What’s happening on National Manufacturing Day

Thursday 28 September marks the UK’s second annual National Manufacturing Day, with manufacturers across the country opening their doors to the public.

Businesses of all sizes are inviting their local community into their factories for behind-the-scenes tours and demonstrations as part of the annual celebration of UK manufacturing convened by Make UK.

This year there are six events taking place in Greater Manchester, covering a wide variety of industries.

Atec Engineering Solutions, a specialist provider of engineering solutions for the defence industry and a range of other sectors, will be providing a tour of its facility in Salford, along with live demonstrations of some of its equipment and machines.

Atec is a longstanding advocate of the Growth Hub’s Manufacturing Service and an exemplar in developing manufacturing excellence. Earlier this year, the company hosted exclusive factory visits for our Manufacturing Champions programme to showcase best practice in areas such as visual management and developing talent.

John Bowden, Atec’s Managing Director, said:

“The Growth Hub has supported us with links to local organisations, access to funding and specialist advice on our journey to become the best company we can be.

“We believe we have a significant part to play in attracting people into the manufacturing sector. National Manufacturing Day is part of a much bigger programme for Atec as part of our social value agenda. Engaging with education and local communities to give visibility of the opportunities manufacturing presents for people is key to the sector’s success.”

In Manchester, packaging manufacturer Duo UK will be showing visitors what it takes to produce innovative packaging solutions that incorporate sustainability, resourcefulness and the circular economy.

Duo’s Brand Director, Zoe Brimelow, explained:

“We’re keen to show people how technologically advanced, collaborative and fast-paced manufacturing is, and to showcase products being made here in the UK. We’ve recently expanded our UK presence with the opening of Duclo Recycling, and are focusing on recycled plastics this year and how we utilise recycled material to create new products and enhance circularity.

“Many members of our team have been working with us for more than 10 years, and even rising to 30 years in some instances. They are great advocates for manufacturing careers and it’s fantastic for them to be able to share their stories and encourage the next generation of manufacturing talent.”

Duo has also received support from our Manufacturing Service, as well as reducing its carbon footprint by over 2,000 tonnes with the help of our Sustainability & Net Zero team. Zoe added:

“We really value our relationship with Business Growth Hub, as they share our enthusiasm for innovation and expansion. They provide insight, advice, experience and connections that benefit our continued efforts to create more circular products.”

Elsewhere, Manchester Metropolitan University’s 3D and digital manufacturing centre, PrintCity, will be hosting a drop-in style session providing demonstrations of its cutting-edge 3D printing and 3D scanning capabilities.

Tri-Wall, a board packaging manufacturer in Tameside, will be welcoming local schools and school leavers to showcase its range of roles and operations.

NexSys Solultions, a provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, will be hosting a lunch and learn event, while Salford-based polymer manufacturer Fluorocarbon will be providing career-focused workshops including a site tour and discussion of career paths in the field.

GC Business Growth Hub was part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014-2021, as part of a portfolio of ERDF-funded programmes designed to help ambitious SME businesses achieve growth and increase employment in Greater Manchester. Eligibility criteria was applied. The 2014-2021 ERDF  fund was allocated by the European Union that finances convergence, regional competitiveness and employment and territorial co-operation.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Department for Communities and Local Government was the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which was one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information, visit European Regional Development Fund: Documents and Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you would like to know more please contact us at bgh@growthco.uk