COMMENT: Manufacturers are showing us the way
THE Midlands manufacturing renaissance is one of the best pieces of news around.
Whilst much of the economy continues to bump along the bottom, local producers – often buoyed by a full export orders book or on the back of lucrative supply chain deals with the likes of Jaguar Land Rover – appear to be going from strength to strength.
And this is no Manchester City-style miracle comeback. After a tough start to the recession, most of our leading manufacturing firms are now enjoying their second or third year of impressive growth.
This was the main story that came out of TheBusinessDesk.com’s inaugural West Midlands Business Masters awards on Thursday. It was a joy to see the likes of Sertec and Brandaeur picking up awards and leading the charge of local manufacturers taking the message of Midlands production excellence to the world.
Birmingham’s Brandauer re-thought its strategy in the 1990s and decided to aggressively tackle foreign markets. It is a strategy that has worked brilliantly and it now produces and exports everything from the little bits of metal that you twirl your dental floss around to parts for huge pieces of industrial machinery. It deserved its Best Exporter award.
And Coleshill’s Sertec, a company whose future looked bleak several years ago, is now one of Jaguar Land Rover’s most trusted parts suppliers and its growth seems assured on the back of delivering quality products to order and on time. It is a worthy Manufacturer of the Year.
But they are just the tip of the iceberg as far as manufacturing is concerned in this region.
So what does it prove? It proves that even in tough economic conditions firms can prosper if they get their product offering right and are willing to explore new sectors and markets. If you combine this with a reputation for excellence in quality control, delivery and service than you are on to a winner.
It is a lesson that has been learned during the toughest of recessions but one that should stand manufacturing in this part of the world in good stead.
After all the doom and gloom it is truly time to celebrate something at which the Midlands is truly great.
