“Manufacturers remain optimistic”

Gary Barr, of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) South East, says that “manufacturers across the South East are bearing up well and continue to remain optimistic, despite current economic conditions”. Mr Barr was speaking at the second Federation of Small Business Expo in East Sussex, a one-day exhibition that proved to be a great networking opportunity for local businesses, including many within the manufacturing community.

Mr Barr continued: “During such a difficult economic period for UK manufacturing, it is important that manufacturers remain positive about the industry, and that they maintain and exploit any ‘competitive advantage’, ensuring that — even during economic downturns — improvement to bottom lines can be found. Events such as the FSB Business Expo encourage businesses to engage with one another, while building partnerships and creating contacts with the aim of converting leads into new customers or potential suppliers.”

MAS South East is urging manufacturers to tap into specialist Government support to help them negotiate the tricky road ahead. Latest figures show that companies engaging with the region’s MAS receive an average £200,000 boost to their businesses. A number of Sussex manufacturers are currently ‘networking to success’ through the East Sussex Best Practice Club, an initiative to bring local manufacturers together under one roof in order to share experience, knowledge and business-improvement ideas and techniques.

One advocate of the network is Stuart Small, managing director of Stevens Rowsell Ltd, a sub-contract precision sheet-metal engineering company based in East Sussex. Mr Small said: “Despite the economic downturn, we have maintained our sales figures this year. We have also effectively overhauled the infrastructure and lay-out of our factory and have trained our management and supervision team in ‘lean’ ideology and business-improvement techniques. Being involved with the MAS South East’s Best Practice Club had a huge bearing on the success of our development plans and MAS were instrumental in delivering personalised ‘lean’ training which practically revolutionised the way we operate our manufacturing operation.”

Another member of the East Sussex Best Practice Club, is Amplicon, a leading provider of industrial computer and measurement and controls solutions. Commercial director Gina Citroni said: “The club is a group of like-minded and supportive team members offering advice on real-life situations that both teach and motivate. MAS South East enabled our business to double in size and continues to help us develop and refine our business through best practice in line with our customers needs.”