News coMMeNt


Welcome to the January issue of UK Manufacturing. We have now


left the EU, exiting the transition period with a free trade deal that was announced on Christmas Eve. Brexit was always going to have an impact on the manufacturing sector but no-one could have predicted that we’d also be tackling a pandemic at the same time. But we are optimists here at


Datateam Business Media and we want to celebrate everything that is great about the manufacturing sector in the UK. As such, we have relaunched UK Manufacturing to talk about the technology, latest innovations and companies that drive this sector.


VictoriaWhite, Editor


precIsIoN coMpoNeNts supplIer INcreases sales aNd expaNds to the us


Accu has increased sales by 60 per cent during


the COVID-19 pandemic, and is expected to turnover between £6-7m this financial year, due to soaring demand from the engineering sector. An initial slump in March – due to the first COVID-19 lockdown – was quickly counteracted by a need from furloughed engineers and manufacturers to innovate new products quickly. Able to design and manufacture prototypes


within a very small timeframe, the company – which was founded in 2012 – has supplied engineering components to F1, Mars Rover and ventilator manufacturers in the last few months. In November, Accu hit three new sales


records in one week, culminating in 500 orders – the most taken in a day – its highest daily revenue – £50,000 – and its highest weekly revenue. This rise in demand aided the company’s decision to have a physical presence in the US, enabling the firm to offer a round-the-clock service to its global manufacturing clients.


£12.6M tech INvestMeNt set to create 750 NorthWest MaNufacturINg jobs


Manufacturers supported by Made Smarter, the movement helping SMEs join the Industry 4.0 revolution, are forecasting the creation of more than 750 new jobs from £12.6m of technology investment. Since launching two years ago, the


North West technology adoption pilot has engaged with 1,131 businesses to help them introduce digital tools and technologies to help boost productivity and growth, and navigate the impact of COVID-19. 542 manufacturers have received intensive support including expert, impartial technology advice, digital transformation workshops to help manufacturers take their first steps to transform their business, a leadership programme, and funded digital technology internships. 126 businesses have secured £3.2m matched funding for 155 projects which are worth £12.6m after private sector investment. These technology adoption projects are


forecast to deliver an additional £118.9m in gross value added (GVA) for the North West economy over the next three years, create 761 new jobs, and upskill 1,585 existing roles. Some manufacturers are developing


projects using technologies which enable them to integrate systems, capture and analyse data, and even create simulations of their plants and processes. Others are


UKManufacturing January 2021


Co-founder, Martin Ackroyd, said: “2021 is


looking like another record-breaking year. 2020 has not been easy, but we’ve proven that we’re able to support our client base during tough times, and it is these relationships that will mature next year – they’ll come back to us for their larger production needs when the market recovers. “We currently export to 150 countries


worldwide, and we intend to set up distribution centres around the world – we are just at the start.”.


www.accu.co.uk/en/


NortherN INdustrIal opeNsMexIco offIce


UK-based international


spare parts and repairs exporter Northern Industrial has opened an operation in Mexico to help service the Americas including the US. The new Mexico City


spare parts storage, shipping and repairs facility will be headed up by Alejandro Núñez and is the first overseas site to be opened by Northern Industrial, a multi-award-winning provider of new, reconditioned and obsolete parts and repair services. Exporting to 146 countries from its Blackburn


using 3D-printing, automation, and robotics to solve business challenges and meet increased demand. Over 80 per cent of SMEs working with


Made Smarter to adopt cutting-edge technologies have seen a boost in productivity, and more than 25 per cent reduced their carbon emissions. Businesses will also benefit from increased revenue, profits and exports, and lower energy bills.


www.madesmarter.uk 5


facilities, where it holds approximately £10m in stock covering over 200,000 part numbers, sourced from over 1,350 manufacturers, Northern Industrial helped over 4,000 companies keep up and running last year. Northern Industrial managing director David


Lenehan said: “Our mission is to help businesses keep downtime to an absolute minimum. While we can offer 48-hour delivery of tested and approved spare parts worldwide from our main facility in Blackburn, our new Mexico City operation will help us keep downtime to a minimum for our customers across the Atlantic.”


nicontrols.com/uk/


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