The Backing Britain campaign is heading back to Yorkshire on 20th February, in the name of championing the manufacturing sector and eliminating the erosion of British Industry. However, this event is like no other Backing Britain event as the Made in Group introduces a new activity.
Taking place at Appris, who specialises in the delivery of Engineering Manufacturing apprenticeships, the Backing Britain event will see a selection of workshops for non-members to learn more about the Made in Group and how being a member can benefit their business. The workshops will take place after the presentations and will include sessions on Content Creation, Member Microsites and Best Practice events. Non-members will have the opportunity to learn about how they can benefit from attending best practice events, what the MiG team does in terms of Content Creation and how a microsite is different from a website.
However, the remainder of the event will stay the same with presentations by industry-leading keynote speakers, which include: Apar Maheshwari Plant Director at Schneider Electric, Jamie Bentley CEO at The Stephenson Group and Richard Armour Head of Manufacturing at PPG Agricultural Coatings. Alongside this there will be a speech from Charles Addison, Deputy CEO at the Made in Group, to talk about the benefits of being a Made in member in light of Backing Britain.
Talking about what guests can expect from their presentation, Apar said:
“My presentation provides an overview of Schneider Electric in the UK and talks about how we are investing in the Green Economy in Yorkshire from innovation to jobs and skills.”
Schneider Electric is leading the digital transformation of energy management and automation. They make it possible for IoT-enabled solutions to seamlessly connect, collect, analyze and act on data in real-time delivering enhanced safety, efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
Apar added that the company is Backing Britain by investing heavily in UK with new facilities and employing local people, he said:
“Some of the ways we are Backing Britain today include: the expansion of our Leeds and Scarborough factories announced last month. Investment in UK production of green economy technologies which help maintain Britain’s global reputation and expertise in this growing sector and create ‘green jobs’. And investment in people. We work in partnership with UK universities, offer apprenticeships and operate a STEM ambassadors programme visiting schools and colleges all of which are designed to ensure we are inspiring the next generation workforce and helping to address the current UK skills gap”
The Stephenson Group, based in Leeds, are experts in new creative chemistry and innovation. Jamie Bentley, CEO of the company said they are Backing Britain by employing young and bright people to contribute towards the company's innovation, he added:
“We have a loyalty to Yorkshire as the business is based here. However, I feel strongly that in order to Back Britain we need to be part of the big wide world. As a company that exports to 60 different countries, I think that in order to be a global business you must think on a global basis.”
Jamie’s presentation will focus on the culture of success and diversity of skills, he added:
“I hope guests learn that the more people are engaged in a business, the more productive they are as they feel appreciated. We recently sent a thank you letter to all of our staff, thanking them for their contributions towards the business.”
Last but not least is PPG Architectural Coatings, global leaders coatings for everything from buildings to iPhones. The company has been supplying paint products in the UK for 130 years to homeowners and professionals. The company’s vast amount of facilities around the world, 140 facilities in 70 countries to be precise, allows them to deliver on time, every time.
Richard Armour, Manufacturing Director at PPG Architectural Coatings UK&I, said his presentation will focus on how Britain is a great place to do business and how the UK has seen an upturn in the Economy. He added:
“There is positivity in the UK economy at the moment and this is proved through the level of investment going into businesses. Here at PPG in Yorkshire, we are making a £14 million investment in the manufacturing facility. This will see investment in advanced manufacturing, producing more products and making the output more efficient, as well as introducing cutting edge technology for the paint industry.”
Richard also mentioned other ways in which PPG is Backing Britain, though they are a global business, the company has a local feel, he said:
“We also invest locally by contributing to local projects. We recently donated £50,000 into the community, £40,000 of this went to revamping Birstall community centre and £10,000 on smaller projects within the community.”
Help Back Britain by attending the event on 20th February at Appris, click on the link below to discover more.
https://madeinyorkshire.com/events/84745878203