Monthly Archives: May 2012

New project to aid food supply chain sustainability

Posted on May 23, 2012 by

Rising food demands from a growing global population, increasing energy prices and the need to reduce environmentally damaging emissions are behind a three year research project to be led by Cranfield University’s School of Management. The project, called Scale (for … Continue reading →

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Trade barometer shows English manufacturers on the up

Posted on May 22, 2012 by

Manufacturing SMEs in England are bucking sluggish growth forecasts with encouraging reports of increased sales and new jobs, according to the first ever Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) National Barometer. Over half of respondents (54%) said they had seen turnover rise … Continue reading →

Posted in Continuous improvement, Government/statistics, jobs, Manufacturing management, sales & marketing, Supply chain | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Saved Vauxhall site to double apprentice hiring

Posted on May 21, 2012 by

The Vauxhall car plant at Ellesmere Port (pictured), thrown a lifeline last week with the announcement that it had been chosen by US parent GM as the production base for the new generation Astra, is to double the number of … Continue reading →

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Engineering sectors outperform overall economy

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

The number of UK engineering companies has fallen by just 2.3% since the start of the economic downturn compared to the average across all sectors the UK economy which lost 3.3% of its companies in the same period. According to … Continue reading →

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Edbro invests in UK R&D and test centre

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

Edbro, the manufacturer of tipping hydraulics for commercial vehicles has announced a “significant investment” at its test and development centre. Based at the company’s main manufacturing facility in Bolton, the test centre will accelerate product development and add what it … Continue reading →

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Bentley factory skills go on show at Mille Miglia

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

Bentley’s Crewe factory is putting the past and the present on show in a show of “the marque’s reputation for building cars that can cover great distances quickly and with supreme ease”. The idea that the luxury cars can “effortlessly … Continue reading →

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UK automotive output sustains growth run in April

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

UK manufacturing of cars, commercial vehicles and engines increased in April, boosted by strong export demand that was almost 10% ahead of last year, according to latest figures from the Society of Motor manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Car manufacturing rose … Continue reading →

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Manufacturers frown on government manufacturing strategy

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

The government has received a resounding thumbs-down from UK manufacturers in a survey by the accountancy and business advisory firm BDO. Just 26% of the manufacturers in the research sample believed the government was adopting the right strategies to support … Continue reading →

Posted in Education & Training, exports, Finance, Government/statistics, Innovation, Manufacturing management | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Europe to remain a challenge for UK manufacturers and new markets are tough

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

With news this morning that the European region narrowly missed a return to technical recession, and a Greek exit from the Eurozone looking increasingly likely, a blog from the manufacturers’ organisation EEF says the economic situation on the other side of the Channel … Continue reading →

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Factory gate inflation leads mixed bag of economic data for manufacturers

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

UK manufacturing greeted the weekend with a mixed bag of economic data tracking its fortunes. Official factory gate inflation figures showed the price manufacturers receive for their goods rising weakly and raw materials costs falling, but those serving the construction industry … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Government/statistics, Manufacturing management | Leave a comment