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News Release from: Rautomead International
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 May 2005
Time to re-define company strategies
Taking time to analyse what it does, how it is seen and how to continue its existence has won for a UK continuous casting machine engineering company a secure future.
Having just introduced a totally new brand identity, to better portray its standing as leading continuous casting technology providers, UK-based Rautomead International first took the important step of identifying the several key drivers that have led to its current market positioning and shaped manufacturing industry as a whole Comments Rautomead chairman, Sir Michael Nairn, "Like a receding tide, the ebb of manufacturing activity seems to flow relentlessly away from Britain and other Western European countries towards Eastern Europe, India, South-East Asia and China
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 31 May 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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'For Sale' notices and liquidators' catalogues are common-place, and the loss of jobs, of skills and of the great names in manufacturing of the past provides serious concern." A manufacturing company, formed in Dundee in 1978, Rautomead specialises in the design and construction of continuous casting equipment for the metals industry.
For many years, the company built everything locally in Dundee or the immediately surrounding district, while building up a portfolio of international customers in over forty countries.
Over the past five years, however, four important factors came together which have transformed Rautomead into a successful and thoroughly modern manufacturing business, still based in Dundee and well able to face the challenges of the future.
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* Factor one: the recognition that the company was much more than a machine builder - "Customers come to Rautomead for technical solutions in the processing of non-ferrous metals," continued Sir Michael Nairn.
"Core technical competence remains in continuous casting and in the on-going development of that process and its applications.
However, casting is only one link in a chain of manufacturing steps from the primary metals industry (mining and refining) to manufacture of finished products for industrial and domestic uses." As a result, Rautomead has come to form important links with many other specialist technology companies to provide technical solutions for customers up and down the metals processing chain.
This in turn has led to the development of important project management skills within the company.
* Factor two: the recognition that it was no longer economic to build steel fabrications and machined assemblies in Dundee - Sterling had become a strong currency, a cost pressure dictating that if Rautomead was to continue to compete in world markets, other less costly manufacturing bases had to be found.
Happily, a long and friendly relationship has existed between Scotland and Poland and this led to the creation of important partnerships in engineering construction, whereby Rautomead focuses on design, supply chain management, inspection and final assembly and major components are built by Rautomead's partner companies.
This departure from the traditional manufacturing base called for new management skills, with key parts of the technology retained in Dundee.
Now this pattern of manufacturing is well established, it will lend itself to being replicated elsewhere, as relative economic circumstances around the world change.
* Factor three: the recognition that it was vital that Rautomead technology had to keep advancing - if Rautomead in particular, but also Western European manufacture, was to continue to compete with the burgeoning economies of the east, continued investment in technology was essential.
"In the metals industry at least, Western Europe has enjoyed an enviable lead, but we have no inherited right to this, adds Sir Michael Nairn, "Thus, research and development remains a key function in the business, giving opportunities for young engineering and materials science graduates and working with other companies and with universities, striving hard to improve, to innovate and to provide new and better technologies to meet the needs of international markets." * Factor four: the recognition that the product is only part of what the customer buys - in truth, in making what may be a very significant investment, the customer is also buying into the expertise, the reputation, the integrity, the commitment, the long-term service support and the expectation of continuing technical leadership in the field by Rautomead.
It is in this area that Rautomead feels justified in looking back to a long history of Scottish engineering and entrepreneurship that has touched countries all around the world over two centuries.
Admittedly, times are now different, but, culturally, the Scots are the same people, with every intention to occupy a significant place in the years ahead in thoroughly modern manufacturing.
* Reflecting on development - it is with this background that Rautomead has felt that, as a reflection of the ways in which the company has developed in recent years, it should modernise its brand image.
The company's new brand identity is the result of much research carried out amongst customers, suppliers and others and the creative effort of its consultants over a period of some twelve months.
As well as a reflection of what Rautomead now does, the new brand will become closely associated with a thoroughly focused single-minded company with a clear global mission for the future.
"Our new identity has been expressly developed to recognise our personality and development into a leading, reliable, innovative and approachable technology provider," commented Sir Michael Nairn.
"By creating a personality that reflects all of the brand values that we can attribute to our products, services and relationships, we intend to help guide the way in which we communicate our products and services and the way we encourage others to communicate with us.".
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