Two words – ‘carbon’ and ‘people’ sum up the biggest challenges facing manufacturing, according to CEO and chaiman of GSM Group Barry Dodd. Speaking this week at a manufacturing lunch organised by Leeds Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by law firm Irwin Mitchell, he argued that rising fuel costs in energy and logistics combined with new ‘carbon taxes’ will make it critical for business,…

Innovative Leeds-based lighting specialist Harvard Engineering has launched a new facility in St Georges-les-Baillargeaux, France to spearhead the company’s growth across Europe. Harvard has identified a rapidly developing LED market across the Continent, where it plans to distribute its CooLED and LeafNut products and the company’s business development director Peter McDonnell, will be responsible for the new French facility

Following the froth and gush of the Oscars, Leeds manufacturing companies continue to distinguish themselves with more meaningful awards.

Harvard Engineering pulled off a hat-trick in the Yorkshire Forward Innovator/10 Awards, including the Sustainable Innovation prize for its ground-breaking LeafNut system for street lights.

And ATB Morley has reached the finals in the Best Exporter category of the Going Global Awards hosted by Yorkshire Forward…

Results of the latest survey of members of Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber shows a stong growth in export sales and orders amongst manufacturers and an increase in the number of businesses recruiting. Key findings show:

• Manufacturers reported 33% growth in export sales and 11% growth in export orders, the largest reported improvements in over two years
• Matched by a 27% increase in sales in the

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Strong nerves are needed when the tough get going, but if the nerves hold, the pay-off can be well worth the effort.

New Year proof of the effectiveness of this approach comes from brewing equipment manufacturer Microdat, a company that has continued to invest and develop new products through the recession. The firm’s current order book, already exceeds total sales in 2009 and six new jobs have been…

Congratulations to Leeds-based Corrocoat on receiving two key industry product approvals and being well on the way to a third from organisations including The Ministry of Defence, Network Rail and The National Grid.

A range of Corrocoat products have been approved by the MOD and listed in Warpaint, a publication that offers advice and guidance on coatings for application to Royal Naval surface ships…

Just finished working through a report from PWC on The Future of UK Manufacturing. Hard going but some really interesting analysis and observations in there. As the report’s sub-heading puts it, reports of the death of manufacturing in the UK are greatly exaggerated but the sector faces major challenges if it is to retain critical mass in the long term.

It also bursts the bubble of some popular misconceptions. The…