Assembly network MAN targets £7.5m in new business and 150 jobs

A UNIQUE manufacturing collaboration is embarking on a major expansion drive that aims to secure £7.5m of new work and create more than 150 jobs.

The Midlands Assembly Network – a nine-strong collective of world class manufacturing businesses – believes 2013 will be a year of expansion as new projects come online in the automotive, electronics and renewables sectors.

It is expecting the growth to come from domestic customers and overseas clients, with the launch of a new website (www.man-group.co.uk) set to support the concerted marketing drive.

The alliance has also appointed a dedicated Business Development Manager, Steve Gaston, to secure business group-wide.

Tony Hague, chairman and managing director of PP Electrical Systems, said: “The appointment of Steve Gaston as our first ever dedicated Business Development Manager is another major step forward. He has been involved in manufacturing for more than 40 years and with the group since it first started.

“He will be charged with sourcing new leads, building relationships with strategic partners and making in-roads into key sectors, including automotive, aerospace and energy.”

Mr Hague said the network was keen to avoid the negativity currently surrounding the manufacturing sector.

“There’s a lot of negative talk about manufacturing output slowing down and if we’re not careful we’ll talk ourselves into another recession,” he said.

“We recognise how tough it is out there, but we prefer to be positive and look at what we can do to seek out and exploit new opportunities. Talking across the nine firms in the group, there is definitely a sense of new projects starting after months of prep work.

“With what we’ve got planned, I would expect us to add £7.5m of sales in 2013 and this should lead to nearly 150 jobs – some of whom will be apprentices. It’s important we create that pipeline of future engineers.”

The growth will coincide with a £2m investment group-wide in new plant, training programmes and the continued introduction of lean processes.

First established in 2006, MAN consists of nine members: Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Brandauer, Barkley Plastics, FW Cables, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments, Westley Engineering and new recruit Mec-Com.

Each company offers a different engineering solution, ranging from high volume precision pressings, electrical control systems and tooling to PCB assembly, wire harnesses, specialist fabrication and injection moulding.