EDITOR ’ S CHOICE LATEST NEWS FROM MAN GROUP
MAN GROUP
£ 2m boost as MAN Group looks to recover from Covid-19 disruption
A unique Midlands-based industrial collective is fighting back from Covid-19 disruption by winning more than £ 2m of new contracts .
The Manufacturing Assembly Network ( MAN ), which comprises nine subcontract manufacturers and a specialist engineering design agency , has been able to use its expertise in tube manipulation , precision stampings and contract manufacturing to secure new clients in agriculture , horticulture , healthcare and furniture production .
Member company PP Control & Automation is leading the charge with over £ 1m of business , with the majority of that work focused on specialist controls and automation for companies supplying into the NHS .
Birmingham-based Brandauer has enjoyed similar success , securing a £ 500,000 extension to an existing deal with a Middle Eastern disposable razor
Design and the ability to solve problems will always be a unique selling point .
manufacturer . This was won against world class competition , beating a design and distribution model to produce new tooling and then delivering stainless steel razor blade substrates in volumes .
“ Covid-19 has sent shockwaves throughout the global economy and many of our group have had to react quickly to adjust our operations to cope with sudden drops in volume , social distancing and the Government asking us to close ,” explained Tony Hague , CEO of PP Control & Automation ( PP C & A ).
“ It is certainly on a par with the world-wide crash of 2009 , if not a little bit tougher . However , like our sector has done on countless other occasions , we have pivoted and collectively attacked the challenges with tenacity and a desire to win different business using our core expertise .
“ Four of the members have brought in over £ 2m of new contracts and others in our group have worked tirelessly to bring volumes back up to between 60 and 70 % of pre-Covid activity .”
He continued : “ There is also a concerted attempt to explore reshoring opportunities , especially with Brexit looming large on the horizon . We believe there is a massive appetite for ‘ localised ’ supply and this could play into UK manufacturers hands if we ’ re prepared to collaborate and invest in the latest technology .”
14 PECM Issue 48