Specialised metalformers' production rises

While UK manufacturing continues to go through difficulties, said MMMA's incoming chairman, there has been an increase in his own company's activity, because it is quite specialised.

Ian Kimberley has recently been appointed Chairman of the Metalforming Machinery Makers' Association (MMMA) and one of the first things he has had to do is prepare the Association's summer message.

He said that like most of our members, his ownb company Davis (DECADE) exhibited at MACH 2006 in May, so this is probably the best place to start.

"From my point of view what I saw and talking to other MMMA members and also based on past experience there did not seem to be the throughput that we have seen in the past.

At the last two MACH exhibitions our members had visitors queuing to get onto their stands.

Those days are now gone.

On the other hand I can quite honestly say that the visitors this year came with genuine enquiries, so we have, in fact, gone away happy with the quality of the visitors and the enquiries they have produced.

This is not a bad thing.

In fact, it is just what MMMA members are looking for.

It will be interesting to see what happens at the next MACH show.

Personally, I would like to see the duration of the show reduced to four days.

I started as an engineering apprentice over 20 years ago, so I have seen how much manufacturing has changed over that time.

We all know that manufacturing has gone and continues to go through difficulties, yet from my company's own experience we have seen an increase in our level of activity, because of the nature of what we do, it is quite specialised and our products are very advanced in design and the way they are manufactured.

We not only sell in the UK, we now export our products.

We have seen growth from the larger specialist manufactures and a decrease in the smaller companies that really have not specialised in any particular area or have a niche market or have added any value to their existing products.

These have nearly all gone.

This mirrors the same message that the MMMA have been putting out in previous chairman's messages.

Today we are left with a smaller number of manufacturers producing very prestigious products.

Look at the automotive sector, I know Rover has gone but it is still a strong sector.

Land Rover has just had one of its best years in product sales.

The Overseas companies like Honda, Nissan and Toyota are not only supplying the UK market they are exporting cars and contributing to the UK economy, which is excellent.

The UK economy is currently buoyant, but not so much in manufacturing.

Prestige component manufacturers do have the opportunity to export into low cost economies by supplying added value to products being manufactured by these economies as they do not have the capability, expertise or technology, but they need to compete.

This is good news for MMMA members, who will be supplying the metalforming technology to make these components.

Davis (DECADE) as a UK equipment manufacturer, supplies to low cost economies, especially into South America, where our equipment and services add technology and value to their manufacturing, helping them to compete in the market place.

Support manufacturing - as for the future, I feel the UK Government should do much more to help us in manufacturing.

I am not just not complaining about the current Government.

The previous Government showed very little interest.

You can probably easily count on two hands the number of times high ranking ministers have actually paid a visit to a manufacturing company during the last 15 years.

I don't think they actually realise that someone had got to generate wealth by making things that can be sold".

We as a nation cannot rely solely on the service industry.

The service industry actually has to rely on manufacturing to function.

The UK Government should be assisting manufacturing just as other European and overseas governments do with their own industries.

I am just not talking about financial support, I am talking about raising the profile of manufacturing.

I continually get the feeling that the Government thinks a manufacturing engineer is a 'bloke' in blue overalls with a spanner in his back pocket.

You could not be further from the truth, in Germany if you say you are an engineer, you are recognised alongside a lawyer, an accountant and a doctor.

"Engineering has a much higher profile.

As Chairman, I intend to ensure that the MMMA continues to act as the central organisation promoting the common interests of its members involved in the manufacture and sale of metalforming machinery and ancillary products, including tooling in the United Kingdom and we will continue to support our members through appearances at Exhibitions such as MACH.

In the last couple of months we have launched a brand new Web site and introduced a new members' CD ROM to replace the old paper handbook, so I am pleased with our efforts to maintain a high profile for the Association.".

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