Year Ahead 2016: Jane Robinson, Cutting Technologies

Jane Robinson, director at Cutting Technologies

What didn’t happen in 2015 that was expected to?

Consistency, we thought the ups and down might even out – they didn’t. The general election and oil prices caused wobbles all over the place and whilst we don’t export to China, I’m sure this had a second hand impact too.

What should we expect to see in 2016?

Growth in creative sectors, anything in straight manufacturing is likely to be slow.

What would be a sign that things are going well?

Consistent profits and forward orders.

What would be a sign that things are going badly?

Redundancies and manufacturing forecasts reduced even further.

What do you want to see happen in 2016?

Oil prices becoming sensible again.  Whilst I like paying less at the pump, when key areas that affect the world economy are in a state of flux it’s rarely good news.

Who or what do you predict will have a successful year?

Anything creative: that could be Construction/Architectural projects generally but also Events and Luxury items.  There is money about and people crave something innovative, creative and new.

Who or what is most at risk/faces a difficult year?

Straightforward engineering.  Anyone relying solely on engineering for they customer base I think will struggle against those in manufacturing with a more diverse customer base.

What are you most looking forward to in 2016?

Sunshine and lots of it!  A good summer raises optimism, that’s good for business and for me!

What are your words of wisdom for the year ahead?

Put your crystal ball away, live in the here and now. Before the recession we could predict to a reasonable degree what our business might be doing, things are different now.  Everyone needs to be ready to read, react and change to what’s going on at a faster pace than ever before to grasp opportunities.