We need 'urgent help' - East Mids manufacturer
Long Eaton-based manufacturer TecQuipment says it needs "urgent help" and has called on East Midlands companies to rally together to boost output and prevent work going abroad. Its managing director Simon Woods says finding adequate sub-contractors has proved "extemely difficult".
TecQuipment, a specialist manufacturer of educational equipment, reports a "good order book but urgently needs help", according to Woods. It employs 67 employees and is working at "full capacity" but overtime shifts are required to meet demand.
But Woods, also chairman of enterprise agency Erewash Partnership, revealed his company needs more help with components and, despite a history of engineering and manufacturing in the area, a search for assistance has not been successful.
He said: “If we can’t supply these orders on time we risk losing future business to overseas competitors. Finding quality sub-contractors to supply precision small batch turned and milled components has proved extremely difficult.
“I want to keep the work in the UK and as locally as possible but I can understand why so much work goes overseas.”
He is calling on East Midlands' manufacturers to band together and co-operate for "all their benefit, rather than lose orders and work to foreign firms".
“If we can have small firms working together and supporting each other we can have a brighter future for ourselves and our employees,” he said.
Ian Viles, chief executive of the partnership, added: “I am very supportive of Simon’s initiative to source products and services locally and would encourage local engineering and manufacturing businesses to register their details with the partnership.
“This will enable us to become even more effective in helping local manufacturing companies to procure engineering and other services locally.”
TecQuipment makes 700 products including supersonic wind tunnels, gas turbines and power system simulators all used in engineering education. It sells to around 70 countries and says it had its highest ever number of export orders in June made up from 65 different customers.
In the last four months, it says it has won orders worth £1.5m from 34 different countries following an investment in new product development.
