The latest Barometer survey by the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) reveals that UK SMEs intend to take advantage of the UK’s continuing economic recovery by concentrating on the domestic market.

The survey found that 67% of those questioned said increasing sales at home offered them the best chance to expand. This was followed by new product development and improving their production processes.

Steven Barr, head of the MAS (pictured), said: “There is significant confidence in the domestic market-place at the moment — a further signal that the recovery has taken hold. We’ve seen unrivalled investment in the UK automotive industry, and that is cascading down the supply chain and creating new opportunities.

“As part of the long-term focus, we asked respondents about their biggest strengths. ‘Quality of senior leadership teams’ came out on top with 68%, followed by ‘innovative products’ with 66% and ‘robust strategy’ with 61%.

“It was not surprising to discover that the biggest challenge is access to skills, while marketing and creating effective sales channels were the next major concerns. We will work with partners like Growth Accelerator and SEMTA to help SME manufacturers overcome these challenges.”

Business Minister Matthew Hancock said: “This is yet more good news for British manufacturing. The many thousands of jobs that promise to be unlocked in the sector in the
future will help families across the country, and that’s the whole point of our long-term economic plan.”

The MAS Barometer covers over 900 small manufacturers across England, employing more than 22,500 people.