ISMR September 2024 | Page 26

FACE TO FACE

METALFORMING MATTERS

Stephen Morley , President of the Confederation of British Metalforming ( CBM ) in the UK , highlights the issues that matter to its members and outlines global metalforming market trends and challenges .

Stephen Morley is President of the Confederation of British Metalforming ( CBM ) in the UK .
“ With the advent of a new Labour government in the UK , Stephen Morley is hopeful of more support for UK manufacturing .”

The Confederation of British Metalforming ( CBM ) represents the interests of more than 200 UK manufacturers of fasteners ; forgings ; pressings ; cold rolled and sheet metal products ; suppliers and OEMs . Its members create components , fabrications and structures for many global OEMs and their supply chains .

The CBM advocates for its members on a range of issues and regularly lobbies UK government and industry bodies on their behalf . It also recently held the past presidency of ICOSPA ( the International Council of Sheet
The National Metalforming Centre ( headquarters of the CBM ) in Birmingham , UK .
Metal Presswork Associations ), a platform for the international exchange of the sheet metal engineering industry . The CBM is still the Secretariat for ICOSPA .
ISMR sat down with CBM ’ s President , Stephen Morley , to uncover the issues that are at the heart of its activities for members and gauge his overall view of metalforming markets , trends and challenges .
ISMR : Please give a brief background to the CBM and the services that you offer to members ?
SM : The majority of our 200 metalforming members ( around 85 %) are UK SMEs . We also have a number of associate members ( a couple are from Europe ). We have a small , but highly effective , team ( expertly led by our CEO , Geraldine Bolton ) and work hard to constantly grow CBM membership . For example , we recently welcomed Jaguar Land Rover ( JLR ) as a member , along with several companies in its supply chain . A few weeks ago , we also brought Bridgenorth Aluminium into membership . It is one of the biggest employers in Shropshire .
Raising the profile of metalforming , as well as giving all manufacturers a collective voice at the highest level , allows us to win important concessions in the UK legislative process . Each year , we save a combined total of £ 4m for members by co-ordinating the Climate Change Levy tax discount scheme on their behalf ( one of the major benefits of CBM membership ). We promote the skills , products and services of members through our Metal Matters magazine , and our Buyers Guide also offers a wealth of important data about our members . Identifying potential business opportunities
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