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Product category: Engineering Seminars
News Release from: The Manufacturer Live
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 24 June 2004

Awards to celebrate the best of British

The best of British manufacturing will be celebrated in a major national awards scheme set up to recognise the excellence being achieved in Britain's finest factories.

The best of British manufacturing will be celebrated in a major national awards scheme set up to recognise the excellence being achieved in Britain's finest factories There are prizes in ten categories, as well as the overall title of Manufacturer of the Year, which will be announced at The Manufacturer Live 2004 event, taking place at the Telford International Centre, Shropshire, on 15th and 16th September

The Manufacturer Live 2004 is a major showcase of the best of British manufacturing practice.

Admission is free to two days of workshops, seminars, discussions and trade shows that explore key issues facing the industry.

Entries close at the end of June for the award categories: leadership and strategy; design and innovation; world class manufacturing; skills and HR; IT in manufacturing; logistics and supply chain; manufacturing operations; aerospace industries supply chain; automotive industries supply chain; and process industries supply chain.

Among the highlights of the event are free presentations by more than 40 leading industry figures covering the "seven pillars" of manufacturing best practice, which are mirrored by the award categories.

Speakers already confirmed include: David Walton of Stannah Stairlifts, who turned round a struggling business with dynamic leadership; Aga Rayburn Director Simon Page, who will talk about the development of a kitchen must-have; Wing Cmdr Keith Cocksey, who will share his experiences of introducing lean manufacturing techniques to the repair of the RAF's Harrier fighter fleet; and Neil Jenkins, Managing Director of Gibbs Technologies - the people who made a splash when Richard Branson broke the French-held world record for driving across the Channel in the high speed Aquada amphibious car.

Bob Shankly, BMW's HR General Manager, will tell how he persuaded senior management to embrace a culture of training and development, and Neil Houghton of Plastic Omnium, will show how advanced tools meant improvements in service the automotive supply chain.

The IT sessions will feature Roger Bracewell, whose food company Golden Acres has revolutionised its performance through technology.

In the manufacturing operations zone GKN Quality and Sustainable Development Director Malcolm Bird will give his view on operating in the global automotive industry.

The event will also feature trade exhibitions at which more than 70 companies will be taking part in "meet the buyer" sessions.

There will be designated areas for finance, IT and energy companies.

A major addition to this year's event is a series of interactive supply chain forums focusing on the aerospace, automotive and process manufacturing sectors.

These will give manufacturers in each area a chance to meet and share ideas with each other as well as panels of experts from industry and the academic world.

The aerospace forum will focus on gaining a competitive edge, the automotive sessions will look a developing the skills to meet customer demand, while the process manufacturing forum will discuss the special circumstances surrounding the pharmaceutical, food and drink supply chains.

And in special sessions on day one of The Manufacturer 2004 there will be a special opportunity to work with arguably the world's leading lean manufacturing gurus - the UK's Professor Dan Jones and America's Anand Sharma.

Sharma, named a Hero of US Manufacturing by Fortune magazine, is the author of "The perfect engine"; and Jones, chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy, co-authored "The machine that changed the world", the seminal work that altered the way the western world thinks about manufacturing forever.

Glen White, Group Chief Executive of Conquest Business Media which organises the Telford event and publishes The Manufacturer magazine, said: "We are always being told by the politicians that manufacturing has to solve its own problems".

"With The Manufacturer Live, we're demonstrating our passionate determination to give it a helping hand by providing a unique showcase for sharing best practice".

"I'm sure that the manufacturers who take valuable time out from the factory to learn from each other will benefit greatly by coming along to Telford".

"But, like me, I'm sure they'd like to see the Government, its regional development agencies and organisations like the Learning and Skills Council pulling their weight by giving us all a bit more support".

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