On Wednesday 13th October The Made in group held their bi-weekly Virtual Breakfast Morning connecting Midlands and Yorkshire based manufacturers and related businesses. This week saw Siddall & Hilton, Kuka Robotics and Allied Global Engineering discuss best practice, supply chains and the importance of saving British owned businesses, particularly SMEs.
As with any other Backing Britain virtual breakfast morning, the event kicked off with an introduction from CEO of the Made in Group Jason Pitt. This was followed by introductions from the 30+ members who attended.
First to take to the stage to talk about their company and best practices was Pam Jackson, ERP Manager at Siddall & Hilton. Based in Brighouse, Siddall & Hilton Products Ltd is a long established manufacturer of welded wire mesh for perimeter fencing, industrial and construction applications.
In recent months Siddall & Hilton had received comments that they were not doing enough for the local community, as a large business based in West Yorkshire. Therefore they had a mission to support a local charity in the area through the use of their products.
This resulted in providing mesh panelling for a local hospice free of charge worth up to £2,500. This involved help from a local supplier and installer and resulted in the hospice saving on funds and a new customer for Siddall and Hilton - the installation company. Pam said:
“If you believe your company can do more things like this, I urge you to do so. It’s fun, easy to do and you are opening yourself up to opportunities you may not have thought were just around the corner.”
Next up Jeff Nowill, CEO at KUKA Robotics UK, discussed the importance of localised supply chains for KUKA. KUKA is a world-leading manufacturer of industrial robots and automated solutions for factory automation; also manufacturer of the iconic Thompson friction-welding machine range.
A Multinational £3.5 billion business, Jeff is CEO for a cluster of countries including the UK, Israel and South Africa. With 400 employees in the UK across two sites in Redditch and Haloswen, Jeff pointed out the importance of the local supply chain. He said:
“48% of the KUKA workforce is 50 or older, 20% of which are 60 or older. It’s important that we attract young people into the industry to continue the skills and capabilities within the sector.”
Finally, Phil Jepson, Founder of Allied Global Engineering, discussed the importance of SMEs to the UK economy. Allied Global Engineering is a fast-growing engineering group and the parent company of EGL Vaughan, and XL Engineering.
Phil also touched upon the aging workforce, and the lack of succession plans in businesses, putting them at risk of closing down affecting the overall economy. In the UK SMEs account for 60% of the private sector employment. Phil said:
“There are 245,000 businesses worth between £1-10 million whos workforce is over the age of 55 years old. This will be detrimental to the UK economy if these businesses disappear, as they make up a major part of the supply chain. At Allied Global we ensure their experience and expertise are carried into the next generation. The aim is that we will end up with vibrant local businesses trading together.
