APRIL 2020 ROUND-UP
Did you hear... The best soundbites from around the industry
“Unilever happily exploits its historical legacy, but for its British
manufacturing workforce that sentiment is increasingly ringing hollow.”
Eamon O’Hearn, GMB national officer, criticises the closure of Unilver’s 136-year-old factory
in Warrington – the company’s first in the UK – calling it a “hammer blow” for the town.
Pic of the month
“We welcome the business measures to support companies and jobs in
difficult times whilst keeping an eye on longer term stimuli for our economy.”
Brian Holliday, managing director of Siemens Digital Industries, comments on the
R&D boost for manufacturers included in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s first Budget.
Nissan chief operating officer, Ashwani Gupta, helped to unveil a new £52 million XL press
line at the company’s Sunderland manufacturing plant, as preparations ramp up for the
next generation Qashqai model. The press, which weighs more than 2,000 tonnes and has
taken 18 months to install, is part of a £400 million investment by Nissan in readiness for
the third-generation Qashqai,one of the company’s most successful models in history. The
new press includes a new recycling system to segregate and process scrap, and upgrades
to the existing blanking line which will supply flat blanks (the sheets of metal that are ready
to be pressed) to the XL press. It is capable of stamping more than 6.1 million vehicle
panels a year. Steve Marsh, vice president of manufacturing at the plant, said: “Watching
the first perfect panels coming off the press was a proud moment, and is a reflection of the
tremendous skills we have here on Wearside.”
Youth the answer
for Liberty Steel
Liberty Steel Group’s
Speciality Steels
business in South
Yorkshire is hiring a new
group of apprentices
for the upcoming
academic year.
Liberty is offering
20 Level 3 and Degree
apprenticeships in a
variety of engineering
specialisms, covering
electrical, mechanical
and materials across its
South Yorkshire
business. A further 10
apprentices will be
hired across Liberty
Steel Group’s other
UK businesses.
The Speciality Steels
apprenticeship
programme, which
operates across sites
in Stocksbridge and
Rotherham, is
renowned in the
region and was
selected as a Centrica
Top 100 Apprenticeship
Employer in 2018.
Apprentices joining
Speciality Steels will
have the opportunity
to shape LIBERTY Steel
Group’s transition to
carbon-neutral status
by 2030, with the goal
of becoming the first
global largescale steel
producer to achieve the
landmark.
MMS among industry events postponed
The Manufacturing
The pandemic has wreaked
Management Show (MMS),
havoc with the events
originally scheduled to take
programme of the spring and
place from 9-11 June at the
summer of 2020. The biggest
NEC in Birmingham, has been
casualty was the bi-annual
postponed to 28-30 September
MACH exhibition, which was
due to the coronavirus
due to be held from 20-24 April,
pandemic. The show will remain
but has now been postponed to
co-located with both Subcon
25-28 January 2021.
and The Engineer Expo, and
“We believe that this
will feature a full programme
of thought-leader content from
some of the manufacturing
industry’s biggest names,
including Make UK, the RNLI
and Tata Chemicals Europe.
decision, which has not been
taken lightly, is in the best
interests of the industry and
those who work in it,” said
James Selka, MD of event
organisters, the Manufacturing
Technologies Association.
“Our first priority is, of
course, the health and
safety of the 30,000+
people who will visit and
work at MACH.
“In addition, we believe
that by moving MACH
to January 2021 we are
going to be able to offer a
better experience for our
visitors, and better value
for our exhibitors, than by
holding it in April under the
conditions likely to be in
place at that time.”
Nissan Motor Manufacturing
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk 7
Liberty Steel Group
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk