FACE TO FACE
About Stephen Morley
Stephen Morley at the ICOSPA Congress 2022 at The National Metalforming Centre in Birmingham , UK .
Starting as a toolmaker and progressing through several senior management roles to become operations director and engineering director of UK manufacturer Sertec , Stephen Morley is President of the Confederation of British Metalforming ( CBM ). He is also a past Chairman of the UK Institute of Sheet Metal Engineering ( ISME ) and sits on the Board of Directors of CBM . He sits on the Make UK Affiliate Board and CBI Trade Association Councils . Stephen represents CBM members ’ interests to UK government and lobbies for manufacturing .
for members is crucial . Our partnership with the Advanced Forming Research Centre ( a CBM member ) helps companies , particularly SMEs , to turn innovative ideas into viable products or processes . Our Buyers Guide allows OEMs to easily identify the skills they require and establish relationships with members . We also regularly monitor the availability of national and regional funding and grants to make companies aware of potential opportunities to access finance .
We arrange year-round events ( as well as webinars ) so that speakers from the public and private sectors , academics and the business advisory community can share expertise and provide valuable insights to members . We also offer market sector-based events , where technical specialists advise on winning work in the sector ’ s supply chains and identify training and funding opportunities
ISMR : Are there any specific targets or goals ( strategic or technical ) that you are pursuing for the association ?
SM : The CBM is fast becoming a one-stop shop for members and it provides solutions ,
JLR recently joined CBM as a new member . whether on government assistance ; policy ; training ; energy relief ; apprenticeships ; HR ; innovation etc . We regularly lobby civil servants , government ministers and trade bodies . We also liaise with the UK Catapult network and universities ; we are currently participating in funded projects with Imperial College , Birmingham University and CBM members , for example .
I am really proud of how we supported our members during the COVID-19 pandemic . We kept in contact with members and regularly ran webinars ( two webinars with members and government civil servants per week ). We also learned the criteria for different UK government initiatives and company support ( e . g . furlough
The CBM ran the ICOSPA 2022 Congress . etc .) and continuously advised our members on the correct procedures to access support . Since then , we have tried to keep that momentum going . We do a lot of media work to keep our profile high . Of course , we have also had to deal with Brexit issues and the Brexit deal to try to protect our members in various sectors . We have also fought to protect our members from the effects of steel quotas , which are still in place , and on spiralling energy costs as a member of the Energy Task Force .
It is important that the SME voice is heard , especially if companies do not have the resources to deal with an issue in-house . We encourage our members to engage with us on the issues that they care about .
ISMR : What are your views on the current global business climate for sheetmetal , fastener , cold rolling and forging professionals in the UK and further afield ? What about the climate in 2025 ?
SM : Based on what we know today , there are still many challenges across the sectors i . e . supply chain and regulatory issues . These include global logistical issues , port capacities , the cost of containers that keeps fluctuating and shipping routes that keep moving ( Red Sea closures etc .). These global factors still impact the supply chain .
High energy costs are still prevalent but there is now less noise in the UK about them because many companies who were in restrictive energy contracts have worked their way out of them . However , some of our members are still in high energy contracts that are frightening and the cost of energy is still double what it was pre-COVID . One of the other frustrations is how the High Intensity Energy Fund in the UK is used to support organisations that may not be high-intensity . Some of our forging company members still cannot access this fund .
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