Manufacturer reshores product line with contract win
Cope Technology, a Black Country PCB assembly manufacturer has recently brought a product line back to the UK, securing a contract that had previously moved to China.
The line was moved to China but returned to the UK due to unmatched quality and response times from the manufacturer.
The company, which has been in business for 40 years and has 40 employees in Pensnett Trading Estate, serves industries such as CCTV monitoring, traffic management, and emergency services.
Now employee-owned, Cope Technology is benefiting from a new Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) structure, which allows staff to have a say in the company’s direction.
The Business Growth West Midlands in Dudley Programme supported the shift, which provided planning and guidance to help the new management team enhance employee engagement.
Production director Adam Holmes, said: “We have a very strong history and track record in providing world-class contract electronic
manufacturing, with all of our attention, capital investment and supply chain management dedicated to building assemblies for our customers.
“These core values will continue under the Employee Ownership Trust, but there is also a focus on how we modernise the business and continue to digitise our operations so we can become even more efficient and potentially take our PCB knowledge into new markets. When you are taking steps into the unknown for some of us, that’s when you need a good sounding board and Business Growth West Midlands has been a fantastic resource for us.
“Our Business Growth Adviser has been with us on the entire journey, providing strategic advice around planning, structure, forecasting and, importantly, building a strong employee engagement strategy. The transition has certainly been smoother with their involvement.”