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THE YEAR AHEAD


Lancashire has always been a resilient


county, with a strong sense of identity and community. This is, after all, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution


The onshoring of chemical production in other regions has introduced more localised competition for the equipment we manufacture.


Graham Blanchard, global sales and marketing director of Simonstone based Fort Vale Engineering


The biggest challenge we faced last year is likely to remain the same in 2026 – the depression of the UK and European chemical industry.


The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and the resulting energy hikes across Europe have meant it is too expensive to produce chemicals in the UK and on the continent.


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With the focus on carbon reduction and green energy tariffs, this has further impacted the sector, to the level that plants have either closed down or have been turned off.


Europe was a significant exporter, but because of the current challenges other regions have started to produce chemicals they previously imported. Add into the mix cheaper energy costs in the US and it has become a perfect storm.


However, we see opportunities for growth through specialised equipment for highly dangerous chemical products, as opposed to the standardised equipment for commodity chemicals.


And there are opportunities in regions that are now growing as a result of increased production demands. It might be that Fort Vale develops a lower cost range of equipment that is safe and reliable, with the appropriate technical support that the customers expect from us.


New regions and opportunities are also opening up such as the Middle East rail industry where huge infrastructure projects are underway to connect the Gulf States and where there is demand for the products Fort Vale manufactures.


My wish-list for the next 12 months would be to see an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a reduction in energy costs, genuine support for the UK and European chemical industries before it is too late, and for Fort Vale to be successful in the new markets and regions we explored in 2025.


Dave Walker, founder and managing director of Rawtenstall based digital marketing agency +24


The increasing pace of AI in our sector is something that cannot be ignored. While many digital marketing agencies might see AI as a threat or a challenge, we are thinking of AI more as an opportunity.


Businesses will need to adapt, and adopt new technologies in order to make sure they don’t fall behind. We’re supporting a lot of our clients on their AI journey, using our expert knowledge and agility of response to help businesses deal with any challenges they encounter.


Apart from AI there are also many other opportunities that should not be ignored. The economy has stuttered in recent times, but I am expecting a slightly more stable 2026. I believe the businesses which will see the most growth will be those that invest in themselves.


Any business that invests wisely in marketing, technology and processes is going to stand out from the competition and reap the benefits.


Lancashire has always been a resilient county, with a strong sense of identity and community. This is, after all, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.


The people are hardworking, and innovative, so I am expecting the Lancashire economy to grow and thrive as businesses take up, and even invent, new technologies and strategies that will see them thrive.


A stable economy and a pro-business government would be nice. Other than that, I would like my team to carry on as they already are – happy and thriving.


Phill Whitehead, technical director of Burnley based Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS)


One of the biggest challenges we face is the procurement of components. With the rise in AI, this has led to a growth in server farms and their usage of components such as RAM.


This has helped lead to a shortage of critical components in the industry and is resulting in longer lead times and an increased cost in production.


Growth will come for us by focusing on new


Paul Fox, chief executive of the Blackpool headquartered Fox Group


The biggest challenge facing our business and its sector is the very competitive marketplace, which is putting pressure on both prices and margins.


We will be looking for rates to go up during the year on the back of increasing market activity.


When it comes to growth opportunities, I believe our vertical integration and scale will enable us to be more self-sufficient. Skill set improvement will also be important to us this year.


If the government’s recent Budget does what it says it will, then it should be good for housing and for infrastructure developments, and that will be good for our business.


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