Benham Publishing Businesss Magazines February 2014 | Page 31

ManufacturingEngineering

Manufacturing out of a recession
As has been widely reported in the national media, and confirmed by
the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey
[QES] (which feeds in to the British Chambers of Commerce national
survey) there are some signs that the Governments intended rebalancing
of the economy towards manufacturing is beginning to produce results.
The Chamber has many member companies
which are also members of the Calderdale and
Kirklees Manufacturers Alliance (CKMA), and their
Chairman, Gary Smith who is a Director of local
glass company Novaglaze, also now reports that
in certain areas our manufacturers are
experiencing an upturn in order intake. This is
encouraging news, because over the last five years
companies across all sectors have found
conditions very difficult, as evidenced by reduced
sales, decimated profit margins, cash flow issues
and other financial constraints.

Manufacturers have benefitted from pockets of
support throughout the recession, and together
with other business support organisations such as
the Chamber, the CKMA has been able to advise
members on a wide number of issues, including
the availability of grants, other financial support
and business advice. The Chamber works very
closely with UKTI to encourage existing exporters,
as well as businesses new to exporting, to look
overseas for additional sales, and CKMA have
collaborated with the Manufacturing Advisory
Service (MAS) to run cost reduction and efficient
manufacturing projects in an effort to become
more competitive in home and export markets.
Support has also been forthcoming from
Calderdale and Kirklees Councils respectively,
both turning up trumps by offering grants, loans
and in some cases helping companies to secure

Gary Smith, Director of Novaglaze and Chairman of
the Calderdale and Kirklees Manufacturers Alliance
prices with delivery schedules fully tuned to
additional factory space. The University of
Huddersfield have also provided much help and
constructive support by conducting assignments
and projects free of charge in an effort to help
improve products and manufacturing processes to
provide the essential competitive edge which is
necessary to win new business.

increasingly-demanding customer’s requirements.
It is reassuring that through the CKMA our local
manufacturers are able to benefit from mutual
support, with many of the larger companies
offering factory visits so that other manufacturers
can witness different processes and discuss how

It is gratifying that through teamwork, support and
good management many manufacturers in our
Chamber area have survived the recession and
have also used the downturn wisely, by laying
down foundations for growth and prosperity so
that the manufacturing sector will be in a position
to take advantage of new opportunities as
economic conditions improve.
As we now manufacture out of recession there is a
new awareness and expectation within supplychains that suppliers must be ultra-responsive to
customer needs, with new and improved products
being made available at globally-competitive

problems are solved. Best practice groups are now
flourishing, and directing their attention to a much
wider range of common issues such as new
pensions legislation and health & safety in the
workplace, so that our manufacturers can
collaborate on achieving optimum solutions at
the very best value for money.
It is certainly becoming clear that small local
manufacturers can provide valuable services to
the larger companies, and this in turn results in
the expansion of local supply-chains which is
good for our local manufacturers as well as
being highly beneficial to the wider economic
prosperity of our region.

Winter 2013 CLOSEUP

31