Newton Derby once again hosted the regional manufacturing group Made in Yorkshire last week, with discussions around Brexit very high on the agenda.
Over 30 representatives from manufacturing companies in the region attended the networking event, and were able to compare notes on a range of business topics.
Kicking off proceedings, Chief Executive of the Winder Power Group, Laurence MacKenzie presented to the group on how the uncertainty around Brexit was affecting the business.
Despite a very strong and loyal customer base comprising the majority of the UK’s Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), Laurence revealed that as a direct result of the uncertainty orders had slowed down, and sadly the business has shed over 40 members of staff since last year. Enquiries are still being generated, but the decision making process is taking longer.
Furthermore, costs of materials as a result of the drop in the Pound versus the Euro resulted in an additional 10-15% cost increase to the company’s manufacturing base.
There was a lot of empathy from other manufacturers within the room who had found themselves in similar circumstances, and whilst the outlook was still mainly positive, everyone agreed that the sooner the negotiations were completed, the more likely their businesses would be to get back on track with their growth plans.
On a positive note Laurence was able to highlight that Newton Derby has now reached 2,040 working days without a recordable incident, which is a fabulous testimony to the company’s focus on health and safety.
