Group Rhodes increases sales thanks to MAS
A YORKSHIRE company which supplies the MOD with equipment for Britain’s new generation of aircraft carriers said it is benefiting from an improvement project carried out by the Manufacturing Advisory Service Yorkshire & Humber (MAS Y&H).
Wakefield-based Group Rhodes is also supplying machinery to BAE to manufacture critical components for a key project.
Group company Beauford Engineers is producing sub-assemblies for an anti-land mine device which is helping to protect the lives of American and British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and, nearer to home, the firm has won a contract to provide machinery for a new £700m waste and energy site being built at South Kirkby, Wakefield.
Founded in 1824, Group Rhodes employs 180 people and exports one third of its turnover, which is in excess of £15m.
Group Rhodes is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers in its field, supplying an extensive range of machinery for areas including metalforming, material handling, clay preparation and concrete working.
The company, which has grown through a strategy of selected acquisitions of similar manufacturing companies, has divisions including Joseph Rhodes, Beauford Engineers, Rhodes Interform and Craven Fawcett.
Barry Richardson, the group’s sales director, said: “Because of the huge changes that have taken place in the business over the past few years, the management team recognised an urgent need to improve our key processes.
“Areas that needed to be addressed ranged from sales and contracts through to the processing of critical information and design and manufacture.
“Many of our projects consist of multi-million pound contracts involving many disciplines and supply chain partnerships. We had already worked with MAS Consultant, Brian Sainsbury from PDA International on four previous improvement projects and earlier this year, once again, turned to MAS for advice.”
MAS Y&H is an initiative jointly funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and managed by YFM Business Development, a subsidiary of YFM Group, providing ‘hands on’ advice and support to manufacturing businesses to improve productivity and efficiency.
Mr Sainsbury recommended Group Rhodes embark on a 10 day MAS process management improvement project which has led to sweeping changes and developments taking place throughout the business.
Mr Richardson added: “We are confident that these improvements will enable us to manage these projects more efficiently, and provide us with the skills we will need in the future as a global supplier.”
Group Rhodes said six jobs had been safeguarded and new jobs created following the programme, with more than £150,000 of new sales being achieved.
Mark Ridgway, Group Rhodes’ managing director, whose father, Ian, is chairman of the company, said: “The whole business has benefited from the MAS intervention. Restructuring key functional departments has led to increased efficiency and now our project managers really are managing.”
