Technology-independence and an ability to deliver complex turnkey projects will be critical in helping companies in the consumer goods and aerospace and defence sectors modernise and future-proof operations. This is the rallying call from
iconsys’ Alex Smith, the latest high-profile recruit brought in by the automation and control specialist to maximise a multi-million-pound opportunity to support companies operating in food and beverage, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and the aerospace supply chains.
The new head of sales for consumer goods and aerospace and defence believes the FMCG sector has seen unprecedented pressure from labour constraints, supply chain disruption and increasing regulations - and there is now a growing demand to introduce more automation, robotics and systems that can harvest real-time data. He brings with him 15 years of global technical sales experience gained at Emerson, Cimlogic and Eyelit, with acute knowledge of IT and operational technology deployment across highly regulated sectors, including aerospace and defence, consumer goods, medical, and automotive.
Alex Smith, who has a degree in chemistry from the
University of Leeds, said: “It is all about solving problems and delivering value, and that really resonates when you are talking to the customer about automation solutions. In essence, we can make consumer goods and aerospace companies digital ready. From our technology partner independence and ability to carry out site assessments and functional safety consultancy, through to system integration and full turnkey automation lines – it is a tailored solution from start to finish.”
Increasing productivityHe continued: “The approach is to partner with our customers over the entire lifecycle of their assets, from initial consultancy and automation project design, to delivery, implementation and ongoing maintenance. iconsys has nearly 40 years’ experience of working in these sectors and, from my first few months in this role, you can tell there is an appetite from potential customers to see how we can help companies increase productivity, profitability and safety over the long term.
“Obsolescence is a big issue for the larger consumer goods companies. Lots of machinery is outdated, inefficient and not suitable for networking and real-time data collection. The challenge will be how we reverse this without the need for massive capital investment and how that solution can be replicated across multiple production sites.”
iconsys brings similar value to the aerospace and defence sector, where it supports suppliers in improving productivity, compliance and energy resilience through tailored automation, electrification and digital transformation projects. The company’s ability to work within highly regulated environments and deliver cyber-secure, safety-critical solutions is already proving key to unlocking long-term OEM partnerships.
Mr Smith added: “We provide our customer base with access to consultative services that cover sustainability, safety, digital transformation, cyber security and energy management.This then leads on to lifecycle services, which include automation solution design, implementation, installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance.”
Collaborationsiconsys, which is located at a ‘state of the art’ smart manufacturing facility in Telford, is increasing capacity to take advantage of multi-million-pound opportunities around sustainability, energy management, safety, obsolescence, digitalisation and cyber security in its key target markets. This is being achieved through a major recruitment drive in engineering expertise and the appointment of new ‘heads’ of sectors to help develop collaborations with existing and new customers, with the total number of staff expected to exceed 115 by April 2026.
Nick Darrall, managing director of iconsys, said: “As a management team we have identified several key industries where our expertise, solutions, consultative and ‘lifecycle’ offers can be applied to deliver immediate and long-term benefits. Consumer goods and aerospace are both sectors that need a lot of support towards digitisation, and, in Alex Smith, we have the perfect lead to help support our expansion in this market. He is highly driven and is excellent at opening new doors, creating collaborations and partnerships that deliver true, tangible value. I am delighted we have managed to attract him to our business.”
Mr Smith concluded: “What would success look like in our first year? There are some immediate lifecycle and consultative projects we are close to sealing that will make a real difference to our clients.”