On Wednesday 8th December 2021, The Made in Group hosted its last Virtual Breakfast Morning for 2021 for manufacturers and businesses alike to discuss current industry topics and learn more about each other's businesses. This week we saw Marie Cooper, CEO of CBE+, David Lobo, Managing Director of Mankiewicz, and John D’Angelillo, Managing Director of Bauromat UK, take to the stage to talk about challenges in their businesses. The conversation took a running theme of resilience in manufacturing as the speakers discussed how they overcame challenges over the last couple of years.
The last two years have been challenging to say the least, for manufacturers they have had to find ways to diversify. Whether it be changing their current offering or targeting other industries in order to keep their doors open, the criticalness to adapt and overcome has seen many businesses achieve success with increased order books as we leave 2021. On top of that, over the course of the pandemic coupled with the challenges of Brexit, many UK based manufacturers have turned their attention to automation to increase productivity and output.
Chesterfield based CBE+ is brings together the best in precision engineering with in house assembly lines and pressure testing facilities, nickel plating complemented by their in house metal testing. Centrally based to meet the UK’s engineering demands, the company has gone from strength to strength over the years, but doesnt mean this hasn't come without its challenges.
CEO of CBE+ - Marie Cooper gave guests valuable insight into the company’s challenges over the last five years. Though businesses all have their individual, unique challenges Marie sees value in sharing experiences in order for other businesses to learn from their mistakes. Marie said:
“In 2019 we went through a massive shareholder dispute, and as we approached 2020 I began to understand the term ‘it's lonely at the top’ with fewer opportunities to network and seek advice from other business leaders who may have been in my position before. During this time, I learnt that it is important to be flexible and not be frightened to take on opportunities you see are worthy. Now as CBE+ approaches 2022, we have an increasing order book due to our resilience and flexibility throughout the pandemic.”
Family run and owned business Mankiewicz is a leading manufacturer of high quality coating systems for the general industry, automotive markets and aviation. During his speech, David also focused on how businesses have had to adapt, especially over the last couple of years.
David says that the success of UK manufacturing is down to resilience and communication, he highlighted the importance of having a strong culture within businesses in order to succeed. He added:
“If we have learnt anything over the last couple of years, we have to change the way we communicate and find ways to deal with challenges as they arise. The acceleration in the use of technology has allowed us to broaden our skill set, however we have had to learn how to run businesses remotely from our homes which has been daunting at times. The key is to be resilient in any challenges that come our way and communicate effectively with those who can help us overcome these challenges such as our employees.”
Lastly, Bauromat UK Ltd also experienced major challenges during the pandemic that have helped them adapt to the changing times. The Telford based company helps manufacturers become more efficient and profitable through the installation and addition of robotic & automation solutions. In 2020 they saw a massive decline in customer orders as they began to move from supplying the automotive industry into the aerospace industry. So much so that they lost an £800,000 order, going from a growing order book to nothing in 2020.
However as the economy picked back up and people started to get back to work, Bauromat saw a boom in orders which took off in April 2021 with an order book of £2 million worth of orders. The pandemic coupled with Brexit saw many manufacturers invest in automation to stay ahead of the curve, in addition to the fact that buyers started looking closer to home for parts rather than relying on China and other eastern suppliers. John said:
“During the course of the pandemic, we have watched supply chains halter and materials become increasingly difficult to source. However this has seen UK based manufacturers have less of a reliance on eastern countries. In fact over the last 18 months robot integration in the UK has gone from 22nd in the world for every 10,000 people employed to 15th in the world for robotics. What this shows is that the UK manufacturing sector is resilient, and as long as we learn to live with COVID and continue to innovate, the UK economy will grow”
Watch the Backing Britain Breakfast morning with CBE+, Mankiewicz and Bauromat by clicking here.