Date: Tue 2nd November, 2010
Venue: Coventry Technocentre, Coventry University Technology Park, Puma Way, Conventry, CV1 2TT
Number of Guests Attended: 70
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More than 70 manufacturers attended our event at Coventry’s TechnoCentre and they were witness to a lively discussion centering on challenges and opportunities for the Midlands manufacturing sector.
Summing up the prevailing attitude amongst Midlands manufacturers, Simon Griffiths, chief executive of the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands, said: “There are mixed messages at the moment. Volumes have jumped back, certainly in the last 12 months, and we are seeing numbers returning to a more normal level, but not to 2007 levels. What we are seeing is some caution in the industry in areas such as recruitment and investment.”
Gary Kirtley-Paine, director purchasing, new model programmes and ETO at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “From a JLR perspective it’s been an extremely interesting last couple of years. We’ve come out of the recession with a very ambitious new cycle plan that we’ve embarked on. But at the same time we’re aware that there is a level of caution and people are wary of how clear of the recession we are and it is holding people back from making the investments they need to make.”
Bryan Campbell, executive chairman of Coventry automotive design firm Envisage Group told the audience that his company is doing well and is looking to diversify into other sectors. “We’re as busy as we’ve ever been and we have been for the last 12 months. But I know that whilst we’re going up at the moment it will go down again sooner or later. That’s the way it has been for the 40 odd years I’ve been involved in manufacturing. We have to make sure that when we are up we are preparing for the down,” he said.
“We are taking learning from the automotive business and transferring it to aeroplanes, boats, caravans, motorbikes, anything that moves people. And they are accepting our learning because they know it has been tried and tested over a number of years.”
Dr Mark Jolly, senior lecturer, manufacturing processes, in the department of mechanical and manufacturing engineering at the University of Birmingham, said that a lack of internships is a worry. “Two years ago we had 20 students doing 12 month internships. Last year we had four and this year we’ve had one. But there is a big time lag and hopefully there will be a pick up,” he said.