasons why manufacturing companies, especially SMEs, may struggle to have a dedicated systems and software manager.

These included:

Budgetary constraints
Not fully understanding the potential benefits of effective systems and software management
Being unable to find candidates with the right combination of technical skills, industry knowledge and experience
Being uncertain about the specific responsibilities and outcomes of the role
Relying on external IT consultants or services instead of having an in-house expert

The group went on to discuss how relying too heavily on one individual could be a potential risk to the business, especially around continuity if that individual is absent or leaves the organisation.

To mitigate these risks, participants agreed on the importance of cross-training and capturing important procedures, configurations and troubleshooting steps.

It was suggested that companies conduct regular team meetings and collaborative projects to help pass on information and skills, and have contingency plans in place to address sudden departures, ensuring that others can step in and maintain operations.

With manufacturing facing a lack of dedicated systems and software managers, how do we create more of them? According to participants, we have to address both the supply and demand side of talent development.

On the supply side, they raised the need to develop relevant specialised courses supported through internships, apprenticeships and other hands-on experiences for students. Managers should also encourage employees to pursue relevant qualifications and professional development, and provide financial assistance or study resources where possible

On the demand side, companies could develop internship and entry-level programmes to nurture talent from the early stages of their careers. These could be supported by mentors and career development opportunities to help entry-level professionals grow within the organisation.

Join our Monthly Industry Meetup!

The opportunity to openly discuss challenges, opportunities and solutions is why the Made in Group’s Monthly Industry Meetups are so invaluable.

During these captivating virtual events, industry experts, thought leaders, and professionals gather to share knowledge, insights and best practices.

The goal is to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and drive growth within the manufacturing community.

Each month, we feature three engaging talks from Made Members, focusing on best practices around key themes that shape the future of manufacturing, including Global Trade, People & Skills, Future Factories and Sustainability.

The presentations are followed by interactive Discussion Groups. These virtual roundtables enable Members to exchange ideas and gain further insights on their chosen topic.

We look forward to seeing you at the next one:

Midlands SIGN UP

Yorkshire SIGN UP

*Header image from Freepik

How to Get the Most Value From Your Microsite

Made In Group — 23/04/2020

Regardless of whether it is for the immediate future or they are simply using their enforced downtime to research for future investment, many customers are still interested in what services and products your business offers. This is why we are currently rolling out a campaign to review the content of all our members' microsites and optimise them accordingly.

With a personalised microsite, you can capture visitors from the Made homepage, utilise the search directory to contact relevant companies, capitalise on the vast array of external links to your unique digital space and much more.

To ensure that our members are capitalising on the limitless potential of their digital platform, our team at Made in Group have compiled a list of the key tips you should take on board in order to "supercharge" your microsite content further yourself.

1. Acquire Authentic Testimonials

Customer testimonials are one of, if not the, most effective way of gaining trust and prove the validity of your brand to others.

Utilising the Testimonial section of your social media microsite is an instant way to advertise your happy customers and clients to the rest of the Made in Group. We recommend company names and even the names of real people to maximise the benefits of this section.

2. Cultivate a Memorable “Meet the Team” Section

The digital nature of representing your company online means that you always can the risk of coming across as impersonal or even cold. Therefore, inserting a memorable and aesthetically pleasing “Meet the Team” section is vital to humanise your microsite further.

This can be a great opportunity to showcase some of the major faces within your company or perhaps even those who are the most active in terms of your Made in Group membership (e.g. attending events).

3. Link All Active Social Media Networks

If you want to maximise your digital exposure throughout the manufacturing industry, then it is vital to integrate all of your social media channels onto the microsite, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

4. Craft Unique Content

Through writing unique copy, you can gear your company brand and membership objectives specifically to the Made in Group, whilst simultaneously optimising your microsite for SEO.

It is essential to distill unique content throughout your microsite, in order for Google to accept the backlinks from and to your site. Whilst this doesn’t mean that every sentence needs to be reworded from your main website — the more unique copy you can instill, the better.

5. Upload articles every 4-8 weeks (minimum)

Posting articles through your social media microsite is a great opportunity to share positive success stories and champion industry knowledge through your brand.

The more fresh content you upload, the more “authority” you will be deemed to have on a particular topic or within a particular sector, by both Google and industry experts alike. We recommend Made in Group members aim to upload new articles every 4 weeks to reap the wholehearted benefits of both membership engagement and SEO optimisation.

6. Represent Your Brand in the Banner

Your banner heading and image are an absolutely vital part of the way your company markets itself to the membership group.

Whilst we’d love to go along with the old saying of “don’t judge a book by its cover”, unfortunately, a lot of people still will. Therefore, making sure that you feature a striking banner photo which represents your brand in a positive way, alongside a memorable banner heading, is vital for leaving a positive first impression on those viewing your microsite.

7. Link to Your Main Site

Linking your personalised microsite to your company’s main site is a fantastic way to promote your membership whilst simultaneously boosting traffic and SEO.

The Backing Britain and Made in the Midlands / Made in Yorkshire logos can be placed on your own company's website with a backlink going to the microsite. Many of our members do this to not only bring a wealth of digital benefits, but also to promote themselves as proud supporters of British industry.

Access your Backing Britain and Made In logos from the Resources section of your microsite today. Alternatively, contact joe@madeingroup.com to be sent them directly or get further support with your microsite content.

How Can Using the Backing Britain Logo Benefit Your Business?

Made In Group — 24/04/2020

The Backing Britain campaign has taken on a new meaning since the pandemic; we wanted to repurpose a logo we previously created and give you a brand resource to help market and promote your business

Made in Group have recently widened our Backing Britain campaign to empower members and have developed a suite of logos and brand guidelines so that you can show your support for British industry.

We are mainly focussed on reshoring, shortening supply chains and celebrating manufacturing heroes. It's never been more critical that we support one another through these difficult times.

Backing Britain allows a broader range of companies to support a Made in Britain message; it shows that you are Backing Britain, and there are many ways you can do this.

How Can Members Use The Logo?

Link To Your Company Website: Linking your personalised Made in Microsite to your company’s main site is a fantastic way to promote your membership whilst simultaneously maximising traffic, publicising your membership and supporting SEO. The Backing Britain logo gives you a fantastic opportunity to place this link on your site.

Company Clothing: Brand recognition and promotion of your brand aligned to Backing Britain or ‘MADE IN’ can be very powerful when used day to day on workwear and clothing accessories. Our members frequently add high visibility jackets and daily workwear to endorse themselves as a proud advocate of midlands manufacturing.

Email Signature: Why not promote your involvement in Backing Britain Live 2020 whilst simultaneously showing you support for industry success. Placing the Backing Britain logo into your email signature will go a long way to promote yourself as an active manufacturing industry advocate to business affiliates and potential customers.

Social Media & Marketing Campaigns: A major benefit of being a Made in Group member is the exposure you have unlimited access to. Create social cards to align yourself with Backing Britain and be seen by over tens of thousand followers group wide. Marketing campaigns also offer a fantastic opportunity to promote your company as being proud supporters of British industry.

Contracts and Other Important Documents: Adding the Backing Britain logo to your important documents and contracts can be wholly effective in promoting your support for the midlands industry to business associates and clients. You can also add the logos to your business cards as well.

Get Creative: There are many other company products which you can place the Backing Britain Logo onto in order to promote your membership, which have not made this list. The likes of stationary, mugs and even phone cases are some great places to show off your involvement in supporting industry. Take a look at some of our Made in Group products below to give you some inspiration!

Download Your Brand Value Today

All paid members can use the standard Backing Britain logo, whilst the Backing Britain 2020 Live logo is for those members who are exhibiting at our Virtual Expo Hall.

If you have any further questions on brand guidelines or how you can or cannot use the Backing Britain or Made in Group logos, then please consult with the team. Please also download the brand guideline book from the Resources section to familiarise yourself with how to use the brand and logo correctly.

To download the Backing Britain or Backing Britain 2020 Live logo, log into your Made in Group account and find in it the logos folder of the Resources section.

FIRST LOOK: What Does a Virtual Exhibition Look Like?

Made In Group — 17/06/2020

This is a landmark moment for UK manufacturing, with Made in Group's upcoming virtual exhibition, Backing Britain Live 2020, being the first of its kind within the industry.

Made in Group have made it their mission to offer state of the art digital communication, marketing, and networking solutions to our members. To ensure that our members and the industry more broadly is supported in moving forward, growing and succeeding, we are proud to be offering such a state-of-the-art Virtual Networking solution to the industry.

In response to this demand, backing Britain 2020 Live will be hosted on www.backingbritain.com where the entire exhibition hall will have virtual access to booths, interactive seminars and networking areas all accessible on the website. The process will be very user friendly and easy to navigate around.

With more than 30 planned events over 2 weeks, some of the key elements of the exhibition will include:

Virual Expo Hall: A tactile and immersive digital exhibition experience, to help us unite, retain continuity and forge new connections

Webinars: Thought leadership and guidance on all the hot topics as we move forward from the issues of Corona
Conferencing: Over 30 planned events to help the community stay connected and strong through this adverse time

Round Table Discussions: It’s more vital than ever we keep the conversation going, we’re planning round tables with key participants

Scroll below to take an exclusive look at some of the main features of the Live Digital Business Festival.

Britain to the World Arena

The 'Britain to the World Arena' is a futuristic project aimed at replicating the traditional trade show, using technology to enhance and improve the value for exhibitors. This is a proudly UK innovation, in which user experience is the number one priority.

Gold Exhibitor Stand

Silver Exhibitor Stand

Virtual Seminars

Over the two week period, there are over 30 planned events to help the community stay connected and strong through this adverse time.

Beginning 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical:

BOOK YOUR PLACE

Fantasy League Open To Members - Who Will Win the Made in Group Cup?

Made In Group — 19/08/2021

With the new English Premier League football season having just kicked off, Made in Group have launched a Fantasy League which all paid members of Made in Group can take part in.

Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire members will be competing for the top spot, showcasing their football knowledge against other members.

Even if you’re not a football genius or you’ve lost touch with the current cohort of Premier League players, we encourage all members to make a team and take part in this league.

It’s free, doesn’t take long to set up, and is easy to join. Just make sure you come up with a “punny” name for your team!

Some of the notable football-related pun names in the Made in Group league so far include “Lord Of The Mings”, “Muller Reus Corner”, “Grand Theft Porto”, “Finding Neto” and “Show Me Da Mane”.

JOIN MADE IN GROUP’S FANTASY LEAGUE

3D Tour: One of the Midland's Most Iconic Vantage Points

Made In Group — 09/08/2022

As part of WinMan's stand at Backing Britain 3.0, you can now take a virtual tour of the company premises through innovative 3D technology.

This tour is being highlighted due to the unique way in which it also provides a fantastic view from one of the West Midland's most recognisable vantage points, Fort Dunlop.

Based in Birmingham, WinMan ERP Software is a highly scalable and leading class business solution designed especially for a broad range of manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, pharmaceutical businesses

The stand at Backing Britain 3.0 is going to be available 365 days a year, giving people the opportunity to walk around WinMan's factory, find out more about the company, ask questions and more. Click the link below and then navigate to 3D TOURS on the left to go on this virtual factory tour yourself.

WINMAN'S VIRTUAL FACTORY TOUR

Contactless Networking Masterclass: The Challenge of Building Trust Virtually

Made In Group — 10/09/2020

Whilst it may not always come "naturally", the reality is that virtual meetings, contactless networking and video calls have become exceptionally important in the modern business world. With many of us experiencing clear teething problems with this medium it can be easy to take a back seat to the idea of “digital”, however, we think it has become exceptionally apparent in 2020 - with Zoom competency now being a key barometer for business success - that embracing digital is vital for the manufacturing industry to continue to grow and thrive.

Made in Group members met on Thursday 10th September via Zoom to hold a Contactless Networking Masterclass - as Joe and Yasmin conducted a short presentation - before the group were given chance to network and discuss some of the common challenges and solutions found through digital networking and how we can be better at building trust with business associates and prospects online.

For those who were unable to attend, here is a transcript of the Contactless Networking Masterclass for Manufacturers presentation:

The Challenge of Building Trust Virtually

The Obvious Stuff (right?)

Dress for the occasion
Choose a quiet area
Test your equipment and internet speed prior
Frame yourself correctly
Stay seated and attentive (leave the keyboard alone)
Mute yourself in group meetings when not speaking
Speak up and accentuate social etiquette (smiling, nodding, etc.)

Some New Challenges

False: Building trust digitally is not inherently more difficult.

True: The way to successfully build trust must be tailored differently to fit this new medium.

Just as there was barriers in the physical world, what are the challenges for building trust digitally?

Extended Distance: Our brain looks for and requires "similarities" when building trust with someone. The shared physical space of a meeting room makes it easier to establish these.
Misunderstanding: Unclear body language (i.e. not framing camera correctly).

Unfamiliarity and Safety Concerns: Those not used to an online environment may have unease with making decisions "just" based on meeting through a screen.

Some New Solutions

Things to bear in mind in order to facilitate a more trusting virtual environment:

Build Familiarity Beforehand: Company - ensure your pre-meeting information matches your website/brand. Individual - send a Loom video introducing yourself.

Be Mindful of Body Language: Be aware of video limitations; ensure that any gestures you want to make can be seen clearly and understood (e.g. sit further away).

Eye Contact or Camera Contact? Naturally you need to look at the person to gauge their reaction, however, you can maintain this physical-world benefit by simply looking into the webcam at the end of your speech to give the social cue that you have finished your point.

Accentuating Social Cues: E.g. leaning slightly towards the camera when you are speaking or to signal you want to speak, whilst leaning back to make it clear you are actively listening and engaged with what they are saying. Don’t forget where you are!

Do Manufacturers L̶i̶k̶e̶ Need “Digital”?

A Loathe-Hate Relationship

Typically, manufacturing companies spend only 3.2% of turnover on marketing activity, compared with a far higher industry-wide average of 11.3%

For many manufacturing companies, the prospect of implementing digital marketing may seem either intimidating or a waste of time

This mindset is heightened further due to many long-established manufacturing companies having been successful for decades without the need for digital

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Many companies are still thriving or surviving with their pre-digital strategy - but how long can this continue?

The Acquity Group’s recent State of B2B Procurement study found that 94% of B2B buyers always conduct some form of online research before purchasing a business product. Of course, the manufacturing industry works differently to others, however, your digital presence is being used by more buyers as a way of vetting companies.

With major firms failing or even refusing to implement a successful digital strategy, this leaves the door open for proactive firms to take over; an inevitable evolution.

Can Non-Digital Firms Survive?

“Neglecting digital isn’t going to kill you today, but it will kill you in 3-5 years.” Do we agree?

Our industry has not always been the quickest to embrace the notion of "digital", however, other industries provide examples of smaller companies who invest in digital, David and Goliath-ing the titans (e.g. Amazon vs Toys "R" Us).

This theory is becoming closer to reality in 2020; with BBLIVE2020 being the first example of Made’s offer of support to companies who want to evolve before it’s too late.

Embracing a New Era Seamlessly and Effectively

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The reality is, many UK manufacturing firms that do have an online presence will have infrequent social media usage (the odd few Tweets here and there), an outdated website and virtually zero search presence on Google. To help tackle this, Made in Group offers Visbility, Content & Networking - an all in one solution - but tailored to fit.

Visibility

Did you know Made has The Midlands and Yorkshire’s Number 1 Manufacturing Directories - ranking no.1 for “midlands manufacturing” and “yorkshire manufacturing” on Google, boasting approximately 20,000 visitors a month?

Is your Directory Listing up to date? Services, Accreditations, Sectors, Contact Info.

Is your Microsite relevant and serving a specific objective? Matching company website (or fulfilling an alternative purpose, e.g. focused on one product/service).

Content

With the microsite, Made in Group offer genuine platform to champion your success stories amongst thousands of fellow industry professionals; reach every manufacturing firm that employs more than 20 people within 100 miles. Do you upload once+ a month?

Effective content marketing: post unlimited articles to a high traffic site. Share of voice = share of market

Industry exposure: The best articles are shared on social media with our 20,000+ industry followers, in our weekly digest and even published in our quarterly magazine publication to 11,500 people across The Midlands and Yorkshire.

Events

Made in Group have digitalised the likes of virtual Q&As, panel discussions and networking events. Some of the main features and benefits include:

Conducted from your desk (time, convenience, expenditure SAVED)
2-3 events per month
Each member gets 30-60 seconds to speak to everyone
“Speeds networking”- breaks down awkwardness/“cliques”
Stay visible and strengthen your digital skillset

Network with like-minded UK manufacturing business leaders and learn groundbreaking best practice at Made in Group virtual events.

Keeping Up Communication During Crucial Times

Made In Group — 03/12/2020

At The Made in Group, we have made it our mission to support manufacturers and businesses alike, especially during difficult times by keeping members in the loop on how we can support their businesses. From receiving a free face mask to invitations for networking events, we strive to keep the industry safe and connected.

The devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic mean that many skilled workers have lost their jobs and face the uncertainty of finding opportunities in a recession. We have been contacting members more frequently than ever to ensure they are aware of the support we can offer. Our latest project ‘Made Futures’ aims to support businesses and individuals who are either looking for new staff or looking for jobs in the sector.

The project will see a week-long careers and skills exhibition take place in March 2021, with a permanent job advertisement feature across microsites patron to bronze. The latest feature will also link to a user-friendly central jobs board where individuals can see what job roles are available to them.

As part of the Made Futures project, we are contacting members to get involved in a number of things that benefit businesses. The first is the ‘Made Futures book’, we want members to submit articles in a bid to inspire young people to consider roles in manufacturing. The book will allow these people to get information directly from the sector.

The second is the ‘future of manufacturing mural’, we want to spread positivity through the sector by putting together a collage of people working in the manufacturing sector right now who are making a difference within their business. The aim of the mural is to be printed and distributed to members which they can then hang in their offices and have the future of manufacturing looking back at them.

And finally, we are asking members to get involved in the exhibition to cut out the middleman and give them the chance to connect directly with individuals suitable for the job roles they have available. In addition to this, to also get involved in our events such as CV writing, employability workshops and mock interviews to nurture talent heading towards the sector.

To find out more about Made Futures and other projects you could be involved in, contact a member of the Made in Group team today.

The Story of Jennifer Hughes: Triumph, Transformation & Transicon Legacy

Made In Group — 26/09/2023

Recently Made in Group released Episode 8 of Series 2 from the Our Finest Hour podcast, which spotlighted the story of an enlightening guest and a key member from within the membership group: Jennifer Hughes, Director of Transicon Limited.

From her remarkable transition into finance within a family business, Jennifer's story is a testament to resilience and adaptability. Within this episode, we discover how Jennifer navigated her career shift, the challenges she faced during the pandemic, and the importance of embracing change and seizing new opportunities.

Jennifer's experience is both inspiring and educational, offering valuable insights for anyone considering a career pivot or looking to excel in a family business setting.

Since its foundation in 1967, Telford-based Transicon has taken a leading role in the field of electrical control systems, drive systems and industrial automation systems.

Our Finest Hour celebrates resilience, shares business and life lessons, and highlights the UK's impressive history of stoicism and innovation, by speaking with key members within British industry. Made in Group is an advocate for championing British Industry, campaigning to shine a light on this fantastic sector, whilst connecting businesses, sharing knowledge, and helping companies reach their full potential.

By watching Our Finest Hour, you will hear directly from some of the best and brightest in British Industry. From entrepreneurs to innovators, there’ll be a wide array of guests who will inspire and educate you as a business leader within UK manufacturing.

Interviews are from a mix of Midlands and Yorkshire companies, with the majority filmed at the Made in Group studio in Wolverhampton. For members who want to join a live audience and also participate in mini networking and lunch, you can visit either www.madeinthemidlands.com/login or www.madeinyorkshire.com/login and register for these under the 'Events' section.

New episodes are released on Fridays at 9am, on the Our Finest Hour YouTube channel. Scroll below to watch the latest episode of Our Finest Hour!

Backing Britain Virtual Exhibition Launched to Help Manufacturers

Made In Group — 22/05/2020

The reality is that social distancing and the current climate has meant that holding a physical exhibition, as we did before, is no longer possible. Business operations need to adapt and be dynamic in order to follow suit with this change - which is why networking has gone virtual.

As CEO Jason Pitt has said, "The Made in Group has always had a strong technology focus.” We pride ourselves on offering state of the art digital communication, marketing, and networking solutions to our members.

Not only will visitors have a unique experience online, but will also receive physical goodie bags to their door which includes: The Backing Britain 2020, 100 pg book - consisting of positive manufacturing news and information about exhibitors, a large printed poster of the exhibition hall, a Backing Britain lanyard and social posters and more.

With more than 30 planned events over 2 weeks, some of the key elements of the exhibition will include:

Virual Expo Hall: A tactile and immersive digital exhibition experience, to help us unite, retain continuity and forge new connections

Webinars: Thought leadership and guidance on all the hot topics as we move forward from the issues of Corona
Conferencing: Over 30 planned events to help the community stay connected and strong through this adverse time

Round Table Discussions: It’s more vital than ever we keep the conversation going, we’re planning round tables with key participants

On 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical. Book your place today: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/backing-britain-live-2020-tickets-101480914146?aff=joe

Why Have Made in Group Digitalised Their Exhibition?

Business operations have changed; the imposed necessity of social distancing has meant that virtual networking is the way of the present and future for now. To aid our members in embracing these changes, Made in Group have made it our mission to offer state of the art digital communication, marketing, and networking solutions to our members.

This mission is all the more pressing as, whilst some companies throughout the nation are likely to phase on-site working back within the coming months, remote working and social distancing more generally is not a reality that is likely to disappear entirely any time too soon - with many people even predicting that Covid-19 could cause a permanent shift towards remote working throughout the UK.

With networking going virtual for the time being, Made in Group have digitalised the likes of virtual Q&As, panel discussions, masterminds and networking events. Keep reading to discover some of the major ways in which Made in Group have gone virtual to help aid their members into a seamless transition into digital and remote operations.

What Is the Significance of "Backing Britain"?

Made in Group have recently widened our Backing Britain campaign to empower manufacturers. We are mainly focussed on reshoring, shortening supply chains and celebrating manufacturing heroes. It's never been more critical that we support one another through these difficult times.

The Backing Britain campaign has taken on a new meaning since the pandemic; we wanted to repurpose a logo we previously created and give our membership a brand resource to help market and promote their business.

Backing Britain allows a broader range of companies to support a Made in Britain message; it shows that you are Backing Britain, and there are many ways you can do this. One of which is by promoting yourself and your business as attending this event, by using the Backing Britain 2020 Live logo in a variety of ways.

Embrace industry change and register for tickets at Backing Britain 2020 Live by registering for tickets today: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/backing-britain-live-2020-tickets-101480914146?aff=joe

The Made in Group Expo's return for 2020 - showcasing a community of manufacturers

Made In Group — 09/01/2020

Made in Group Expos in the Midlands and Yorkshire are set to be successful with over 220 members exhibiting in the Midlands and over 80 exhibiting in Yorkshire so far.

Back and bigger than ever, The Made in Yorkshire Expo and The Made in the Midlands Expo will showcase a wide range of manufacturers, engineers and more in 2020. The MiY event, which takes place on Thursday 21st May at the Centenary Pavilion in Leeds, is set to be the company’s biggest ever as the #MIYFamily continues to grow. In the name of championing British manufacturing and showing the best things truly Made in Yorkshire.

The Made in the Midlands Expo will also prove to be a thriving event as the UK’s largest Regional Manufacturing and Engineering Exhibition, along with having the biggest collection of Midlands manufacturers under the same roof. In previous years, examples of cutting edge technology were presented such as collaborative robots and metalworking fluid.

Taking place on Wednesday 1st July 2020 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, the MiM Expo is guaranteed to be one of the largest manufacturing and networking opportunities this year. Over 2,500 industry leaders are set to attend from across the Midlands engineering and manufacturing supply chain. In addition to the manufacturers showcasing at each event, visitors will also be able to join in with the seminars that’ll take place throughout the day. These will be by industry leaders on topics such as the Skills Gap, Industry 4.0, International Trade, and Manufacturing.

The Made in Group, including Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, evolved from an editorial campaign in the pages of the Business Report - a business publication and exists to challenge the erosion of the British industry and spread positive news about the manufacturing sector.

10 years later, the Made in Group is one of the biggest manufacturing membership groups in the UK, with over 500 members in total. Members are given access to their own website platform, or microsite, and blogging platform on the MiM or MiY platform. This gives members the opportunity to share news, message other members and advertise on other members' microsites. Along with the opportunity to showcase their products and services at the Made in Group exhibitions, members are also able to access regular best practice events with fellow members to network and share best practice all year round.

Made in the Midlands Gold member Wrekin sheet Metal has been a member since 2015, and have seen great success from being part of the Expo in 2019. Wrekin Sheetmetal offers a bespoke design service to enable customers to specify their exact requirements.

Simon Orpe, Director of Wrekin sheet metal, said he received high-quality leads from the event with one of their biggest sales being worth £50,000. He added:

“The quality of the leads we received from the 2019 Expo was tremendous, the event is great because it is focused on gaining new businesses and potentially finding new suppliers.”

“One of the first leads we looked at was an order worth £30,000.”

Simon also mentioned that this allowed the company to establish relationships with other members exhibiting.

“As we are exhibiting in 2020, we are looking forward to the event being bigger and better.”

A new Made in the Midlands member, Hitherbest - a sheet metal fabricator, will be exhibiting at the MiM Expo for the first time. Dr. Nicky Evans, Owner, and Director, at Hitherbest, said:

“The team at Hitherbest is really excited to have the chance to showcase our fabrication and powder coating capabilities at the Made in the Midlands Expo. At Hitherbest we are really proud of our reputation for quality workmanship and exceptional customer service; the expo is a wonderful opportunity for us to meet like-minded businesses from across our region and discuss ways in which we can work together.”

Made in Yorkshire member Airmaster Air Conditioning offer every aspect of mechanical services and maintenance and have exhibited at the MiY expo for the past two years, 2018 and 2019. Managing Director Lisa Pogson hopes to bring more interactive products to the stand this year:

“These days, people want more than leaflets, this year we hope to bring more interactive equipment so visitors can see how our products function.”

Summing up what the Expo is all about, Founder and CEO of the Made in Group, Jason Pitt said:

“The Expos demonstrates the strength of the manufacturing and engineering sectors and the confidence among business leaders despite the continuing economic uncertainty in the UK.”

You can attend the MiY Expo by visiting:

https://www.madeinyorkshireexpo.co.uk/

What Is a Made Masterclass?

Made In Group — 09/10/2020

Every fortnight at 11:15am, members of Made in Group will be able to join our digital specialists to learn about contemporary industry challenges and discuss solutions with fellow members.

This brand new virtual event format has been created to combine knowledged sharing best practice, with the opportunity to network and strengthen your business relationships.

What makes these digital events stand out, in particular, is that they are manufacturing and engineering specific. You won't be given one size fits all knowledge, but instead, you will be offered tailored best practice which is most effective for people in your industry.

What is the Format:

45-minute events
Held via Zoom
15-minute presentation delivered by topic experts
30-minute discussion period for attendees

Combining knowledge and networking, this hybrid event format offers members the chance to learn effective, actionable best practices, before sharing common challenges and solutions with your fellow industry professionals.

What are the Topics?

We trialed this event in September, with a Made Masterclass which was based on "How to Build Trust via Zoom". Attendees learned tried and tested techniques for building rapport and leaving a lasting impression with someone during a virtual meeting - with particular insight for those in sales and business development based industry roles.

Our next session on Tuesday 27th October will be about how to successfully interact with potential prospects and other businesses via Linkedin. It will include:

5 Actionable Ways to Boost your Linkedin Social Selling
How to Build Genuine Rapport
Effective Techniques for LinkedIn Prospecting
AND MORE!

SIGN UP NOW

How Can You Find Specific Locations for Jobs with Made Futures?

Made In Group — 01/02/2022

From the shop floor to office roles, Made Futures promotes jobs in the manufacturing and engineering industry all throughout the UK.

To view all of the current live job vacancies for your specific area, you can simply visit the locations page of Made Futures.

Since the launch of Made Futures back in 2021, over 300 jobs have now been advertised through the recruitment platform.

These jobs are for a wide range of positions - from apprenticeships to management roles, and have been based all around the UK, primarily in the Midlands and Yorkshire.

What makes Made Futures so powerful is that it aggregates the job vacancies of the manufacturing industry into one place. A variety of users - from graduates to people currently working within the industry in senior roles looking to advance their careers further - have accounts on the Made Futures jobs board.

As a jobseeker, you can create your free account today and discover all the Made Futures promoted job vacancies.

5 Yorkshire Companies Who Have Been Backing Britain in 2022

Made In Group — 16/06/2022

One of Made in Group's overarching objectives is to support and celebrate the manufacturing and engineering companies who 'Back Britain' through the likes of investing in the industry, reshoring operations, supporting people and skills, and more.

Here, we have compiled the recent work of 5 Made in Yorkshire members who have been Backing Britain in various ways this year.

1. The Benefits of Mentoring the Engineers of the Future

Agemaspark MD Paul Stockhill has been seeing first-hand the benefits of mentoring young people as he works with budding engineers from Doncaster University Technical College. Paul, who is also vice chair of Doncaster UTC, has been allocated five students to mentor, all of whom have an interest in engineering.

Paul said: “I’ve had my first session with the students and got so much from it. It’s a great idea for businesses to get involved in mentoring young people because both sides can really benefit from the experience."

2. Siddall & Hilton Products Provides New Fencing for Huddersfield Children’s Hospice

Earlier this year, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting charities serving the local community, Brighouse-based welded steel mesh manufacturer Siddall & Hilton Products provided a 130m perimeter fence and pedestrian gate for children’s hospice Forget Me Not in Huddersfield as well as making a £2,000 donation to the charity to cover the cost of installing the new fencing.

3. An Investment to Open Countless New Markets and Opportunities

In April this year, C.E. Bennett & Sons Ltd were excited to share the details of their latest investment: a state of the art “Orbital Welding System”.

The West Yorkshire based company have recently further improved their welding capabilities with the purchase of a state of the art “Orbital Welding System”. This major investment opens countless new markets and opportunities for the company – the main sectors being pharmaceutical, dairy, brewing and food where this high-grade system of welding is increasingly specified.

4. Countless Apprentices Success Stories Celebrated in Bradford

2022 has seen Bradford-based Appris celebrate countless apprenticeship success stories, which are regularly posted to their own website and MIY microsite.

Based in Bradford, Appris specialise in the delivery of Engineering Manufacture apprenticeships, with over 150 member companies and 300+ apprentices across West Yorkshire.

5. Angloco Celebrate Huge Milestone with the Last of the Defence Fire & Rescue Program

Thursday 24th March marked a huge milestone for Batley-based Angloco: with the last vehicle being delivered as part of the Defence Fire and Rescue Project (DFRP).

Put simply, this occasion signified the biggest fire appliance manufacturing contract ever awarded to Angloco (83 fire appliances) alongside being the largest through-life vehicle and equipment maintenance contract (a 12-year contract) ever awarded to the company.

Sustainability and Cybersecurity Discussed in Latest Backing Britain Breakfast Morning

Made In Group — 10/11/2021

The Made in Group hosted another online networking event for its members today, connecting Midlands and Yorkshire manufacturing decision makers. This week we saw Pegler and Birmingham City University discuss sustainability in business and the importance of Cybersecurity for manufacturers.

The Backing Britain Breakfast mornings from the Made in Group give its 400+ members the chance to connect, build industry relationships and ultimately encourage reshoring manufacturing to the UK. Industry professionals hear from three industry leaders from within the group, learning best practice and more about the businesses the speakers are part of. Unique to the Made in Group, members can select what breakout discussions they would like to be part of to discuss current and contemporary topics in manufacturing such as Industry 4.0, supply chain issues and more.

Alberts Integrated Piping Systems, otherwise known as Pegler, has been around since the 1890’s based in Doncaster, Yorkshire. They are known as one of the leading manufacturers of advanced plumbing, heating and engineering products. What makes Pegler unique is their dedication to producing the materials here in the UK, forging recyclable copper and brass for their products.

Steve Currid, Head of New Product Development at Alberts Integrated Systems, highlighted the company’s economic strength and circular economy through its ability to forge their own material. Now with their largest ever forging press, the company is able to supply tens of thousands of products to market and have become a reliable supplier for countries across the world, responding to increasing pressure of material shortage. Steve said:

“Pegler valves have been integral to the UK infrastructure for well over a century with the ability to recycle products at the end of their working life. One of the biggest challenges forging companies face is the preconception that the process isn’t environmentally sustainable. Our products demonstrate sustainability at a different level and allow customers to feel like they are achieving their own sustainability measures.”

Ron Austin, Associate Professor in Network Security from Birmingham City University (BCU), spoke about the importance of cybersecurity for manufacturing business professionals. He demonstrated how worryingly easy it is for cyber attackers to access sensitive information on someone's desktop and even their camera and microphone. Ron said:

“As demonstrated, to set up a phishing website all it takes is six lines of code and if a hacker manages to get you to click their link, all of your information and access to your computer is the hackers. It takes only seven minutes to achieve this and even if your computer is off, they can still use it. It is important that we start to think about cybersecurity and if you need a hand, BCU is here to help.”

Watch this event back by logging into the Made Platform and heading to ‘Past Events’.

Made in Group set to create new jobs

Made In Group — 13/01/2021

In a recent update from Made in Group’s CEO Jason Pitt, via Youtube, the trade association announces its plans to recruit two new team members - Regional Director for Made in Yorkshire and Recruitment Director preferably based in Birmingham. Jason also announced the group's office move and spoke about Made Futures - a groundbreaking virtual event.

Jason broadcasted live across the Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire social platforms last week to announce the groups exciting plans for taking on two new recruits. The Made in Group, who recently employed an Artificial Intelligence graduate set to start at the end of January 2021, are looking for local and enthusiastic people to join the dynamic team currently working from home.

The first of the two positions available is the role of Regional Director for Made in Yorkshire. The Made in Group is looking for someone to be the go-to person for our members in Yorkshire, someone local who is passionate about manufacturing. Jason said:

“In addition to looking for a Regional Director for Yorkshire who can help support members alongside Joe, who recently relocated to Leeds, we are also looking for new office space. Therefore I would like to invite members who would like to consider facilitating Yorkshire HQ at their premises, preferably in West Yorkshire.”

As for the second position, the group is looking for a Recruitment Director to manage the Made Futures Jobs board. Made Futures is a virtual exhibition taking place from 22nd - 26th March in aspirations of creating 1,000 jobs within the manufacturing and engineering Industry. The Made in Group’s jobs board will allow members to promote opportunities to people in a relevant career space for free. Jason continued:

“We are looking for someone who will encourage members to post job opportunities to our jobs board, collect case studies after the exhibition in March and help us recruit new members.”

In addition to the latest announcements, the group will also be moving to a new office when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Based in Birmingham's Jewellery quarter, the group has plans to renovate the working space over the coming weeks. The office layout will adhere to mental health wellbeing, which includes a mediation pod and breakout areas.

Find out more about the latest job roles available with the Made in Group by clicking here.

Check if you can claim for your employees' wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Made In Group — 21/04/2020

The UK Government has launched the Employee Retainment Scheme, and in order to help members, we’ve pulled together all the government resources to help you through the process.

If you cannot maintain your current workforce because your operations have been severely affected by Coronavirus, you can furlough employees and apply for a grant that covers 80% of their usual monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and pension contributions (up to the level of the minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contribution) on that subsidised furlough pay.

This scheme went live on April 20th, 2020 and will be in place for 4 months starting from 1 March 2020. The goal of the scheme is designed to help employers whose operations have been severely affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19) to retain their employees and protect the UK economy.

Who can claim

You must have:

Created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020.
Enrolled for PAYE online.
A UK bank account.

Any entity with a UK payroll can apply, including businesses, charities, recruitment agencies and public authorities.

Apprentices

Apprentices can be furloughed in the same way as other employees and they can continue to train whist furloughed.

However, you must pay your Apprentices at least the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage/National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage (AMW/NLW/NMW) as appropriate for all the time they spend training. This means you must cover any shortfall between the amount you can claim for their wages through this scheme and their appropriate minimum wage.

Individuals

Individuals can furlough employees such as nannies provided they pay them through PAYE, and sent HMRC an RTI submission notifying a payment in respect of the employee on or before 19 March 2020.

Worker Breakdown

Employees you can claim for

If you made employees redundant or they stopped working for you after 28 February

If your employees are working reduced hours

If an employee is working, but on reduced hours, or for reduced pay, they will not be eligible for this scheme.

If your employee is on unpaid leave

If an employee started unpaid leave after 28 February 2020, you can put them on furlough instead. If you put them on furlough then you should pay them at least 80% of their regular wages, up to the monthly cap of £2500.

If an employee went on unpaid leave on or before 28 February, you cannot furlough them until the date on which it was agreed they would return from unpaid leave.

If your employee is self-isolating or on sick leave

If your employee is on sick leave or self-isolating as a result of Coronavirus, they’ll be able to get Statutory Sick Pay, subject to other eligibility conditions applying. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is not intended for short-term absences from work due to sickness, and there is a 3 week minimum furlough period.

Short term illness/ self-isolation should not be a consideration in deciding whether to furlough an employee. If, however, employers want to furlough employees for business reasons and they are currently off sick, they are eligible to do so, as with other employees. In these cases, the employee should no longer receive sick pay and would be classified as a furloughed employee.

Employers are also entitled to furlough employees who are being shielded or off on long-term sick leave. It is up to employers to decide whether to furlough these employees. You can claim back from both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the SSP rebate scheme for the same employee but not for the same period of time. When an employee is on furlough, you can only reclaim expenditure through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and not the SSP rebate scheme. If a non-furloughed employee becomes ill, needs to self-isolate or be shielded, then you might qualify for the SSP rebate scheme, enabling you to claim up to two weeks of SSP per employee.

If your employee becomes sick while furloughed

Furloughed employee retain their statutory rights, including their right to Statutory Sick Pay. This means that furloughed employees who become ill must be paid at least Statutory Sick Pay. It is up to employers to decide whether to move these employees onto Statutory Sick Pay or to keep them on furlough, at their furloughed rate.

If a furloughed employee who becomes sick is moved onto SSP, employers can no longer claim for the furloughed salary. Employers are required to pay SSP themselves, although may qualify for a rebate for up to 2 weeks of SSP. If employers keep the sick furloughed employee on the furloughed rate, they remain eligible to claim for these costs through the furloughed scheme.

Shielding Employees

Employees who are unable to work because they are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) can be furloughed.

Employees with caring responsibilities

Employees who are unable to work because they have caring responsibilities resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19) can be furloughed. For example, employees that need to look after children can be furloughed.

If your employee has more than one job

If your employee has more than one employer they can be furloughed for each job. Each job is separate, and the cap applies to each employer individually.

Employees can be furloughed in one job and receive a furloughed payment but continue working for another employer and receive their normal wages.

If your employee is on a fixed term contract

Employees on fixed term contracts can be furloughed. Their contracts can be renewed or extended before their natural conclusion during the furlough period without breaking the terms of the scheme. There is no minimum period which must be left to run on a fixed term contract to enable it to be renewed or extended, but it must not have ended. The furlough period must be for a minimum period of three consecutive weeks. Where a fixed term employee’s contract ends because it is not extended or renewed before its natural conclusion you will no longer be able claim grant for them once the contract ends. Fixed term contracts which ended, without extension or renewal, on or before 19 March 2020 will not qualify for the grant once they have ended.

Eligible individuals who are not employees

As well as employees, the grant can be claimed for any of the following groups, if they are paid via PAYE: office holders (including company directors), salaried members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), agency workers (including those employed by umbrella companies), and limb (b) workers.

The guidance below sets out specific considerations for those individuals who are paid via PAYE, but who are not necessarily employees in employment law. Unless explicitly set out below, all other guidance is applicable to these cases, and should be followed.

Office Holders

Office holders can be furloughed and receive support through this scheme. The furlough, and any ongoing payment during furlough, will need to be agreed between the office holder and the party who operates PAYE on the income they receive for holding their office. Where the office holder is a company director or member of a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), the furlough arrangements should be adopted formally as a decision of the company or LLP.

Company Directors

As office holders, salaried company directors are eligible to be furloughed and receive support through this scheme. Company directors owe duties to their company which are set out in the Companies Act 2006. Where a company (acting through its board of directors) considers that it is in compliance with the statutory duties of one or more of its individual salaried directors, the board can decide that such directors should be furloughed. Where one or more individual directors’ furlough is so decided by the board, this should be formally adopted as a decision of the company, noted in the company records and communicated in writing to the director(s) concerned.

Where furloughed directors need to carry out particular duties to fulfil the statutory obligations they owe to their company, they may do so provided they do no more than would reasonably be judged necessary for that purpose, i.e. they should not do work of a kind they would carry out in normal circumstances to generate commercial revenue or provides services to or on behalf of their company.

This also applies to salaried individuals who are directors of their own personal service company (PSC).

Salaried Members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)

Members of LLPs who are designated as employees for tax purposes (‘salaried members’) under the Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act (ITTOIA) 2005 are eligible to be furloughed and receive support through this scheme.

The rights and duties of a member of an LLP are set out in an LLP agreement and in the absence of an agreement, default provisions in the LLP Act 2000, based upon company and partnership law. Such an agreement may include separate agreement between the LLP and an individual member setting out the terms applicable to that member’s relationship with the LLP.

To furlough a member, the terms of the LLP agreement (or any such agreement between the LLP and the member) may need to be varied by a formal decision of the LLP, for example to reflect the fact that the member will perform no work in the LLP for the period of furlough, and the effect of this on their remuneration from the LLP. For an LLP member who is treated as being employed by the LLP (in accordance with s863A of ITTOIA 2005), the reference salary for this scheme is the LLP member’s profit allocation, excluding any amounts which are determined by the LLP member’s performance, or the overall performance of the LLP.

Agency Workers (including those employed by umbrella companies)

Where agency workers are paid through PAYE, they are eligible to be furloughed and receive support through this scheme, including where they are employed by umbrella companies.

Furlough should be agreed between the agency, as the deemed employer, and the worker, though it would be advised to discuss the need to furlough with any end clients involved. As with employees, agency workers should perform no work for, through or on behalf of the agency that has furloughed them while they are furloughed, including performing such work through or on behalf of the agency for the agency’s clients.

Where an agency supplies clients with workers who are employed by an umbrella company that operates the PAYE, it will be for the umbrella company and the worker to agree whether to furlough the worker or not.

Payroll consolidation

If your employee does volunteer work

A furloughed employee can take part in volunteer work, if it does not provide services to or generate revenue for, or on behalf of your organisation or a linked or associated organisation. Your organisation can agree to find furloughed employees new work or volunteering opportunities whilst on furlough if this is in line with public health guidance.

If your employee undertakes training

Furloughed employees can engage in training, as long as in undertaking the training the employee does not provide services to, or generate revenue for, or on behalf of their organisation or a linked or associated organisation. Furloughed employees should be encouraged to undertake training.

Where training is undertaken by furloughed employees, at the request of their employer, they are entitled to be paid at least their appropriate national minimum wage for this time. In most cases, the furlough payment of 80% of an employee’s regular wage, up to the value of £2,500, will provide sufficient monies to cover these training hours. However, where the time spent training attracts a minimum wage entitlement in excess of the furlough payment, employers will need to pay the additional wages (see National Minimum Wage Section for more details).

If your employee is on maternity leave, adoption leave, paternity leave or shared parental leave

The normal rules for maternity and other forms of parental leave and pay apply.

You can claim through the scheme for enhanced (earnings related) contractual pay for employees who qualify for either:

maternity pay
adoption pay
paternity pay
shared parental pay

Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: A Practical Approach for Manufacturers

Made In Group — 05/02/2025

With experienced workers retiring and rapid advances in digital technology, manufacturers face an urgent need to retain knowledge and develop future-ready talent.

The average age of a UK manufacturing worker is 52, and with upwards of 20% of the workforce expected to retire in the next three years, the industry is set to lose hundreds of thousands of skilled engineers, technicians, operators and machinists.

The danger is that tacit knowledge, often undocumented and embedded in years of experience, could be lost with their departure. As a result, companies find themselves rehiring retirees – often at inflated pay – to transfer knowledge that should have been captured before their departure.

Retaining this knowledge while attracting and upskilling new talent is the biggest challenge manufacturers face today, according to Parmjit Chima, Head of Engineering at Harper Adams University, Telford.

How to address this challenge was the focus of his presentation at Made in Group’s latest Monthly Meet-Up, where he shared practical steps for manufacturers to retain expertise while developing future talent.

Building a Talent Pipeline

Harper Adams University’s Digital Skills and Innovation Hub is a prime example of how manufacturers and educators can collaborate to develop work-ready talent.

The Digital Skills and Enterprise Hub is located at Station Quarter, Telford Town Centre

Opened by HRH The Princess Royal, this partnership between Harper Adams, Telford & Wrekin Council, Telford College, and European Innovation will train over 300 students annually in fields such as robotics, AI, mechatronics, and digital business management.

More than just a training centre, the hub allows manufacturers to co-develop and co-deliver learning programmes, ensuring graduates enter the workforce with skills aligned with real-world industry needs.

By engaging with such initiatives, manufacturers can shape learning programmes to match business requirements, access a steady stream of industry-ready recruits, and provide career transition pathways for existing employees.

Retaining Knowledge

Beyond recruitment, companies need strategies to capture and transfer expertise before it’s lost. This includes mentoring programmes pairing experienced workers with new hires, digital documentation and knowledge-sharing platforms to capture critical know-how, and investment in lifelong learning to ensure skills evolve with technology and industry advancements.

Parmjit also highlighted government-backed training initiatives like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), which offer funding and resources to help companies implement these strategies effectively.

The Hub was officially opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal (left), the Chancellor of Harper Adams University

Lessons From the Discussion Group

After Parmjit’s talk, he joined Members for a breakout discussion to further explore the topic. A recurring theme was the need for stronger, clearer pathways between academia and industry. While universities and colleges are eager to collaborate, many businesses struggle to find a clear entry point. Likewise, academics may not always know how best to engage with manufacturers.

The discussion highlighted the importance of fostering more structured, accessible pathways for collaboration. Members shared experiences of successful partnerships that emerged through personal networks but emphasised the need for more formal mechanisms. Some suggested that industry forums, dedicated university liaisons and sector-specific working groups could help bridge the gap.

Parmjit shared his experience at Harper Adams University, where the engineering faculty works closely with industry to develop relevant, high-employability programmes. This proactive engagement has led to graduates securing roles in high-value industries like nuclear energy and defence.

The Power of Applied Research and Leadership Buy-In

Another key takeaway was the value of applied research. While universities produce cutting-edge insights, businesses need practical solutions that align with real-world challenges. Participants noted that projects co-designed between academia and industry tend to yield the most tangible benefits.

Examples included collaborative R&D initiatives, student placement programmes and joint funding opportunities that allow companies to tap into academic expertise while providing students with hands-on experience.

The discussion also explored the role of leadership in successful digital adoption. One participant shared an example of a company that wanted to integrate new technologies, but before moving forward, the owner insisted that the senior leadership team first gain a basic understanding of AI, robotics, IoT and data science.

A seminar was held for senior management, ensuring that decision-makers understood the technology and its strategic value. In doing so, the company ensured a top-down approach to digital transformation, resulting in not only the adoption of new technology but also the creation of new products and a new revenue stream through data services.

In closing, the group agreed that deeper engagement between industry and academia is essential. By building stronger connections, businesses can access emerging research and talent, while universities benefit from real-world applications of their work. The challenge lies in creating frameworks that make these partnerships easier to initiate and sustain.

*Images courtesy of Pixabay and Harper Adams University

MIM attends Sleep pod build workshop at Superite Tools

Made In Group — 30/01/2020

Sleep Pod, an organisation that produces temporary shelters for rough sleepers, held a build workshop at Superite Tools on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th January. Volunteers and members of the MIM team had the opportunity to build the life-saving shelters that are distributed to homeless people imminently after the workshop.

Made in Team members, Jason Pitt, Alessandro Sorrentino, and Yasmin Banner took part in the build on Sunday 19th to be part of creating life-saving solutions to rough sleeping. Late last year, MIM donated £1,000 towards the cause, which helped purchase the materials for the build that day. The materials bought for the weekend cost £5,000 and were gathered through fundraising and donations.

The aim of the six-hour workshop, from 10 am until 4 pm, was to build sixty shelters in total which would be distributed to three local charities - a Birmingham support group, Outreach, and a Wolverhampton based charity. The organisations collected the shelters the same day and were then given away to rough sleepers that evening.

Superite Tools, a Made in the Midlands member, held the workshop at their premises in Walsall. Jessica Collins, Marketing Support at Superite and daughter of Managing Director Martin Collins, organised the build along with a family friend. Jessica said they decided to hold the workshop at Superite Tools because they had space and it was for a good cause.

CEO of the Made in Group Jason Pitt, was introduced to Sleep Pod through Superite Tools and wanted the team to take part as the concept fits in well with MIM’s Made Equal campaign, he said:

“By being part of the Sleep Pod build we have gained more than just donating to charity, we have bought the raw materials and have seen the end result. Each of the pods cost £25 to build and now there are more than 40 on the streets from that one build day.

The Made in Group takes part in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) days, where the team will earn an extra annual leave day from work by taking part in charity work.

Superite Tools will be holding another Sleep Pod Workshop on 1st and 2nd February, you can find out more by clicking on the link below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B71pSTyFsGN/

Made in Yorkshire Patrons Host Event on the "Impact of Brexit on the Supply Chain"

Made In Group — 20/01/2021

As a slight spin on their landmark "Virtual Breakfast Mornings", Made in Yorkshire today hosted an event in partnership with group patrons Tudor International Freight, regarding the "Impact of Brexit on the Supply Chain".

Over 30 industry leaders were in attendance to listen to an important and insightful presentation, led by Tudor International Freight's Adam Johnson, alongside Clarion Solicitors' Matthew Hattersley (Partner and Head of Commercial) and Bryan Richards (Senior Buyer) from Teconnex.

Established for over 25 years, Tudor is an independent, international Authorised Economic Operator delivering a personal and tailor-made service. Tudor's Director, Adam Johnson, discussed a variety of changes during his presentation in regards to importing and exporting materials across borders, logistic challenges and how to get over these.

Adam opened the presentation by assessing the commen question of "Will my company be affected by brexit?" For example, there is a common misconception that, because a deal was made between UK and EU, that this always means that "business will continue as normal"

Ultimately, Adam was keen to emphasise that, if your company is involved in the trading or movement of goods between the UK and EU countries, then your company will be affected by Brexit. Adam went on to analyse frequently asked questions, such as "What do we need to do to prepare for Brexit?", "Will Brexit increase the cost in our supply chain?" and "Will Brexit result in delays in our supply chain?".

Following this, Adam provided an in-depth and insightful "Step-by-step import guide" for businesses. This guide was 9 steps long, beginning with registering for an EORI number and ending with paying duty on the goods. Adam then went on to provide insight on the likes of Transit Procedures and Inward Processing Relief (IPR).

Teconnex UK's Senior Buyer Bryan Richard then provided insight on Teconnex's Brexit implementation. Teconnex UK are a long-standing member of Made in Yorkshire, alongside recently joining Made in the Midlands as well.

Bryan shared how Teconnex had initially put together a "Brexit team", consisting of managers from key departments. This team then had a kick-off meeting and an action plan was created with key actions. Following this, regular meetings were set up fortnightly to go over these key actions.

A particularly interesting element to Bryan's presentation was the reflection he provided in the form of "Project Feedback"; namely the main issues encountered and the things that went well during Teconnex's Brexit implementation.

Leeds-based law firm and Made in Yorkshire Patron Clarion then shared some insight on "Brexit & Logistics", with Partner & Head of Commercial Matthew Hattersley beginning his presentation.

Matthew began his presentation by emphasising the "Changes to costs" that are taking affect, with their being many inadvertent consequences of Brexit which affect UK companies.

Following this, Matthew covered the nuances surrounding "Force majuere" for companies during this time. Matthew highlighted that, this isn't necessarily something that logistic providers can always rely on, however, there there may be circumstances where it is appropriate for companies to get force majuere relief.

After Matthew's presentation, there were many questions from Made in Yorkshire members for all of the presenters to answer. After the questions were answered, attendees were sent off into smaller "Breakout Rooms" to network, socialise and discuss common challenges and solutions regarding current UK industry trends. Attendees are typically sent into 15-minute breakout groups consisting of 4-5 members each.

Any members who were unable to attend this event can still get expert insight on all things Brexit & Transporting Goods, by watching this event on-demand at Made in Yorkshire's virtual events section here.

How Made in Group Are Helping Members Maintain Digital Operations

Made In Group — 17/04/2020

Whilst it may have come more abruptly than many would like, remote working and digital operations are not a reality that is likely to go away too soon, with many people even predicting that Covid-19 could cause a permanent shift towards remote working throughout the UK.

With offices being closed and remote working having become a daily reality for so many of us, it is easy to fall for the illusion that business has stopped altogether. Potential customers who are browsing your services online may have also presumed that you are not operating at all, without some sort of indication otherwise.

However, we here at Made in Group have still been receiving a lot of enquiries through our chatbot on the Made website, which is why we are rolling out a Live Chat functionality to all of our Made members - to assist them with a successful and seamless transition into digital working.

Ultimately, regardless of whether it is for the immediate future or they are using their enforced downtime to research for future investment, customers are still interested in what services and products you offer.

Therefore, Made in Group are currently rolling out a number of new features and campaigns to ensure that members are maintaining digital operations as seamlessly as possible - keep reading to discover more.

Supercharge Your Microsite Content, Free of Charge

To ensure that our members have all the right tools to thrive online, we are currently rolling out a campaign to "supercharge" all Made in Microsites. As part of this, our digital team are reviewing and enhancing the content of all of our members sites. For any free support with updating your microsite content or uploading news articles, please get in touch the Made in Group digital content team.

Online Webinars: Let's Keep the Industry Talking

Made have temporarily replaced Best Practice events with virtual meetings. This will include virtual Q&As, panel discussions and masterminds. The group hopes to put two or more of these types of events on a week, offering expert advice and discussions for Made members.

To access this new feature login to your made account and from your dashboard click 'virtual meetings' This will show you up and coming meetings you can join and also list past webinars with a link to the video stream.

Check out one of our latest webinars here: Lloyds Bank Q&A - COVID-19 SUPPORT (24th March 2020) - Watch Here.

Backing Britain Publication: Tell Your Story

The Express and Star publish the Made Mag; This has been one of their flagship titles often boasting more than 70 pages. Despite being one of the largest UK regional newspapers the Express and Star have suspended publishing except for their core daily newspaper. We do not have a new date for when this will restart. We expect this may not be soon.

The Made Group plans to produce a special edition, bounded publication titled “Backing Britain." This publication will carry stories from all of this year's exhibitors in the Midlands and Yorkshire, sharing what they do, their innovations, successes and sacrifices. The publication will form an integral part of our new virtual exhibition called "Backing Britain Live 2020."

We will print 5,000 copies; delegates will have a digital goody bag with the Backing Britain publication inside. We will also provide each exhibit with copies for their own use.

Members can send their stories to yasmin@madeingroup.com or alessandro@madeingroup.com. In addition to the printed version, we will also publish an electric edition, only fitting for the times!

New Features Within the Made Platform

Made have implemented various new features into the online platform - including an Online Meeting function to facilitate virtual meetings with yourself and other members using Zoom.

Another new feature that our team is working on is a live chat tool which will be accessible from the user interface within the next 60 days; we are using open-source software to enable gold and silver members to access a chat feature they can add to the microsite. This means they can chat with visitors to their page. This will also integrate with the new digital expo in August.

Find out more about this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjddPafA7Es&feature=youtu.be

Backing Britain 2020 Live: The Digital Business Festival

On 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition “with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical - for Silver and Gold members. Made in Group CEO Jason said:

“As many of you know, we are an innovative organisation when it comes to technology; we do more than many realise. As a business, we have developed a digital platform that allows members to create their own social media microsite, upload news, attend virtual webinars and soon to include virtual mastermind groups, Q & A Sessions and panel discussions.

The event will be hosted on www.backingbritain.com where the entire exhibition hall will have virtual access to booths, interactive seminars and networking areas all accessible on the website.

Download your Backing Britain 2020 Live logos now from the Resources section of your Made account to promote your activity in the event. All paid members can use the standard Backing Britain logo, whilst the Backing Britain 2020 Live logo is for those members who are exhibiting at our Virtual Expo Hall.

You can find out more about the Backing Britain Live event, due to take place over two weeks in August by heading to: www.backingbritain.com. For tickets to the event, go to https://bit.ly/3ayv9DH.

Our Dilemma: Trading a business risk for the Hybrid Model

Made In Group — 17/10/2021

By Jason Pitt, CEO Made in Group

A few people have asked me why we are going hybrid and not just repeating the old expo model. I decided to write a blog and share some of our experiences from the pandemic and explain why the traditional expo made us rethink our business model. I hope this gives some insight into our philosophy and aspirations going forward.

In March 2020, the pandemic affected the events industry in a way that no one could predict; Even during world war 1 and 2; with sirens blaring, the pubs were open, perhaps only turning down the oil lamps until the threat passed.

The 2020 pandemic is unparalleled because it is the only time in history that the government shutdown the economic engine.

The lockdown and meeting restrictions placed unprecedented pressure on the Made in Group; we hosted many face-to-face events, including our hugely popular annual exhibition and morning breakfast meetings at member premises. The pandemic affected our business and the business model.

Whilst we have a robust digital component, we are a membership organisation that wholeheartedly values the face-to-face element. In 2019 we celebrated our tenth anniversary and whilst a maturing model, we were by no means the done thing.

Early in the pandemic, we suffered downgrades and cancellations, with no way of recruiting new members because we were unsure what our unique business model would look like in the early months.

We now have a new business model that is pandemic proof and allows communities to stay connected.

During 2020 we invested heavily in our digital platform, as members who attend our events regularly will have noticed, the ability to know fellow members is better than ever.

I say this respectfully to other groups. No trade association in the UK is close to developing what we deliver online; whilst some dismiss digital innovation, we are still in a global market, if anything the pandemic brought forward digital innovation by at least ten years. It doesn't matter if we talk about industry 4, the Made platform or anything else; the digital technologies developed in the pandemic are here to stay, the ones who are slow to adopt may never catch up.

Many members who’ve been with us since the start joined for different reasons from the digital platform, so I thought I’d share some little-known facts about our digital presence: we deliver more than half a million unique visits to british manufacturers per year and are now hosting events virtually and face-to-face every month.

In 2020 we held our first virtual exhibition; whilst not perfect, it generated many visits and enquiries to member stands. We have received praise and criticism. Thankfully one thing no one has criticised us for is innovation and our work ethic. As a firm advocate for British industry, I felt waiting for the pandemic to be over before hosting an exhibition was both lazy and not helpful to companies in a time of need. When we developed the Backing Britain book and virtual expo, the purpose was to show the world how good we are, restore civic pride, and champion the sector. We were willing to take a risk and invest when others shyed away. We are omnipresent for British industry, particularly those privately owned SMEs who add so much value to our society and economy. We demonstrated our beliefs and desire to support British industry in a way that only ‘true stress’ can unveil. We further expanded on this with a unique campaign to advertise UK manufacturing to young people. We organised and delivered a virtual expo that saw nearly 2000 young people attend with more than 300 employability certificates given out. We also contacted members to request they send us photos of some of their rising stars to create a poster montage with the faces of the future of Britain industry.

We are still in the pandemic, but it's clear we will return to some of the old normal, perhaps with some scarring in places. We as a nation have the highest debt since the sixties, our high streets have been decimated and our housing strategy is in tatters. Whilst some are enjoying a boom fueled by stimulus packages and reshoring, this is unlikely to continue at the same pace long term. From history, we should know that on the horizon are some tough choices, high inflation, and perhaps interest rate increases. We will be here for British industry regardless of the climate and we will adapt as we all must. For those that attend our events often, they understand the value, for those on the perimeter we are an insurance policy for your business and a way to back Britain.

As a trade association, I believe we have done the right things at the right time; we have now built up a track record of delivering not only in good times but also in bad times, we've been there for the community and British industry. During the pandemic we continued to support our charities, we commissioned and paid for the manufacture of PPE, and importantly recognised companies amid global uncertainty.

As an organisation, we tend to shine the spotlight on members rather than ourselves and rightly so, but we also did enough to earn some credit for Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire and the work that our organisation does.

As we rebuild, we will need the help of members. We have several initiatives to grow the membership; one will be the creation of a national membership and growth committee involving members. Members can reach out to me directly to express an interest in being part of this new committee. jason@madeingroup.com

I believe the events industry will change to become more inclusive; we can remove geographical barriers and find ways to keep connected virtually whilst continuing to meet in person.

We will all have seen the mileage expenses for reps decrease; we know intuitively it doesn't make sense for a representative to be on the road for a thousand miles per week; these are tired and dated ways of working. As we move forward, expect the future of customer engagement to be 70 per cent digital and only 30 per cent face to face. That doesn't mean we stop meeting; it just means that we value our time more. Other companies globally will now be making digital advancements; there is no way the UK can be left behind. We need to be digital innovators, not digital dinosaurs.

Our new model has already had measurable success, with more than 80 events organised in the last 12 months, we have had a record number of members doing business with each other, record attendance and a massive spike in the numbers of people coming to the platform and finding members from madeinthemidlands.com and madeinyorkshire.com.

Thank you for continuing to support the Made in Group, for manufacturers that want to know more about the work we do and how to join please email jason@madeingroup.com

Swiss Steel Host Virtual Breakfast Morning for Midlands Manufacturers

Made In Group — 18/02/2021

On Thursday 18th February 2021, Swiss Steel hosted a Virtual Breakfast Morning event with members of Made in the Midlands.

Made in the Midlands landmark Virtual Breakfast Mornings give industry leaders an opportunity to network, learn best practice and make business changing connections.

Based in Oldbury, Swiss Steel UK is proud to provide the commercial and logistic interface for their customers with all the mills of the Swiss Steel Group, and they have strong links with DEW, Ugitech, Finkl Steel and Swiss Steel amongst other companies.

Prior to the event beginning, all attendees who signed up at least 1 week before were sent a free Breakfast Box, filled with the likes of coffee, biscuits, sweets, lanyards, company information and more.

Following on from all attendees being given the opportunity to introduce themselves and their company to the rest of the group, Swiss Steel UK's CEO Wayne Bagnall delivered an insightful presentation.

At the beginning, Wayne briefly touched on the recent rebrand which resulted in the SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH Group becoming the Swiss Steel Group. Wayne then detailed some of the different areas of the business which exist within the global Swiss Steel Group; "Swiss Steel Group is one of the world's leading providers of customised solutions in the speciality steel long products".

Wayne emphasised that Swiss Steel are able to provide a fully integrated and transparent process from design to end use - which makes them somewhat unique as a company. Speaking on both the present and future, it was noted that "The Swiss Steel Group invest heavily in R&D and are continually working on new projects and bringing new products to market".

Giving attendees some idea of Swiss Steel Group's influence on worldwide operations, the presentation highlighed that the global company are the 2nd largest producer of engineering steel in Europe, alongside being the 3rd biggest producer of stainless steel worldwide.

Ultimately, Wayne was keen to foreground that Swiss Steel are proud to have an "international footprint" alongside a "local presence". The presentation ended with an engaging look at Swiss Steel's interactive website, before attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions.

Following on from the presentation, attendees were sent off into smaller "Breakout Rooms" to network, socialise and discuss common challenges and solutions regarding current UK industry trends. Attendees are typically sent into two 15-minute breakout groups consisting of 4-5 members each. The group then met up again to discuss any final thoughts and say goodbye until next time.

Find out more of Made in the Midlands upcoming Virtual Events HERE.

How to Get Top Rankings and Master Your Listing on the Made Platform

Made In Group — 25/07/2022

The Made in Group platform is a powerful tool that can get your business more exposure online and your content in front of the right people. To do this, there are a few simple things you can do to ensure you stand out. This includes increasing the visits to your microsite and mastering your position on the organisations directory listing.

Firstly, it’s important to explain what we mean by ‘top ranking and ‘mastering your listing’. By logging into the Made in Group platform, you will see on your dashboard the number of visits to your microsite in the top right hand corner. These are visits from members and non members of the Made in Group.

Increasing the number of visits to your microsite is a crucial step to getting your company noticed more online. The Made in Group websites Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire are number one on google for Midlands and Yorkshire manufacturing, making it a powerful place to be.

To increase your visits you must also ensure your directory listing is inline with your company’s current offerings and capabilities. The Made in Group Directory is one of the most visited pages on the website. You can improve your directory listing by ensuring your accreditations, location, sectors, buys and sells are all up to date.

Find out more by watching our 4 minute tutorial:

How to Get Your Business to the Top of the Rankings and Master Your Listing

The Important Stories for UK Industry Discussed in October's Editor's Pick

Made In Group — 06/10/2022

October's instalment of The Editor's Pick saw guest editor Dave Wheatley (Sales Director from Wickens Engineering) speak with 3 industry leaders from the Made in Group about their latest company news.

A relatively new member of Made in the Midlands, Wickens Engineering are a Worcester-based company who design, manufacture & install bespoke industrial racking storage systems.

As that week's Guest Editor, Dave was able to select any recent news stories from the Made in Group membership, and decided to speak with Paul Hodgetts from In-Comm Training, David Alexander from Lander Tubular Products and Robin Hartley-Willows from FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics to discuss the latest in manufacturing... Watch the full episode back here or watch the individual clips below!

The Story Behind 200 Apprenticeships Being Made Available

How Machine Monitoring Can Help Manufacturers Facing Huge Energy Prices

How Lander Were Given an Apprentice Employer Award

Roundtable Reveals Insight into Family Run Manufacturing SMEs

Made In Group — 14/07/2022

Made in Group facilitated a roundtable discussion on family run businesses recently. 12 members of Made in the Midlands gathered at Cosmo Bonsor in Wolverhampton with Charles Addison, Managing Director the Made in Group, to discuss dealing with succession and more.

Made in Group, including Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, is dedicated to championing British manufacturing and providing industry with a platform to elevate their presence. With over 400 manufacturing members across two regions, from tier 1 suppliers to smes, the group also offers business leaders the opportunity to discuss relevant topics with fellow manufacturing professionals.

In the latest roundtable discussion, held on Thursday 30th June in Wolverhampton, Members of Made in Midlands came together to discuss dealing with succession, resolving similarities and family differences in business. Many of the business leaders who took part in the discussion lead family run businesses and most of which had been acquired from their parents or grandparents.

Charles began with an opening statement to get conversation on the topic flowing, he said: “85% of the members within the Made in Group are smes, many of which are family run. In family run businesses, there seems to be a theme of company’s failing when it gets to the 3rd generation. Why is this?”

Members of the roundtable agreed on the fact that many family run businesses fail at this stage due to lack of drive and the need for the third generation to drive the business forward. One participant said: “the first generation set up the business and the third generation is usually brought up comfortably.”

This was followed up by comments that the younger generation have little desire to progress and dont have the same passion for the industry that maybe the older generation does have. Participants agreed upon the fact that ‘flying the flag for industry’ and being proud of what is manufactured in the UK should be more instilled at schools.

Surprisingly, a few of the business leaders mentioned that they don't have the intention to pass business operations to their children, rather it will be left in the hands of a trusted employee. One participant said: “That is a sensible approach, leaving the operations to someone you know is capable of ensuring an accelerated return on your effort.”

The final topic of conversation focused on resolving familiarity with family members when it comes to professionalism in the workplace. Two of the participants mentioned that they found the dynamic in their businesses challenging due to entering as directors. However both agreed that when you are family with your co workers, you are more determined to make it work. One of the participants said: “It was difficult having the confidence to ask questions and challenge the answers when I took over the business, rather than accepting ‘that's how we do it’. Part of being a leader is building a capable team.”

Inside the Innovation Engine: Made in Yorkshire Members Visit Rolls-Royce’s World-Class Facility in Rotherham

Made In Group — 11/07/2025

Last week, members of Made in Yorkshire were given an exclusive look behind the scenes of one of the UK’s most advanced manufacturing operations during a best practice visit to Rolls-Royce’s turbine blade casting facility in Rotherham.

The visit, part of Made in Group’s ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge and showcasing excellence across British industry, offered attendees unique insights into the scale, complexity, and innovation driving one of the world’s most recognisable engineering brands.

Rolls-Royce’s Rotherham site, known as the Advanced Blade Casting Facility (ABCF), plays a critical role in the company’s civil aerospace division. The factory specialises in the production of single crystal turbine blades – vital components that help power large commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350.

Welcoming the delegation, Gary Train, Vice President of Manufacturing, offered a strategic overview of the organisation’s transformation journey. “We’ve been on a significant turnaround over the past 18 months,” Train explained. “From streamlining our operations to increasing performance and profitability, Rolls-Royce is now on a trajectory to become a high-performing business with an operating margin close to 15%.”

But the visit wasn’t just about the numbers. Members were treated to a compelling look at what makes Rolls-Royce a global leader, not least the incredible craftsmanship, high-precision engineering, and dedication to quality that underpin its products.

A Foundry with Ambition

The ABCF is currently undergoing rapid expansion, aiming to double its output over the next few years. Ian Bickley, Head of Manufacturing, explained how the facility plans to increase annual turbine blade production from 105,000 to 210,000 by 2027, a staggering scale-up effort that involves onboarding new machines, introducing new part numbers, and integrating a growing workforce.

“We’re going from 130 to over 220 direct operators in just 18 months,” Bickley said. “And it’s not just about people, it’s about culture. Everyone on the team needs to be aligned with our values if we’re going to meet the challenges ahead.”

That focus on people was a running theme throughout the visit. Rolls-Royce has launched a rigorous induction and training process for its workforce, some of whom originally come from non-engineering backgrounds. Former teachers, butchers, and care workers are now helping build some of the most complex engine components in the world, bringing fresh perspectives and a new sense of purpose to the shop floor.

Precision at Its Peak

Guests were then whisked off on a guided tour of the facility, each group accompanied by a Rolls-Royce chaperone. The route featured four stops, with a specialist speaker at every station, perfectly placed to share their know-how and give Made in Yorkshire members an inside look at the world-leading processes behind the Advanced Blade Casting Facility. From injecting wax around intricate ceramic cores, to building complex casting moulds, and finally using vacuum furnaces to create single-crystal components, every step underlined Rolls-Royce’s absolute dedication to the highest standard of quality.

A big thank you to our 4 expert speakers for delivering so much value on the day:

Russell Bond, Manufacturing Engineering Manager
Jayden Francis, Operations Manager
Tom Harrison, Production Leader
Alistair Buchanan, Business Technical Specialist Machining

During the tour, Bond explained how each blade operates in extreme conditions, temperatures exceeding the melting point of the metal itself, thanks to advanced cooling technologies and barrier coatings. “Think of it like spinning an ice cube in a 200°C oven at 40,000 rpm for 10 years and expecting it to still be an ice cube,” he said.

From advanced X-ray inspections to structured light 3D scanning, the quality control process is as advanced as the manufacturing itself. Non-destructive testing, dimensional analysis, and digital process monitoring all form part of a robust system designed to deliver precision-engineered components that literally keep aircraft in the sky.

Learning Through Best Practice

The Made in Yorkshire group is no stranger to factory tours, but the Rolls-Royce visit stood out for its blend of cutting-edge technology and grounded, people-first culture. Attendees were impressed not just by the technical prowess on display, but by the way the team integrates digital tools with hands-on craftsmanship.

“It’s great to see such an iconic company pushing boundaries while staying open to learning from others,” one attendee remarked. “They’ve embraced continuous improvement, lean principles, and a culture of accountability, exactly the kind of best practice we want to share within our own networks.”

Rolls-Royce’s leaders were equally curious about the wider manufacturing landscape. As Jayden Francis noted, the team joined Made in Yorkshire to benchmark themselves not only against other aerospace firms, but across the wider manufacturing ecosystem. “There’s always more to learn, and great ideas don’t just come from high-tech industries. That’s why groups like Made in Yorkshire are so valuable,” he said.

Looking Ahead

The visit wrapped up with an opportunity for informal networking over refreshments, offering members a chance to reflect on the day’s insights, forge new connections, and discuss shared challenges.

The Rolls-Royce site tour is just one of many events organised by Made in Yorkshire to build collective knowledge and encourage cross-sector collaboration. Through in-person factory visits, digital roundtables, and online thought leadership, the group helps promote British manufacturing excellence and strengthen the UK supply chain.

Next up is the National Online Meet-Up, where members will hear from three expert speakers discussing future-facing themes across industry. RSVP now via your member dashboard to secure your place, share your news, and contribute your own thought leadership to the Made Platform.

The Difference Between Digitisation, Digitalisation & Digital Transformation

Made In Group — 15/08/2022

Here, FluidIT's Chris Allport delivers a presentation in which he highlights the difference between digitation, digitalisation & digital transformation.

This presentation was a part of a Made Masterclass which took place for members of Made in Group in August 2022.

Continuous Personal Development, Growth Plans and Decarbonisation Discussed at VBM

Made In Group — 24/06/2022

As part of a Virtual Breakfast Morning held on Wednesday 22nd June 2022 for members of Made in Group, three business leaders within the manufacturing and engineering industry shared their inspiring stories with attendees.

The speakers for this event were Steve Dale (Managing Director at Neos Technologies Limited), Ben John (Business Line Manager at Atlas Copco) and Caroline Guirand (Head of Strategy & Marketing Power Systems at Schneider Electric).

To listen to other stories of success, innovative best practice and more content, visit Made Talks.

How to Achieve Continuous Personal Development:

The United Growth Plan of 11 MDs:

The Imperative Journey to Sustainability and Decarbonisation:

5 Ways You Can Learn the Newest Industry Trends at BBLIVE2020

Made In Group — 06/07/2020

Staying in the loop on the newest industry trends and sharing best practice is vital for the UK manufacturing sector to continuously adapt and develop. Therefore, Made in Group have implemented a number of features within their upcoming virtual exhibition to ensure that those in attendance are given the best opportunity to learn the newest industry trends.

Backing Britain Live 2020 is a two week business festival run by the Made in Group. Launched in 2009, Made in Group is a private manufacturing network for the UK, which now contains 600 UK manufacturers ranging from the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, Liberty, Atlas Copco, Moog, Mazak, Siemens, Fanuc, etc.

This groundbreaking event will include keynote speeches from industry leaders such as CEO of Gardner Aerospace Dominic Cartwright and CCO of Brompton Bicycle Stephen Loftus, alongside networking areas and over 150 manufacturing exhibitors. Our aim is to promote, inspire and share best practice within UK manufacturing.

Keep reading to discover 5 ways you can learn the newest industry trends through attending Backing Britain Live 2020 (free tickets available here):

1. Network with 5,000+ Delegates and Over 150 Manufacturing Exhibitors

Backing Britain Live 2020 will give you the exclusive opportunity to connect with a tailored audience of industry leaders and professionals from throughout the UK. Made in Group are innovating and pushing to do something unique, something the manufacturing industry needs and deserves during this time, and are ultimately aiming for 5,000 delegates to be in attendence at the Live Digital Business Festival.

You will be able to network in a number of ways, including the Virtual Exhibition Hall where there will be the opportunity to network and share best practice. Communication will be encouraged through Zoom meetings and a Live Chat messaging function. The process will be very user friendly and easy to navigate around, making it accessible for all manufacturers regardless of their technological proficiency.

2. Keynote Speakers

Alongside the chance to network with 150 manufacturing exhibitors, and 5000+ delegates, this groundbreaking event will include keynote speeches from industry leaders, giving you the exclusive opportunity to learn the newest trends. Confirmed keynote speakers so far include the likes of:

CEO of Gardner Aerospace Dominic Cartwright
CIO of Williams F1 Graeme Hackland
Managing Director of AirBus Richard Franklin
CCO at Brompton Bikes Stephen Loftus
CCO of Breas Medical
Former CEO and President of Aston Martin Andy Palmer
And more to be confirmed!

3. Virtual Roundtables

Virtual Roundtables offer exhibitors an exclusive opportunity to network, share best practice and learn the latest industry changes from one another.

For these Virtual Roundtables, participants are drawn from our exhibitors, who are platinum, gold and silver tiered members. Our unique virtual roundtables format sits alongside our virtual exhibition, which allows delegates to visit member companies and learn more about the Midlands and Yorkshire supply chains. Some of the topics and themes for our Virtual Roundtables, which can be viewed on the Made site, include: Business Growth, Manufacturing Finance, Supply Chain Localisation, Smart Factories, People & Skills, Green Manufacturing and more.

4. Webinars & Digital Networking Experience

This event as a whole will offer you a fantastic opportunity to experiment with a new way of working and get hands-on experience with digital networking. This way of working will no doubt be a vital skill and one of the most influential industry trends in recent years.

To support in this, Made in Group will also be holding a series of exhibitor masterclasses, to help maximise the virtual exhibition experience. Learn how to use LiveChat, promote your stand during the duration of the show, live blog using all of our hashtags and follow up leads properly to get the most out of the Made platform and virtual exhibition experience.

5. The Backing Britain Book

This 100+ page book is being created by Made in Group to shed light on the "Manufacturing Heroes" who have stood up during this unprecedented time and the latest industry trends which they have implemented as part of their success.

In a bid to showcase the inspirational stories from Made members, this book will include a series of articles based on how manufacturers have demonstrated strength in a time of crisis. It is available to be posted to your door as part of your Backing Britain Live 2020 ticket.

Talking about what the book will stand for and entail, Made in Group CEO, Jason Pitt, said:

“There can be no doubt that 2020 will be a significant time in history. One hundred years from now, people will talk about this year. People will not only talk about the virus, but they will talk about the people, communities and businesses. We want to share some of those stories from business, create a catalogue of ‘manufacturing heroes’, including stories of innovation, community support and resilience.”

EMBRACE CHANGE & BOOK YOUR FREE TICKETS TODAY

A Masterclass on Putting Money Back into Members Pockets, with Catax and CEC

Made In Group — 21/09/2021

On Tuesday 12th October at 11:15am, two Made in Group Patrons - Catax Group and Control Energy Costs are combining to provide a Masterclass event for members on saving energy in business, mitigating price rises and funding growth through R&D tax relief and grants.

With over 12 years' experience, the Catax team has helped claim over a quarter of a billion pounds in tax relief benefits for their clients, and are proudly the research & development Patron for Made in Group. Fellow Patrons Control Energy Costs are expert energy and water consultants, providing tailor made utility management, procurement and support services.

Kully Nijjar, Associate Director at Catax Group, will be offering his expertise as part of this Masterclass event, alongside Liam Conway, Head Of Business Development at Control Energy Costs.

This event will be held via Zoom and will last approximately 45 minutes. The common theme for this masterclass event will be all around “putting money back into members’ pockets”.

Kully and Liam will both give two seperate 10 minute presentations, and then after this we will have 10 minutes of Q&A followed by 10 minutes of networking (breakout rooms led by CEC & Catax)

Liam will be detailing how Control Energy Costs can help to put money back into members’ pockets through the likes of energy savings, refunds and rebates. Whereas Kully will lay out how working with Catax can fund growth and innovation through R&D tax relief and grants,

Members can expect to hear the following from Kully’s portion of the presentation:

Qualification for Research and Development tax relief
Maximising your claim
Reduce your chance of HMRC enquiries
Assessment of the best grant funding for you
Accurate bid writing and project managing your application

Whereas Liam is expected to be detailing the following in his part of the presentation:

What’s going on in the energy market? How bad are the price rises?
What can you do to mitigate the price rises?
Made In Energy Club – How does it work? What’s the benefit?
Tax relief for manufacturers – How to establish if you qualify and get the appropriate relief.

Register your place now for this unmissable Masterclass event for members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, on Tuesday 12th October at 11:15am.

MIM LINK TO REGISTER

MIY LINK TO REGISTER

Future of energy, people and direct to consumer manufacturing

Made In Group — 24/03/2022

At Backing Britain Virtual Breakfast Mornings, we invite leading industry figures from our membership to share ideas and best practices. The Made in Group organises these bi-weekly virtual events to spark conversations and keep the community connected. Members can listen to inspirational speakers and join themed breakout rooms in which they discuss best practices and the latest innovations within manufacturing.

Jason Pitt said, "Our virtual breakfast format has proven popular; it fits perfectly into the Net Zero agenda and helps members engage productively whilst reducing our carbon footprint."

Today;'s talks and discussion groups focussed on energy, people and success in direct to consumer manufacturing

This week's speakers were Dave Chappell, Sales Director from Crompton Controls; Michael Whitfield, Commercial Manager from Alpha Manufacturing and Neris Salehi, Managing Director from Pro Enviro.

100 years of history

Dave Chappell introduced Crompton Controls to members and explained how they continued to expand and develop during the Covid era.

Crompton is a privately owned business in West Yorkshire and part of Compton Holding with a heritage of 100 years.

Dave said, "Through Covid, we manufactured essential products every day; we supported customers to enable them to stay open. In April 2021, we continued to invest and acquired Constant Systems, which makes Human cell splitting machines for laboratories."

Flatter structure

Dave explained how the business structure changed during COVID from a manager-led system to a decentralised system. More people are involved in decisions, and customer touchpoints are now between more people.

Dave continued, "After the challenges of Covid, we enjoyed a certain level of loyalty and are an employer with a good reputation. We look after people, but that loyalty will be tested as people shortages increase the scarcity of people employed. As people's pressures continue, some will resort to poaching staff from other companies"

The business also changed its approach to digitalisation. Dave added, "Before Covid, we submitted data via reporting to a manager. This has now changed to being able to access live data; everyone shares the same data, and everyone knows what we are working on and working towards."

Manufacturing direct to consumer

Alpha Manufacturing shared an exciting story about their diversification into the business to the consumer market.

Michael Whitfield, Commercial Manager from Alpha Manufacturing, said, "Our business has grown significantly in recent years. Alongside our in-house metal fabrications and powder coating capacities, we invested in a brand new chemicals technology factory 35,000sq ft manufacturer for electrochemical solutions.

As many have found, recruiting a new team is one of our biggest challenges, although we are fortunate to have hired some great people.

An exciting announcement I am pleased to share with members includes launching the manufacturer HEX Living (hexliving.co.uk), a new manufacturer to consumer business. We saw an opportunity for garden storage products and are selling them online and via selected retailers; products include mental sheds and planter solutions.

Diversification into business to the consumer will add a new dimension to our capabilities.

Engineering a greener world

Nersi Pro Envio was our final speaker of the morning. He discussed 'Engineering a greener world' and shared a case study of how his company has helped reduce fellow member TWP energy consumption by 21%.

Nersi said, "We have been members of Made in the Midlands for more than three years and worked with TWP several years ago. We reconnected via one of the Backing Britain Virtual Breakfast Mornings and have successfully developed a plan for decarbonising and integrating that into their business growth planning.

"There is an urgency for manufacturers to reduce their energy consumption, let me share with you some facts; in the last six years, gas prices have risen 300% and electricity by 250%.

"When we began working with TWP, we started by mapping energy consumption by each station - when this information was available, it was easy to see where the opportunities were and how we could develop a low carbon strategy.

"TWP has already reduced consumption by 21%, which equates to reducing carbon emission by 30 tonnes.

We can also discover the company had overpaid climate change tax."

TWP have used a software tool developed by Pro Enviro that gives considerable visibility of their energy use, from benchmarking operation, macro consumption, micro consumption of each injection moulding machine.

Their Carbon footprint measured monthly gives TWP considerable visibility of their energy use and guides them to where they are versus their target, making future growth ethical.

Are you ready to build invaluable relationships with like-minded business leaders within the Midlands and Yorkshire manufacturing community?

Join the Made in Group by registering as a member via www.madeinthemidlands.com

Why Made Futures Could be the Answer to Your Recruitment Problems

Made In Group — 15/07/2022

In a survey taken by the Made in Group, 71% of its manufacturing members plannd on recruiting over the course of 2021. With recruitment agency fees being between 15 and 20% of the first year salary for a permanent job, Made Futures could be helping you save money when it comes to recruiting, allowing you to spend this on more important things within the business.

The Made in Group mission is to change how people think about working in manufacturing, promoting the array of job roles available to people in this sector - from Office Administration, Marketing and Finance to Business Development, Design and Engineering. Manufacturing has suffered from an ongoing skills shortage that must be filled for the success of this integral sector in the future.

However, as well as supporting job seekers looking to progress their role in the manufacturing sector, we wanted to ensure that our members had a place where they could advertise their vacancies for free to thousands of people.

With restrictions brought on by the pandemic affecting business operations over the course of the last couple of years, this has become a useful tool for our members to connect directly with applicants and speed up the process of recruiting. So far there have been over hundreads of job applications promoted on the Made Futures platform, with many manufacturers finding successful candidates because it. For example, Leading pressings manufacturer Threeway Pressings (TWP) filled two job vacancies both for Press Setting Operators and continues to advetise job vacancies on the platform.

In an article by JJS Manufacturing on the Annual Manufacturing Report 2020, they said: “British manufacturers are facing the largest shortage of skilled workers since 1989, with many citing this as their biggest challenge.” Industry 4.0 is well and truly underway, and for manufacturers they will need to find people with the relevant skills to utilise these new technologies.

The Made in Group is dedicated to helping businesses find the right people with the right skills. Which is why we work with organisations such as Birmingham City University, South & City College Birmingham, De Montfort University and more to connect businesses with skills graduates and apprentices. With thousands of people signed up to the Made Futures platform with a variation of skills, your next employee could be discovered with a click of a button.

Uploading jobs to the Made Futures platform is easy, click HERE to find out how to publish and promote your vacancies now.

3 Inspiring Stories of Manufacturers Going Green

Made In Group — 02/09/2022

Back in 2021, Made in Group launched The Editor's Pick, which has shined a light on the stories of over 40 companies so far.

This live instalment sees one industry leader take the role of Guest Editor each week, selecting three recent news stories from Made in Group to interview, during a live, open forum discussion. Episodes are streamed live and uploaded to Made in Group's YouTube channel, Made LIVE.

This series has seen a wide variety of topics discussed surrounding the UK manufacturing and engineering industry, including apprenticeships, company investments, employee success stories, rebrands, and many more compelling company stories. Here, we are looking back on 3 times The Editor's Pick told stories which orientated around manufacturers going greener in their operations.

GOING GREENER INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS

Back in one of the first ever instalment's of The Editor's Pick, GSM Graphic Arts and their CEO Paul Wright spoke about how companies could use this content to inspire greener operations within their own businesses. This conversation stemmed from GSM Graphic Arts article from that year titled “Going Greener Installing Solar Panels”.

WATCH EPISODE

GREEN AGENDAS FOR MANUFACTURERS

In March 2022, Balmoral Tanks' MD Allan Joyce shed light on the company's "green agenda", exampling their carbon reducing facilities. Since 2018, Balmoral Tanks have invested more than £20m in their 150,000sqft (14,000sqm), state-of-the-art design and manufacturing facilities in Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire. Allan emphasised that, whilst their can be a financial incentive for businesses to concentrate their efforts on more "green" practices, it is the moral duty that stands out for him.

WATCH EPISODE

THE IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATION IN GOING GREENER

In February this year, Malthouse Engineering MD Roy Taylor spoke about their Go Greener news story. As Roy explained, Malthouse Engineering is taking climate change talk seriously by implementing an array of greener initiatives across the business. Roy emphasised that Malthouse Engineering had been encouraged massively by Rover. One of the company's biggest green initiatives so far has been harvesting rainwater for use in their facility, mainly used in the grinding department of their plant to service steel. This was achieved by the company investing in large containers to collect the rainwater. To ensure the water was safe for employees, they also invested in ultraviolet light to help kill bacteria in the water.

WATCH EPISODE

#MFGCoronaAdvice: MADE IN GROUP UPDATE

Made In Group — 19/03/2020

Since the Made in Group was set up more than ten years ago, our key focus is on developing the interests of the manufacturing sector and helping to digitalise industry marketing via our digital platform and microsite as well as through in-person networking.

We began the company during the 2009 recession as an editorial campaign. As you will see from our recent questionnaire, we are also busy formulating a response to the government which we will be submitting the All-Party Group for Manufacturing this week. If you have not already submitted your answers to this, please complete using our private survey.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Our office is fully working from home for the remainder of March but contactable on all of our channels.

We have asked all of our colleagues to work around the clock and outside of normal hours to support the group and we're really proud to have assembled such a diligent and hard working team to support UK manufacturing. If there are any ways we can support you other than what has been said in this letter, please reach out to us, if we can’t help directly, then we may know someone who can.

VIRTUAL COUNCIL MEETING

The Made in Yorkshire council and Made in the Midlands advisory board members will be receiving invitations this week to participate in a video conference, this is aimed at sharing knowledge and ideas, in turn, to disseminate to the broader community.

The ideas that are drawn from these meetings are powerful and we can facilitate the meeting using our software meaning that participants can attend the meeting even from home.

OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM

Yasmin in our editorial team has a specific project to reach out to manufacturing companies and other trade associations in countries such as Taiwan who we believe are handling the crisis better than others. So far, we have made contact with ten companies and are awaiting interview dates. We will disseminate the information from these interviews to members.

Alessandro is a digital marketing specialist with expertise in data research, we have tasked him with developing our industry questionnaire in response to COVID-19 and lobbying the All Party Manufacturing Group and all of the MPs in that group to support British industry more strongly.

OTHER COMMUNICATIONS

As you will see from the online platform there is plenty of news and advice on Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire regarding COVID-19 and its impact on business. We are also publishing more frequently on our social channels. The idea being to give you the most amount of relevant knowledge and best practices of how other firms are handling the issue to give you the best chance of making good decisions.

MADE IN YORKSHIRE EVENTS

We are postponing our breakfast mornings until the exhibition on the 21st of May. We are confident that any lockdown measures will be temporary and with sufficient extra steps, we will go ahead.

DIGITAL EVENTS & CONTACTLESS NETWORKING

We are burning the midnight oil developing video conferencing into the backend of the Made platform. Usually, a project that would take months we believe we are only a matter of days from being able to relate this.

We are exploring the possibility of creating virtual events online and also significant enhancements to the microsite to make this more effective as a remote working tool. We have held a number of meetings this week with members and potential new members and the benefits of spending some time with motivated company leaders in this format has been noticed by both parties. In an environment where so much is being responsibly shut down or cancelled, we are proud to state that we will be able to deliver quality industry networking events from your kitchen table.

YOUR MICROSITE

We have had not surprisingly an increase in visitors to the Made platform, it is important that in your user admin area you update all of the content, ensure you have what you buy and sell completed and all other information up to date. Feel free to reach out to other members at this time for collaborative opportunities and help. If you feel we can directly connect or facilitate a meeting then please let us know.

The Made team are on hand to deal with any of your questions; please contact us via online chat, email or phone. Thank you for your continued loyalty to Made in Yorkshire, without which we couldn’t support our members and maintain a strong presence during these difficult times.

FUTURE

While we go through this massive challenge, we need to maintain calm heads and also spend a few moments looking at where we will be six months from now. The companies that emerge from this will do so by being agile, not panicking but being prepared. No matter how bad it appears or gets this current situation will not last forever.

Yours sincerely

Jason Pit

Manufacturers 'Back Britain' in Virtual Exhibition

Made In Group — 26/08/2020

Highlighting the support of British industry Trade Association The Made in Group, have launched a two-week exhibition dedicated to manufacturers. Businesses within the industry in the Midlands and Yorkshire are proving their importance within the economy as 200+ exhibitors take part to move business forward post-pandemic.

Keynote speeches at the exhibition have seen the likes of Dr Andy Palmer former CEO of Aston Martin, Graeme Hackland CIO of Williams F1 and others. Roundtables on critical topics have also been a major part of the event.

With the devastating news that the UK has gone into recession, and being the worst to date, it is no surprise that the manufacturing sector has also taken a hit.

However, in a recent survey, predictions show that Yorkshire is set to see 9.9 per cent growth in 2021, with the West Midlands likely to rise by 11.3 per cent due to the numerous manufacturing firms in the regions. To date, manufacturing has declined by 14.2% since February 2020 but has been growing by 11.0% since May.

Part of manufacturing ‘on the up’, is due to exhibitions like Backing Britain as businesses rely on this type of promotion to attract and engage customers in their products and services. Manufacturers and businesses alike are showing their positivity and ‘can-do attitude’ by being part of such an innovative way to promote their services, whilst also highlighting their support for British industry.

This mammoth event highlights businesses moving forward after the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every day over the fortnight-long exhibition, manufacturers and businesses alike, under the Made in Group membership, are talking live to visitors via the chat option on their virtual stands hosted on backingbritain.com. The free exhibition has allowed businesses to gain desired leads by networking, sharing best practice and promoting business.

Every weekday of the event members of the Made in Group have attended, or are due to attend, round tables on topics such as Business Growth, Smart Factories, Supply Chain Localisation and more. This is also in a bid to help businesses whilst sharing advice amongst industry leaders, focusing on key issues within the sector.

The exhibiting and participating manufacturers in the Supply Chain Localisation roundtable proved their thoughts on “Backing Britain” by agreeing that a business community, Like the Made in Group, can be effective to reroute supply chains.

Head to backingbritain.com today to visit 200+ manufacturing and sector-specific exhibitor stands.

Digital Skills a Critical Focus Area say SME Manufacturers

Made In Group — 29/09/2023

Digital Skills are now a key priority for industry decision-makers but companies need more guidance and support in order to create a proficient, digitally-savvy workforce.

Made in Group’s inaugural Big People & Skills Report underscores a critical trend in modern manufacturing: digital skills have become essential to for success. The digitalisation of production processes, with a heavy emphasis on connectivity, automation and data analysis, has transformed the talent needs of industry.

An ability to manage digital workflows, including design, simulation, testing and production planning, has long been essential to manufacturing operations. But the digital skills needed now and increasingly so in the future span a much broader range of disciplines.

When asked to name the specific digital skills their business requires, the Directors surveyed ticked off almost all the major technology groups, from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) to data analytics, software engineering and web / app development.

As a result, more and more manufacturers are seeking individuals adept at harnessing advanced digital tools to drive productivity, flexibility, quality and innovation. Such capabilities are in high demand and increasingly short supply.

For now, time looks to be – somewhat – on industry’s side. While the use of technologies like AI and VR within manufacturing is far from widespread, decision-makers expect adoption to skyrocket over the coming years.

Compare, for example, the 6% of directors who say they have an immediate need for AI-related skills versus the 94% who expect to require such skills in the near future.

Manufacturers are now stepping up their investments in training, education and ongoing skill development in order to remain competitive. However, many still face barriers when it comes to digital skills, specifically.

Many of these barriers, such as keeping up with advancements and limited access to expert advice, are knowledge-based. This reveals a strong need for more guidance and support from training providers, government-funded adoption accelerators and technology developers alike.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE BIG PEOPLE & SKILLS REPORT 2023

Tracking industrial business growth

Made in Group’s series of Big Reports tracks industrial business growth and the strategies manufacturing organisations are executing in response to challenges and opportunities.

In addition, each survey spotlights a key trend impacting the manufacturing sector, including People & Skills, Sustainability, Smart Factories and International Trade.

Regional manufacturers buck the trend as economic downturn deepens

Manufacturing and engineering firms across the Midlands and Yorkshire demonstrated bullish business growth in recent months, a positive contrast to the portrayed national contraction.

Three in four companies, 76%, posted growth in the past 12 months, with a further 20% successfully maintaining order levels. Despite the numerous challenges facing the sector, just one in 25 companies, 4%, saw sales contract over the period.

Indeed, more than half of the companies polled, 53%, achieved double-digit growth during one of the most challenging periods seen since the emergence of Covid-19 in 2020. Further encouragement can be taken from the four in five manufacturers, 78%, forecasting similar growth for the year ahead, a third of which expects growth of 20% or more.

If inflationary pressures and input prices continue to ease, and global market opportunities start bearing fruit, manufacturers are poised to unleash one of their strongest performances in recent memory. Doing so fully, however, relies on addressing the industry’s long-standing skills shortage.

“The landscape of modern manufacturing is rapidly evolving, and digital skills have become the linchpin for success. In today’s interconnected and data-driven manufacturing environment, the ability to navigate digital workflows is no longer just advantageous, it’s imperative,” commented Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group.

“The rapid rise of technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality has transformed the talent needs of the sector. This transformation presents new challenges but we are excited about the potential for innovation and growth these technologies will bring.”

He continued; “Made in Group is committed to championing and promoting the manufacturing sector. The resilience demonstrated by businesses in the Midlands and Yorkshire is a testament to the tenacity of our community, and it further underscores the potential for growth when we address the skills shortage head-on.

“We're optimistic about the future of manufacturing and are dedicated to working together with our members and partners to navigate the path forward in this ever-evolving industry."

Made Members Visit BCU's STEAMhouse

Made In Group — 25/11/2022

Made in Group hosted a breakfast networking event with patron Birmingham City University (BCU) earlier this week. More than 40 members from the Midlands and Yorkshire visited the organisations STEAMhouse to network and be taken on a guided tour of the innovative facility.

Made in Group, including Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, is a membership organisation championing British engineering and manufacturing. Unlike other trade associations, Made in Group focuses on bringing business leaders together to share and learn best practices. The group’s major focus is bringing the sector up to speed with digital capabilities, including the introduction of bi-weekly virtual breakfast mornings, 3D scans of manufacturing capability and company microsites linked to highly ranked domains.

Face to face networking is crucial for business leaders to build industry relationships, learn and find opportunities in the sector. Made in Group’s most recent live event, hosted at STEAMhouse with BCU, saw members from both regions in attendance.

The morning began with refreshments and breakfast, whilst members spent time building important connections with each other. In attendance were business leaders from the likes of Mazak UK Ltd, ZF Lemforder, Hayley Group, Swiss Steel Group and more.

This was followed by a presentation from Clayton Shaw, Programme Manager at BCU’s STEAMhouse. A new centre for creative innovation in Birmingham, STEAMHouse is leading on cross sector interdisciplinary approaches. Such as connecting arts into STEM subject areas, and integrating academic research for innovation and future skills development.

After members took a tour of the extraordinary STEAMhouse, this included a look around the collaborative working areas where both businesses and students work together to tackle engineering, scientific or design challenges. In order to do so, the facility hosts a range of capabilities such as CNC machinery, welding and other production and prototyping areas for collaboration. The facility is broken up into 4 floors to create a hive for collaborative activity.

Finishing the morning of networking, 17 members of the 40+ members were invited to a roundtable discussion on People & Skills with BCU and Made in Group.

Find out more about BCU and STEAMhouse by heading to the microsite: https://birminghamcityuniversity.madeinthemidlands.com/

Made in the Midlands Goes Virtual

Made In Group — 11/05/2020

Industry is changing. Most broadly, digitalisation and the advent of automation and smart technologies has been evolving the sector into the fourth industrial revolution for the last few years.

Looking to the present; the imposed necessity of social distancing has meant that virtual networking is the way of the present and future for now. Are you going to embrace these changes?

Whilst some companies throughout the nation are likely to phase on-site working back within the coming months, remote working and social distancing more generally is not a reality that is likely to disappear entirely any time too soon, with many people even predicting that Covid-19 could cause a permanent shift towards remote working throughout the UK.

With networking going virtual for the time being, Made in the Midlands have digitalised the likes of virtual Q&As, panel discussions, masterminds and networking events. Keep reading to discover some of the major ways in which Made in Group have gone virtual to help aid their members into a seamless transition into digital and remote operations.

On 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical. Book your place today: https://bit.ly/3ayv9DH

Backing Britain 2020 Live: The Digital Business Festival

So far, we have planned 30 events. However, we want to ensure delegates receive an immersive experience. Therefore we will be giving each delegate a Backing Britain box filled with useful information, goodies and the Backing Britain book.

You can find out more about the Backing Britain Live event, due to take place over two weeks in August by heading to: www.backingbritain.com. Book your place today at https://bit.ly/3ayv9DH

Virtual Breakfast Mornings

Breakfast Mornings have been a huge part of the Made in Group membership experience for many years. We have taken these events digitally and they have been a huge success thus far.

Our virtual networking Breakfast Mornings are based around sharing best practice, showcasing members businesses via our annual exhibition and social interaction. Our events have migrated to virtual events with a new Virtual Exhibition in August, virtual breakfast mornings and virtual mastermind groups. Many of these events are hosted via Zoom.

Made in Yorkshire recently hosted our first-ever Virtual Breakfast Morning - and there will be many more of these in the future from both Yorkshire and The Midlands. Whilst the current situation may have undoubtedly brought with it some unprecedented challenges, the resilience and enthusiasm of the sector could be seen and heard clearly through the positivity of our members in attendance.

Virtual Meetings and Webinars: Let's Keep the Industry Talking

Made have temporarily replaced Best Practice events with virtual meetings. This will include virtual Q&As, panel discussions and masterminds. The group aims to put two or more of these types of events on a week, offering expert advice and discussions for Made members.

To access this new feature login to your made account and from your dashboard click 'Virtual Meetings' This will show you up and coming meetings you can join and also list past webinars with a link to the video stream.

Discover Made in Group's upcoming Virtual Events now: https://madeinthemidlands.com/virtual-events

Check out one of latest webinars here: Lloyds Bank Q&A - COVID-19 SUPPORT (24th March 2020) - Watch Here.

New Features Within the Made Platform

However, regardless of whether it is for the immediate future or they are using their enforced downtime to research for future investment, customers are still interested in what services and products you offer.

To aid members in maintaining their digital operations, Made have implemented various new features into the online platform - including an Online Meeting function to facilitate virtual meetings with yourself and other members using Zoom.

Find out more about this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjddPafA7Es&feature=youtu.be

On 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical. Book your place now: https://bit.ly/3ayv9DH

Coronavirus: Made in Group calls for urgent government clarification and scrapping of National Insurance for 6-months.

Made In Group — 20/03/2020

The Made in Group is today calling for urgent government clarification concerning the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme as confusion, and a lack of accessibility of funds impacts the manufacturing sector.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that “We must do whatever it takes to support the economy.” Adding, “This is a time to be bold, to have courage. We will support jobs, we will support incomes, we will support businesses... We will do whatever it takes,”

Despite this, members of the Made in Group have commented on a member-wide survey where they’ve said that they are feeling ‘uncertain’ and ‘confused’ around the accessibility of the Business Interruption Loan scheme.

Members have commented that they’re unable to apply for the loans due to uncertainty on a range of topics from eligibility, to qualifications. The group which represents over £150 Billion of GDP raised issues including:

What are the parameters of the Business Interruption Loan Scheme, including the specific terms and conditions of the loan?
How should/can companies apply for the loans if Directors or other key personnel are either working from home or self-isolated, thus not having access to the documentation needed to apply for the funds.
How quickly will the turnaround be from applying for a Business Interruption Loan to receiving the credit in the bank?
On the report of banks currently not accepting applications, when will companies be able to start applying for the Business Interruption Loan?

While the Made in Group is urgently lobbying the UK Government to provide further details about the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the group also:

Urgently wants an answer to the question why the manufacturing sector is still being excluded from the temporary abolishment of Business Rates, especially since retail was added to the band of covered businesses.
Provide an immediately cut National Insurance (NI) contribution rates to 0% for the next 6-months.

Speaking about this call to action, CEO and founder of the Made in Group, Jason Pitt, said, “Today, we’re urging the government to inject certainty into the economy so that businesses can start to plan and avoid panic.

While the Made in Group welcomes some of the support suggested, there are more immediate ways that the government can help incentivise companies not to make redundancies.

By making the employer National Insurance contribution rate 0% for the next 6-months, until September 2020, the government will protect itself from future falls in revenue while immediately helpings companies without the complexities of administering the funds.”

The group is currently running a member-wide survey, and other elements, the survey has also highlighted:

82.1% of members reported that they don’t believe that they’ve got enough support from the government to be prepared for the outbreak.
80% of members are calling for the year-long abolishment of Business Rates to be extended to the manufacturing sector.
83% of members called for the Government’s Business Interruption Loan scheme to be extended to the manufacturing sector.

The survey is currently open to all Made in Group members and will be running until 5:00 pm on Friday, the 20th of March 2020.

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT Change of Venue Backing Britain Networking Event 26/04

Made In Group — 19/04/2022

#MIM & #MIY members who anticipate attending the Backing Britain 3.0 networking event in conjunction with the exhibition on 26th April 2022, we have changed the venue to a facility in Walsall.

Due to the interest in attendance to the Backing Britain 3.0 networking event, part of the Backing Britain hybrid exhibition, taking place on 26th April from 4:30 pm, we have changed the venue to

1888 Lounge, Walsall FC, Banks's Stadium, Bescot Cres, Walsall WS1 4SA, UK.

We have had an overwhelming response from industry professionals and our members to attend this particular event, this venue will allow us to accomodate 120+ people.

To find out more please head to: https://madeinthemidlands.com/events/backing-britain-3-0-expo

Wrekin Sheetmetal's MiM Virtual Breakfast Morning

Made In Group — 28/05/2020

With the ability of face-to-face meetings now on hold due to the impact of Coronavirus, the Made in Group has relaunched its landmark Breakfast Mornings as virtual events allowing members to network and build lasting relationships in the name of challenging the erosion of British Industry.

Today saw Made in the Midlands member Wrekin Sheetmetal host their breakfast morning with 45 members from across the Midlands region.

Wrekin Sheetmetal is a premier Sheetmetal fabrication company located in 23,000 sq ft facilities in the heart of the Midlands, Telford. The company primarily works with mild steel, stainless steel, galvanised and zinc-coated steel and aluminium, employing highly experienced sheetmetal workers, fabricators and welders.

The virtual event began with an introduction from Simon Orpe, the Sales Director at the Wrekin Sheetmetal who gave an insight into how the company has handled the coronavirus situation. Shortly after, and as is traditional with these events, each member introduced themselves in a virtual pitch.

The Made in Group then placed attendees into two 15-minute breakout groups of 4 members each, allowing them to have more personalised conversations in smaller groups with discussions around working from home to the supply chain and the CBILS loan at the forefront of several discussions.

Made in the Midlands hosts events every week. You can take a look at our latest events by heading to our website here.

Q&A Follow-up: Need support for your mental health at work?

Made In Group — 09/04/2020

The other week, the Made in Group hosted an employee welfare Q&A Panel discussion, which you read about here. At the event, one of the panellists, Chrissie Gale from E3 Recruitment introduced the guests to a government-funded program named, Able Futures. Today, we have a look at the service and showcase how you can utilise it.

For those of you who may not know, Able Futures supports individuals, employers and apprenticeship providers across Great Britain, providing mental health advice and information to help people have more enjoyable futures at work.

If you live with mental health difficulties, you know there are good days and bad days. You also know the bad days can affect you at work. You probably find it hard to focus or perform at your best. But in the words of Able Futures: “The goal of Able Futures is to help you enjoy more good days”

They went on to say that, “With nine months support, signposting and information from a qualified mental health professional, you could learn more about your mental health, understand how you can access treatment for any mental health problems and connect with other people and support organisations who know what it's like to live with a mental health problem.

Able Futures delivers the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. The support service is fast, flexible and, best of all, there is no charge to use this service.”

The project covers a range of support, including:

Advice on supporting a worker with a mental health condition
Education and a toolkit for you, your colleagues and your leadership team
Materials for internal promotion of Able Futures, an easy-to-use service for your employees
Opportunities to attend our Disability Confident learning events

Speaking about the services available, “You know how important people are to your business. Their performance can impact productivity and profitability, and that when people are living with a mental health problem they can experience good days and bad days. On their bad days, they can lose focus and find tasks difficult to complete. They may even need time off, which can harm their performance and your productivity.”

The group went on to say that, “The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service is a Department for Work and Pensions funded programme and is delivered by Able Futures, a specialist partnership in Great Britain set up to help people with mental health difficulties have more good days. We give employers advice and support on how you can help staff in your business cope with mental health issues and improve mental wellbeing at work.”

Able Futures delivers the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service which is available to anyone who is employed, self-employed or an apprentice, including anyone who has been furloughed, and who needs advice and guidance about anything that is affecting their mental health in these challenging times.

If you’re wondering about the cost, then don’t as the service is free. Speaking about the price, the group said: “There is no charge to you or your employees to use the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service. This includes all the calls, meetings, expert advice, guidance and promotional materials.

It does not matter what type or size your business is, or how many employees use the service. All support provided under the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.”

You can apply online or by calling 0800 321 3137 to get advice and guidance from a mental health specialist, whatever is on your mind. If you're a company, you can apply for support for your workplace via this link.

Manufacturers Go Online to Mitigate Business Disruption

Made In Group — 19/05/2020

Business operations are in the midst of a huge transformation throughout the manufacturing industry.

In the long term, digitalisation and the advent of automation and smart technologies has been evolving the sector into the fourth industrial revolution for the last few years. Looking to the present; the imposed necessity of social distancing has meant that virtual networking is the way of the present and future for now at least.

Some companies throughout the nation are likely to phase on-site working back within the coming months, however, remote working and social distancing more generally is not a reality that is likely to disappear entirely any time too soon, with many people even predicting that Covid-19 could cause a permanent shift towards remote working throughout the UK.

In response to networking and many business operations going virtual for the time being, Made Group have digitalised the likes of virtual Q&As, panel discussions, masterminds and networking events. Keep reading to discover some of the major ways in which Made in Group have gone virtual to help aid their members into a seamless transition into digital and remote operations.

Beginning on 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical. Book your place today: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/backing-britain-live-2020-tickets-101480914146?aff=joe

The Live Digital Business Festival

Made in Group understand the importance of exhibitions within the manufacturing sector.

Beginning on 17th August 2020, Made will launch a virtual exhibition “with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical. Made in Group CEO Jason said:

“As many of you know, we are an innovative organisation when it comes to technology; we do more than many realise. As a business, we have developed a digital platform that allows members to create their own social media microsite, upload news, attend virtual webinars and soon to include virtual mastermind groups, Q & A Sessions and panel discussions.

With more than 30 planned events over 2 weeks, some of the key elements of the exhibition will include:

Virual Expo Hall: A tactile and immersive digital exhibition experience, to help us unite, retain continuity and forge new connections

Webinars: Thought leadership and guidance on all the hot topics as we move forward from the issues of Corona
Conferencing: Over 30 planned events to help the community stay connected and strong through this adverse time

Round Table Discussions: It’s more vital than ever we keep the conversation going, we’re planning round tables with key participants

Book your place at Backing Britain 2020 Live: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/backing-britain-live-2020-tickets-101480914146?aff=joe

How Else Have Made in Group Moved Operations Online?

With networking going virtual for the time being, Made in Group have moved many of our operations online to ensure that members are offered the same benefits as they were before. Besides Backing Britain 2020 Live, some of the most notable ways in which we have moved operations online include:

Virtual Breakfast Mornings and Networking: Breakfast Mornings have been a huge part of the Made in Group membership experience for many years, we have now taken these events digitally to ensure that manufacturing professionals have the same opportunities to network, share best practise and discuss industry challenges.
Virtual Meetings and Webinars: We want to keep the industry talking, therefore Made have temporarily replaced Best Practice events with virtual meetings. This will include virtual Q&As, panel discussions and masterminds. The group aims to put two or more of these types of events on a week, offering expert advice and discussions for our members.
New Features Within the Made Platform: Regardless of whether it is for the immediate future or they are using their enforced downtime to research for future investment, customers are still interested in what services and products you offer. To aid members in maintaining their digital operations, Made have implemented various new features into the online platform - including a Live Chat function which allows you to chat with visitors and potential clients on your page.

Beginning on 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical.

Book your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/backing-britain-live-2020-tickets-101480914146?aff=joe

Yorkshire Profiles Host Virtual Breakfast Morning

Made In Group — 10/06/2020

It was fantastic to see so many of our members involved at today’s Virtual Breakfast Morning, hosted by Yorkshire Profiles. The event began with a short 60 second introduction from everyone in the Zoom call, providing a bit of background about themselves and their company.

Following this, owner of Yorkshire Profiles Matthew Halliwell gave a 10 minute presentation on the company: “a teaser trailer of our story so far”. Founded in 2001, the laser cutting and sheet metal fabricators have gone under numerous expansions in their history.

2010 saw the company's first expansion, in which they entered the laser cutting market. They went under their second expansion in 2016, seeing a fibre laser installation with full automation, tripled folding capacity and the creation of a fabrication workshop. Only four years after their second capacity, Yorkshire Profiles had another expansion in 2020, with CO2 technology being replaced with much faster fibre technology which has the ability to cut thicker, faster and cleaner than conventional fibre laser.

Something which sets the York-based company apart from their competition is the heralded level of customer service they are able to provide, through blending the perfect mix of automated and human responses for their clients. The growth that Yorkshire Profiles have enjoyed has also been helped tremendously by the social engagement strategy they rolled out to help market themselves to pure potential customers; attending community awards, charity events and even sponsoring the local Christmas tree display one year.

The takeaway message which Matthew left the members in attendance with was a particularly positive and motivational one. Founded by Matt’s father back in 2001, Yorkshire Profiles ultimately owes what it has become today to a “disgruntled employee” who wanted to create something to provide for his family whilst also starting a firm which truly looked after their employees and facilitated a more supportive and positive environment than he had experienced himself.

Following this presentation, the attendees then broke off into multiple 3-4 people breakout rooms on Zoom for 15 minutes at a time, giving attendees the opportunity to network, share best practice and discuss a range of industry-related topics.

Thank you to Matthew and Yorkshire Profiles for hosting such a great event and to all of our members for bringing a level of enthusiasm and positivity to this virtual breakfast morning. It was fantastic to see you all and hear the unwavering passion you have for Backing Britain during this time.

Made in Yorkshire regularly host virtual events for our members and we would love to see you at our next one. Please check out our website to find out more upcoming events: https://madeinyorkshire.com/virtual-events

The Content Opportunities from Exhibiting at a Virtual Expo

Made In Group — 09/06/2020

Made in Group are at the forefront of a groundbreaking moment for the sector; we are hosting the UK industry's first virtual exhibition.

Expos and manufacturing have had a longstanding relationship which the current reality of social distancing has threatened to halt, however, Made in Group have responded to this problem by offering members a state-of-the-art socially distanced alternative: Backing Britain Live 2020.

Backing Britain Live 2020 will be an immersive experience between the physical and virtual and will be launched on August 17. There will be over 30 events during this 2 week Live Digital Business Festival, in which the group is aiming for over 5,000 delegates.

One of the biggest and potentially most overlooked benefits for exhibitors and attendees alike taking part in this virtual event is that the endless content opportunities it provides. Potential clients, customers and business associates alike will surely be interested in a business who is at the forefront of technological innovation and taking part in such a groundbreaking event. Alongside this, at a time when so much business has grinded to a halt, it gives firms who are still active in business operations and supporting UK industry an opportunity to foreground and celebrate this.

Some of the key ways in which businesses who are involved in Backing Britain Live 2020 can promote and celebrate their involvement via fresh content opportunities include:

Publish a Press Release Promoting Your Involvement

Publishing a press release is a vital way of promoting your involvement and ultimately maximising the amount of people you are likely to connect with at Made in Group's virtual exhibition. It also provides a fantastic opportunity for content to post on your company website and/or microsite.

A template press release is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HlY4BbzD_Zp_6PHJ67Vr9W_jDZDQoe98s-3lc7UP_yk/edit?usp=sharing

If you would like further support with creating a bespoke press release to promote your companies involvement, please get in touch with joe@madeingroup.com

Celebrate Supporting British Industry

Involvement in the virtual exhibition offers businesses a fantastic opportunity to foreground on their main company website, social media and other marketing material that they are proudly supporting british industry."Backing Britain" allows a broader range of companies to support a Made in Britain message; it shows that you are Backing Britain, and there are many ways you can do this.

Displaying the 'Backing Britain' marque is a great way to boost morale in your workforce, community, supply chain and customer base. It's also an easy way for you to increase your online presence and generate new content without increasing your overheads.

Let Business Associates Know You're Exhibiting via Email Signature

You can use the Backing Britain Live 2020 logo in a variety of other ways, including on your company website, in social media posts and in your email signature. This logo can be found in the "Resources" section of your account when you log into Made in the Midlands / Made in Yorkshire.

Promote Your Involvement on Social Media

If you are a part of the event, or want to simply shout about being a member, branded graphics will promote you and help you reach a wide audience, all of which are available from the resource section of the Made platform. Tag us in your posts on twitter - @madeinthemids and @madeinyorks and using the hashtags #mimfamily #miyfamily #BackingBritain #MFGBackingBritain and #BBLive2020 respectively so we can share with the wider community.

Beginning 17th August 2020, Made will launch a digital exhibition "with a big difference” called Backing Britain 2020 Live - an immersive experience between the digital and physical which will take place over two weeks:

Book Your Place

Backing Britain 3.0 In Numbers

Made In Group — 16/12/2021

With less than five months to go until Made in Group's groundbreaking "hybrid" exhibition, we've put the event into numbers to give our members a better idea of exactly what it will involve.

Ultimately, Backing Britain 3.0 aims to give members the tools to sell in a post-covid world with engaging 3D content, whilst helping them reduce their carbon footprint - as the world’s governments look to them to become net-zero by 2050.

Every exhibitor will be able to showcase a piece of their equipment, or a section of their premesis, using Matterport's 3D walkaround technology (and optionally VR headsets). More than 100 of members are participating in the project which involves having their premises scanned with matterport 3D cameras. The goal is to create the UK's most extensive collection of virtual factory tours.

11,000 Opt in Mail Contacts

The Made in Group has one of the most extensive mailing lists of manufacturing companies in the UK. Our mailing list includes more than 11k opt-in contacts; users of our platform, attendees to past events or have signed up to our newsletters.

£2m Target Turnover Demographic

The target demographic for this exhibition is director level, manufacturing companies with a turnover above £2m.

3,000 Attendees

Made in Group have set the target of engaging with 3,000 people through the digital aspect of Backing Britain 3.0. Taking the digital aspect to the next level from previous ventures, the exhibition will include two halls. The first of which will be called “Backing Britain” - promoting your business to thousands of manufacturing exhibitors and your fellow members. Then, continuing Made in Group’s mission to support UK careers and skills, there will also be a “Made Futures” hall.

300 Live Event Attendees

With three top-class venues across the country (Leeds, Derby and Wolverhampton) set to host Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire members, there is expected to be 300+ attendees in total at the Backing Britain 3.0 in-person fringe events, which will complement the online expo. There will be 3 celebrity speakers and 3 industry speakers in total, with one of each at every one of these in-person "fringe" events. So far, industry thought leaders and celebrity speakers Robert Llewellyn and Felicity Aston have been confirmed as keynote speakers - with the remaining 4 speakers yet to be confirmed (so watch this space!).

Backing Britain 3.0 is officially taking place from April 26th-28th 2020, however, access to members stands and their "digital twin" will be available 365 days a year following this, providing a fantastic sales and company promotion opportunity for members of Made in Group.

Gold & Silver members of Made in Group can register for the Backing Britain hybrid exhibition as an exhibitor, or others can register as an attendee, by visiting the following link: https://g2made.uk/bb3expo