How one Birmingham manufacturer has adapted to survive in 2020

“It is very satisfying to see that UK manufacturing appears to be alive and kicking, despite these challenging times.”
Bryan Nuttall

Just like thousands of other UK businesses, Birmingham-based gasket manufacturer RH Nuttall experienced an extremely sharp downturn when the UK was plunged into lockdown, and many staff were initially furloughed as a result.

However, galvanised by their proud company history of 160 years, RH Nuttall’s Directors were determined to ride the storm, and they swiftly organised a brainstorming session to discuss how they might immediately adapt their production practices. They concluded that it made the most sense to start cutting parts for PPE items which the Government were asking UK manufacturing companies to “step up” and help produce.

Having invested in two brand new automatic travelling head machines in November 2019, the company were confident that they would be well-placed to cope with the demand and timeframes involved. With the ability to cut polycarbonate and self-adhesive foam quickly and accurately, the production of face shields was the obvious route to take.

Once the word was out, enquiries started flooding in and within two weeks all but a few of RH Nuttall’s staff were brought back to work, full-time. Enquiries from three major sources led to a series of bulk orders and within days, with the co-operation of Birmingham City Council, containers were sourced and placed outside the company’s premises to help with storage of raw materials and finished goods.

Since March, RH Nuttall has manufactured in excess of 18 million self-adhesive foam pads for the leading face shield currently in production. The pads are necessary for the headbands, which are an integral and essential part of the shields.

Due to their diverse technological capabilities, RH Nuttall has been able to manufacture both individually cut foam pads, as well as kiss-cut foam pads and circles. Given the extremely short turnaround time for getting PPE to the front line, the kiss-cut options saved time in assembly, with parts designed to be easily peeled away from the liner and stuck straight onto the face shields.

In addition to foam pads, the company has supplied in excess of 500,000 polycarbonate face shield protector visors. These are still being manufactured now, with orders live until December 2020 and the likelihood of longer contracts moving forward.

The manufacturer has also been busy cutting polycarbonate to size for desk screens, as well as office, shop and restaurant partitions, to help minimise the transmission of airborne particles.

Company Director, Bryan Nuttall is hoping for a sea change now that both the public and private sectors have experienced the benefits of backing the UK manufacturing sector, rather than sourcing PPE and other products from abroad.

“As a family-run business, we are proud to have answered the government’s call for UK manufacturing companies to step up and help during the PPE shortage we faced. So far, we have produced more than 20 million parts since March.

Jobs have been saved, and many hours of time and dedication have gone into fulfilling our order book during these difficult times. The staff have been incredible, working shift patterns in order to keep up with the hefty demand and challenging turnaround times.

The sales team have been in countless Zoom meetings, moving with the times and conducting virtual meetings where physical ones weren’t possible due to social distancing and lockdown measures.”

Being able to manufacture essential parts for desperately needed PPE meant that RH Nuttall was considered an essential key service, and the company have not had to close their doors at all. To date, not one of their employees has lost their job due to the crisis – an achievement the company are proud and relieved to report.

With new orders and fresh enquiries still pouring in, Bryan Nuttall remains hopeful for the future and is confident that the business, and UK manufacturing, will survive – and even thrive – for decades to come.