Positive response to Government’s re-shoring plan
A SCHEME to help companies bring production back to the UK has been welcomed by a leading manufacturing organisation.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has joined forces with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to launch Reshore UK, a new one-stop-shop service for businesses considering repatriating their production facilities, call centres and the like
UKTI has identified 1,500 manufacturing jobs re-shored in the UK since 2011 and a MAS survey shows companies citing costs, quality and reducing lead times as the top three reasons for moving production.
Reshore UK will provide a matching and location service, access to advice and support and a named individual to help each company. MAS’s role is to help support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to be globally competitive and to ensure there is capacity in the UK supply chain to take advantage of the reshoring opportunities.
The plan will be reinforced in a speech by Prime Minister David Cameron today.
He will say: “As part of our long-term economic plan, I also want us to help businesses bring back production to Britain. This new service will offer dedicated support for businesses that want to capitalise on the opportunities of reshoring, creating new jobs and ensuring that hard-working people can reap the benefits of globalisation.”
Welcoming the initiative, Richard Halstead, a regional director of EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, said: “It’s positive to hear the Prime Minister talking about the importance of industry again. Recent evidence that companies are choosing to bring activity back to the UK is really positive and to be encouraged.
“For companies looking to get the best input from their suppliers and collaborate with customers the UK has some real strengths.”
Business secretary Vince Cable added: “British industry is coming home. Over the last few months I have welcomed many companies who have taken manufacturing, textiles, call centre work or software abroad, bringing jobs back to the UK.
“This is a sign that diverse, high-quality British manufacturing is on the rise once again.
Steven Barr, head of MAS, said: “Reshoring is a huge opportunity for UK manufacturers and we are delighted to be working in partnership with UKTI to give both domestic and international firms access to this one-stop service.
“Our expert advisors working on the ground will continue to ensure firms offer world class manufacturing performance and have the capacity in place to take advantage of larger companies bringing production home.”
