Posted by guest blogger, David Raistrick, UK manufacturing industry leader for Deloitte, based in Leeds

Our global manufacturing competitiveness index reveals that the UK, US, Japan and Western European countries are expected to become less competitive over the next five years, as China, India and Korea maintain their leading positions. The UK is currently ranked 17 on Deloitte’s global competitiveness index and is expected to drop three positions to…

Blog from Jason Whitworth, partner and manufacturing expert based at BDO in Leeds

There’s no denying the region’s manufacturing businesses have had a tough time, but we are starting to see Yorkshire’s resilient nature pay off, as more companies report signs of improving demand and are looking to the future with greater confidence about prospects for recovery.

We have seen a larger than expected improvement in output and…

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,…

UK Manufacturing recorded its strongest growth for 23 years in March, according to the National Institute for Economic and Social Research. Manufacturing output grew by 2.3% in March – the sharpest rise since 1987 – strengthening growth within the wider economy and suggesting that the recovery is more secure than previously thought.

The rise in output has been driven by a…

Jeff Gold, Professor of Organisation Learning, Leeds Metropolitan University and Fellow of the Northern Leadership Academy talks about the need for learning and change in business and the challenges this presents for SMEs.

Posted by guest blogger, David Raistrick, UK manufacturing industry leader for Deloitte, based in Leeds

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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A cautious cup of seasonal cheer in that conditions in the UK’s manufacturing sector continued to improve in the final quarter. But the report by the manufacturers organisation EEF and professional services firm BDO states that signs of a strong rebound in 2010 remain elusive.

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…

The torrid impact of recession on the UK automotive industry was the theme taken up by Birkby’s Plastics chief exec Ian Parker at the MAS Manufacturing Convention.

Following the temporary closures of UK car plants, he described how the business went from shipping 140,000 components a day to just over 60,000 and how the assets, valued at over £4million when he was brought in to lead the management…