14 | DECEMBER 2022
News
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
MFT WINS PRESTIGIOUS NE BUSINESS AWARD
Wynyard-based company takes the overall Manufacturing Award at the grand final , in recognition of its recent expansion , capabilities and success
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Made For Trade has been announced as the winner of the overall Manufacturing Award at the 2022 North East Business Awards grand final ; reflecting the company ’ s growth , investment and impressive manufacturing capabilities that have been so well documented across the last 12 months .
The Manufacturing Award has a wide-ranging scope , with the main aim being to highlight those companies across the North East of England that have impressed the judging panel via their demonstration of manufacturing excellence , alongside attributes such as design and innovation , quality , efficiency and sales flair .
When deciding which of the top manufacturing organisations in the region to take home the coveted prize , judges looked not just at the company ’ s capacity and output in the direct sense , but also how it extends into the local region . Factors such as investment in equipment and of course people were carefully considered , as well as sales performance and how the business is looking to set its strategy for the future . That strategy includes not only manufacturing innovation , growth prospects and sales , but also key attributes such as sustainability , markets served and the continuous development of efficiency and productivity .
One factor that helped Made For Trade stand out from the award competition proved to be the relatively
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unique position of being both a design and fabrication outfit in one efficient organisation – something that has proved to be pioneering in the fenestration industry . When it comes to glazing outfits , the products have progressed but the manufacturing technology and engineering has remained relatively stagnant ; the predominant model is of large organisations developing products and supplying parts to fabricators , who in turn supply their customers .
Made For Trade however encompasses the full timeline , from initial design through to in-house delivery – all for the benefit of efficiency , improving quality and reducing cost . MFT stands out from competitors thanks to its progression from a small installer and fabricator ,
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to a manufacturing outfit bringing revolutionary techniques and processes to the industry , helping to fuel growth and invest in a well-trained local workforce . The engineering division features experience from the automotive and motorsport sectors ; bringing a new level of precision not only to the product design , but also the manufacturing processes to elevate the fenestration products to a completely new level against the competition .
The company is proud of its history : founded by Richard Gaunt in 1979 as Aanco and gaining significant credibility in the area from the outset thanks to its reputation for quality and service , Made For Trade remains a family business led by Richard ’ s sons Bradley as Managing Director , and Ashley as
Technical Director . Last year saw the business grow with a turnover increase of 31 %, and whilst Made for Trade remains B2B , the drive to increase homeowner interaction has seen MFT ’ s Korniche brand become synonymous with desirable glazing products – to the extent that it is now requested by name to trade installers .
Now operating from three purpose-built fabrication units with more than 250,000 sqft and employing more than 150 highly trained operatives , Made for Trade continues to invest in growth ; with a quarter of pre-tax profits being put towards new assets , from facilities to state of the art CNC equipment . Investing in staff has gone hand-in-hand – training helped 57 % of operators move up a grade and back the local workforce , whilst recruitment has been filled with a mix of external talent and in-house promotion – all factors that were paramount when judges considered the Manufacturing Award shortlist . The drive to simplify production and reduce inventory led to an investment of nearly £ 1M back in 2019 and 2020 on machinery to support the new product , whilst in-house software was developed to improve CNC sequencing , reduce waste and costly machine time . The Korniche bi-folding door for example , was designed and developed
completely by the in-house engineering team before being manufactured alongside at the same Wynyard site , with a number of unique and innovative features that set it apart from the competition . From the patented ‘ Speedbead ’ and anti-backdrive handle , to the built-in ventilation and sealed roller bearing guides , no rivals came close for the same engineering focus that relies on quality manufacture .
The last two years have been unlike any other for UK businesses , and MFT ’ s strategy for dealing with