Yangli 160 ton press delivered to Pre-Met

Manufacturing in the Crossfire

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:36:15 GMT

UK SME Manufacturers: Navigating an Unprecedented Convergence of Risk

I have spent the last six years embedded deep inside a UK manufacturing business. Not advising from a distance but leading from the inside: active on the shop floor in Redditch, looking over the in-house toolroom, talking to customers whose supply chains are under pressure, and trying to make the numbers work in an increasingly uncertain global landscape – a volatile environment that gives you very little margin for error. So when people ask me how UK SME manufacturing is doing, I don’t reach for an academic tome. I look at our horizon of life – the real-time sales order book.

At Pre-Met, we are genuinely building momentum – precision metal pressings and stampings for aerospace, automotive, construction, transport, medtech, and, increasingly, defence. Over the last five years we have invested in new technology, taken on new people, made acquisitions, and entered new markets.

There is real change in parts of the sector. But the headwinds are the most severe I have seen in thirty-five years, and the perfect storm of wars and conflicts, a global cost of living crisis, accelerating technology change, and political uncertainty in every direction are all hammering any remaining opportunity to balance the books – let alone achieve sustainable profit.

That is what makes this moment genuinely different. What follows is my honest read of four forces bearing down on UK SME manufacturers right now:

1) the latest twists to the steel tariff and import regime that are making UK manufacturers less competitive than their EU and Asian counterparts;

2) the delay to the UK Defence Investment Plan and what it is actually doing to companies in the defence supply chain;

3) the Chinese and Far East EV offensive and what it means for UK and EU automotive component suppliers; and

4) the Government’s budget-busting employer National Insurance and National Minimum Wage changes that have added a structural cost to every manufacturer with a workforce.

None of these is a new story. Together they form a picture that demands a clear-eyed response.

Steel: a game of tariff roulette we didn’t choose to play

The UK exported around 300,000 tonnes of steel to the US in 2017, worth roughly £490 million. By 2023 that had fallen to 165,000 tonnes and £388 million, battered by Section 232 tariffs that started in 2018 and have escalated sharply since. In June 2025 the US raised those tariffs to 50% for almost all trading partners. The UK was held at 25% under the Economic Prosperity Deal – a relative reprieve, not a resolution. On 2 April 2026 the rules changed again: tariffs now apply to the full customs value of steel, not just its metal content, and only steel ‘melted and poured’ in the UK qualifies for the preferential rate.

That is the export side. Here is the side that gets less attention and matters more to most UK manufacturers.

From 1 July 2026, the UK government is cutting steel import quotas by 60% and imposing a 50% tariff on any imports above those limits. The intention – to protect British Steel and domestic producers from cheap, state-subsidised steel diverted by US and EU protectionism – is right. The consequence for downstream manufacturers, the businesses that buy steel as a raw material, is a serious competitive disadvantage that the announcement barely acknowledges.

A UK metal pressings manufacturer buying above-quota steel from 1 July faces a 50% tariff on that input. Their German or French counterpart buys from EU producers within the single market without that cost. Their Asian competitors produce their own subsidised steel at prices that bear no relation to a market rate. The UK manufacturer is caught between a policy designed to protect one part of the steel industry and a market reality that makes their finished goods more expensive to produce than the competition. That is not theoretical. It lands directly in the quote you are preparing for a customer who is also being quoted by suppliers in Germany, Poland, and South Korea.

UK steel demand has contracted 16% since 2018 while import quotas have been liberalised by 22% oversized and ineffective simultaneously. Global excess capacity is heading toward 721 million tonnes by 2027, more than a hundred times UK annual production. You cannot forward-contract steel with the same confidence you could three years ago. You cannot price a fixed-cost contract twelve months out with certainty about your material costs. Protecting producers at the expense of processors is not a steel strategy. It is a choice about who bears the cost – and right now, that choice is landing on manufacturers who are already under pressure from every other direction.

Defence: Short arms, deep pockets – where are the contracts?

In June 2025, Pre-Met obtained JOSCAR approval – the global best practice supplier portal used by thousands of major OEMs, tier-one suppliers, and supply chain companies across the UK and Europe. We qualified for the UK MoD Procurement portal registration too. We passed every criterion and compliance check. We went to the Farnborough JOSCAR ‘meet the buyer’ session. Defence spending is heading toward 3.5% of GDP by 2035, and the government has committed to increasing direct MoD spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion by 2028. We have done the work. We are ready.

And then we wait.

The UK Defence Investment Plan – the ten-year framework that was supposed to tell industry where the money is going and when – was promised in autumn 2025. It did not arrive. It was still unpublished at year end. As of April 2026 the Ministry of Defence is still, in its own words, ‘working flat out’ to finalise it. In testimony to the defence select committee in March 2026, trade body executives were direct: SMEs across the defence supply chain are ‘bleeding cash’. Some have had to exit the sector. Others are surviving only because major prime contractors are bailing out their supply chains. MoD payments outstanding in the supply chain are compounding the problem. The ambition is not wrong. What is wrong is the gap between the announcement and the contract, in which real businesses run out of cash, real workers lose jobs, and real capability – the kind that takes years to build – disappears from the UK industrial base. The House of Commons defence committee said it plainly: industry ‘lacks an adequate signal’ from government.

I said it at the Made in the Midlands Westminster Parliamentary Reception in December 2025 and I will say it again: UK manufacturing is full of exceptional people and businesses who want to do this work. The capability exists. What has been missing is the will to give industry the certainty it needs to invest ahead of the contracts. You cannot build a sovereign defence supply chain by announcing it. You build it by issuing contracts to companies that can deliver, and you issue those contracts when those companies still exist. The SME Commercial Pathway launched in January 2026 is a step, but it is not a complete package yet.

The EV assault: what the automotive disruption actually means in a toolroom

In 2025, BYD outsold Tesla in the UK: 51,422 vehicles to 45,513 – the first major Western market where a Chinese manufacturer outsold Musk’s company. In September 2025 alone, BYD’s UK sales surged 880% year on year. Chinese brands now account for roughly 10% of all new UK car registrations. This is not a trend that is coming. It has arrived.

Every major established European manufacturer outside Toyota saw production volumes plateau or decline in 2025. UK vehicle production fell 15.5% across the year. Volkswagen, Stellantis, Ford – the names that have been sending purchase orders to UK component suppliers for forty years – are running lower volumes, building more of what they do make in lower-cost regions, and managing the transition to electrification with all the financial strain that implies. The market is not disappearing. It is migrating toward players who largely do not have established UK supply chains.

For Pre-Met, which has supplied into automotive for decades, this is not a remote threat. The ICE component that was a reliable long-run order five years ago has a shorter and less certain future today. The EV supply chain is being built differently: faster, with a higher proportion of components manufactured in China and brought into assembly in Europe. BYD’s Hungary plant is designed to produce 800,000 units annually, and their stated intention is to build a complete local supply chain for European production. That supply chain is not currently UK-first.

The answer is not panic and it is not protectionism. The answer is what we have been doing: diversify into sectors where UK supply chain resilience is valued and the quality bar is high enough to matter. Aerospace. Rail. Defence. Medtech. These are sectors where JOSCAR approval, AS9100, TS16949 accreditation, and 100% on-time-in-full delivery count for something. The manufacturers that will come through this are the ones that moved decisively into adjacent sectors before their automotive customers told them the order was ending.

UK National Insurance and the National Living Wage: a structural cost with no mitigation

From April 2025, employer National Insurance rose from 13.8% to 15%, and the secondary threshold dropped from £9,100 to £5,000 per year. You pay more. You pay it on more of each employee’s earnings. The OBR estimated the combined cost at approximately £25 billion a year. That is not a one-off. It is a permanent structural increase in the cost of employment.

The British Chambers of Commerce found 82% of firms say the NI rise will impact their business. For manufacturers – labour-intensive by definition, unable to move their workforce offshore or replace a press setter with an algorithm – the impact is not theoretical. At Pre-Met, every additional employee, every apprentice, every skilled machinist we retain costs more than twelve months ago. Not because their wages have risen. Because the tax on employing them has gone up and kicked in at a lower threshold. For Pre-Met specifically, this is an annual cost shift of £60–70k – the equivalent of two or three full-time operators – for no operational gain whatsoever.

Then there is the National Minimum Wage, rising on top of everything else. This is not an argument against paying people properly. It is an observation about the stacking. In a single twelve-month period, UK manufacturers absorbed higher NI, a higher National Minimum Wage, extremely elevated energy costs, tariff-driven material price uncertainty, the ongoing fallout from post-Covid debt, and the ripple effects of Ukraine and Iran. Alone, each is difficult to navigate. Combined, we face scaling Everest in sliders and beach shorts.

The 940,000 employers seeing higher contributions are not large corporations with treasury teams and flexible global cost structures. They are metal pressings in Redditch, toolmakers in Coventry, precision engineers in the West Midlands – the industrial backbone of the regions the government says it wants to level up. Telling them to absorb the cost or pass it on to customers, when customers are also under pressure and looking for lower prices, is a policy answer that does not survive contact with a real balance sheet.

So what do we do?

I am not writing this to complain. Complaining is not a strategy, and I have spent enough time in distressed businesses to know that the companies which survive difficult periods are not the ones who wait for the environment to improve. They are the ones who face the truth of their position, act on it, and use the difficulty as a forcing function to do the things they should have done anyway.

The strategic response for any SME manufacturer is this: diversify your customer base before you have to. Qualify into sectors that value UK supply chain resilience. Invest in technology and accreditation when you can still afford to, not when your existing revenue is already falling. Review your steel procurement now – before 1 July, not after. Understand your quota exposure, your transitional arrangements, and your above-quota cost on every input line. Manage your cost base with discipline. Face the truth of your balance sheet before HMRC forces the conversation.

At Pre-Met we have been doing this. The QSP acquisition in May 2025 brought wire form and spring manufacturing expertise, robotic welding capability, and access to new markets in transport, electronics, and construction. The £500,000 invested in consolidating QSP delivered a 30% boost in production capacity. JOSCAR approval opened the defence door. Rail is now a growth market, with production expected to rise another 20% in 2026. None of this happened by accident. But it is what active management looks like when the external environment is against you.

That is the manufacturer’s answer. The honest answer to ‘what do we do’ cannot stop there, though. Government has to play its part. The UK cannot build a world-class SME manufacturing base on warm words, delayed investment plans, and a tax regime that penalises the act of employing skilled people. So here, directly, is what I would ask of government – five measures that would make a material difference, most of them already standard tools in the countries we are competing against.

1. Refundable Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit

Full Expensing already exists, but it only offsets tax liability – and it arrives too late for a business investing ahead of profit. A refundable credit at 25p in the pound on qualifying manufacturing capex – CNC, presses, robots, tooling – means HMRC pays you the credit even with no current tax liability, putting working capital back into the business at the point of maximum cash pressure. The US did this through the IRA. France does it through the JEI scheme. For Pre-Met’s £500k QSP consolidation, a 25p refundable credit would have returned £125k at exactly the moment we needed it most. Manufacturing capital investment deserves the same treatment as research.

2. Employer NI Exemption for Manufacturing Apprentices and Accredited Skilled Workers

The NI hike is a structural tax on employing people in a sector that cannot offshore its workforce. Target the relief precisely: exempt employer NI on apprentices in manufacturing for their first three years, and on workers employed by companies holding recognised manufacturing accreditations

- AS9100, TS16949, JOSCAR, ISO 9001. This rewards exactly the behaviours government says it wants

- skills investment, quality accreditation, supply chain resilience – and gives businesses a financial incentive to keep training rather than freeze headcount.

3. Export Processing Relief on Steel Inputs

A proper Inward Processing Relief scheme: if you import steel above the new quota, add value through UK manufacturing, and export the finished product, you reclaim the tariff paid on the steel input. This is standard across Germany, France, the US, and South Korea. Restore it properly for UK exporters and the two policy objectives – protecting domestic steel producers and supporting manufacturers who process steel – are no longer mutually exclusive. Right now, the policy treats them as if they are.

4. Defence SME Advance Payment Guarantee and Fast-Track Certification Fund

Two measures, neither requiring the DIP to be published first. One: mandate 30-day payment terms across all MoD supply chain tiers with automatic late payment penalties ringfenced into a Defence SME liquidity fund. Two: fund JOSCAR, AS9100, and DASA certification costs for qualifying SMEs up to£50k via a grant administered through existing trade bodies. British Business Bank to back a pre-contract facility so SMEs can fund the investment a defence contract requires before that contract is signed. This keeps the supply chain alive while the DIP catches up.

5. British Business Bank Manufacturing Export Guarantee

For a 60-person business in Redditch with a £400k export order into aerospace or rail, the transaction cost of accessing UKEF is often prohibitive and the minimum deal sizes exclude them entirely. A BBB Manufacturing Export Guarantee for SME manufacturers with verifiable accreditations: loan guarantees covering pre-export working capital and buyer credit guarantees making UK manufacturers price-competitive against German and French competitors who have state-backed export finance as standard. Cap it at £5 million per transaction. Embed access inside existing trade bodies – Made in the Midlands, Aerospace Wales, Northern Powerhouse Manufacturing – to remove the friction. We are competing against businesses whose governments are quietly backing their working capital. We are not.

None of these are new ideas. They are standard tools in the countries we compete against. The ask from UK SME manufacturers is not special treatment. It is a level playing field with competitors we are already up against – and a government that recognises the difference between protecting the companies that make steel and protecting the companies that make things with it.

The challenges are not going away quickly. The tariff regime will remain unpredictable, with a step-change for steel buyers on 1 July. The DIP will eventually arrive, but contracts reaching SME shop floors will take time. Chinese EV brands are not retreating. The NI and wage costs are permanent. The response is not to wait for better times. It is to position for them while they are still approaching – and to hold government to its stated ambition for the sector while doing so.

That is what ValueStep does. That is what Pre-Met does. And it is what every well-run SME manufacturer should be doing right now: taking the honest look, making the hard calls, and getting on with it.

James Leng

Executive Director, ValueStep Limited | Managing Director, Pre-Met Named in Britain’s Great 100, December 2025

j.p.leng@valuestep.co.uk | +353 (0) 87 460 5484 | www.valuestep.co.uk www.metalpressingsandstampings.co.uk

Pre-Met MD Featured on BBC News Discussing Pressures Facing UK Manufacturing

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:45:33 GMT

National coverage highlighting the challenges and resilience of UK manufacturing.

Pre-Met’s Managing Director, James Leng, has appeared on BBC News, following earlier coverage in The Telegraph, contributing to national discussion around the current pressures facing UK manufacturing.

The BBC article explored how rising employment costs, changes to taxation and broader economic uncertainty are affecting manufacturers across the country. For many small and medium-sized enterprises, these pressures are influencing recruitment decisions, capital investment plans and overall business confidence.

The coverage examined how increases in employer National Insurance contributions and wider cost pressures are being felt directly by manufacturers operating on tight margins and long-term contracts. For businesses embedded within complex supply chains, cost changes cannot always be passed on immediately, creating additional strain.

As a precision metal pressings and stampings specialist established in 1973 and based in Redditch, Pre-Met operates within these realities daily. Manufacturing is capital-intensive. Investment in tooling, machinery, workforce training and quality systems requires confidence and predictability.

The national conversation reflects what many in the sector are already managing:

Increased employment costs affecting headcount planning
Reduced confidence influencing capital expenditure decisions
Ongoing pressure to maintain competitiveness within global supply chains
The need for stable policy environments to support long-term programme delivery

Manufacturing does not operate in isolation. Policy decisions translate directly into factory-floor outcomes. Investment decisions are made months or years in advance. Stability enables growth. Uncertainty slows it.

Despite these pressures, Pre-Met continues to prioritise:

High-quality precision production
Reliable delivery across long-term programmes
Strong, collaborative customer partnerships
Continuous improvement within our processes and systems

British manufacturing remains resilient, innovative and critical to the wider economy. Businesses across the sector continue to adapt while maintaining standards and supporting skilled employment.

You can read the full BBC News article here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czx432ynew1o

Coverage also appeared in The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/01/the-town-brought-to-its-knees-by-labours-jobs-crisis/

If you are reviewing suppliers or planning forward production volumes, our team would welcome a conversation .

James Leng Named Among Britain’s Great 100 Manufacturing Leaders

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:29:42 GMT

Recognising Pre-Met's contribution to driving progress across British industry.

Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in the Midlands (left), with James Leng, Managing Director of Pre-Met (right), at the Great 100 celebration in London.

Pre-Met is proud to announce that James Leng, Managing Director, has been recognised as one of Britain’s Great 100 - a national honour celebrating the leaders shaping the future of UK manufacturing and engineering. Selected by the Made in Group, the Great 100 highlights individuals who are backing Britain through outstanding leadership, advocacy and commitment to strengthening the UK industrial landscape. Honourees represent excellence across sustainability, skills development, innovation, supply-chain strength and strategic resilience.

James Leng listed among the Round 9 honourees at Britain’s Great 100 Awards.

Why James Leng Was Selected

James’ recognition is a reflection of his consistent commitment to advancing UK manufacturing through:

Championing British industry in national forums, trade associations and parliamentary events
Driving sustainable, future-proof practices across operations and supply chain
Investing in talent, with a strong focus on apprenticeships, technical training and workforce development
Demonstrating resilience and strategic thinking, particularly through Pre-Met’s 2025 programme of business investment, capability expansion and sector accreditations
Strengthening UK supply-chain reliability, including defence, aerospace and transportation markets
His leadership has been instrumental in positioning Pre-Met for long-term growth, capability enhancement and increased national impact.

James at the Britain's Great 100 Made in the Midlands Reception in Westminster, London - December 2025

Discussing the wider importance of the Great 100, James noted: “Being named among Britain’s Great 100 is a tremendous honour. UK manufacturing is full of exceptional people and businesses, and I’m proud to play a part in driving the sector forward. This recognition reflects the dedication of the entire Pre-Met team and our shared commitment to backing British innovation, skills and industrial strength.”

In support of the achievement, Pre-Met added: “We are delighted to see James named among Britain’s Great 100. His leadership has played a key role in driving Pre-Met’s growth, investment strategy and commitment to high-quality UK manufacturing. This recognition highlights the impact of his work across the sector and reinforces our shared commitment to strengthening British industry for the future.”

James joins the 2025 cohort of Britain’s Great 100 winners, photographed here with industry leaders recognised for their contribution to UK manufacturing.

About The Great 100

The Great 100 celebrates individuals who are advancing British industry - from innovators and mentors to sustainability advocates and supply-chain leaders.

Honourees were recognised at a special celebration in London following the Made in Group ’s Westminster Parliamentary Reception, where manufacturers, policymakers and industry partners came together to discuss the future of UK engineering and industrial capability.

As part of his award, James now features within the official Great 100 leadership cohort and is entitled to use the Great 100 marks across professional communications, marketing and public channels.

Pre-Met on the charge with £500,000 ‘QSP’ relocation

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:05:26 GMT

Latest News from Pre-Met

Pre-Met has invested £500,000 into relocating the operations and welding technology of Quality Springs & Pressings (QSP) - a business it bought at the start of January.

The leading metal pressings and stamping specialist has upgraded factory-wide electrical supply, freed up 10,000 sq ft of production space and created dedicated welding bays to support new opportunities in defence, aerospace and transportation.

All staff are now operational at the firm’s Studley Road factory in Redditch, with the management team keen to use the acquisition to capitalise on enhanced wire form and spring manufacturing expertise, as well as embedding robotic welding and assemblies into its overall service offer.

Four new jobs have been created so far, and this number could increase with Pre-Met recently securing JOSCAR approval, a global best practice supplier portal used by major OEMs, tier 1s and supply chain companies across the UK and Europe.

"Our order book has strengthened quite nicely since the acquisition, and this has given us confidence to re-invest in taking the next steps."

James Leng, Managing Director, commented: “Our order book has strengthened quite nicely since the acquisition, and this has given us confidence to re-invest in taking the next steps.

“Many existing clients have extended their order schedules, and this has been combined with securing new work in transportation, electronics, and construction products, alongside some renewals components to extend life of commercial scale recycling bins.”

He continued: “The relocation has been a real labour of love, but we are now in an ideal position to maximise the QSP purchase. As part of the move, we accelerated the modernisation of our production facility, installing additional storage and, importantly, creating a dedicated welding section with both manual and robotic bays.

“Our 6-axis robot is compact yet powerful and its slim and lightweight design enables it to be positioned close to the workpiece to improve part accessibility.

“When combined with our welding power source (Miller Auto-Axcess 450) - designed specifically for robotic welding applications - we can now support precision MIG and Pulsed MIG welding processes. Thes are all linked to our data management process, ensuring high output and world class quality production’.

Operating from Redditch since 1973, Pre-Met originally made high-value pens, cufflinks and telecommunication parts, with today’s company evolving into a critical, quality-assured supplier to aerospace, mobility, med-tech, construction, electronics and transport sectors, shipping its components to customers across the world.

Consistent investment in new technology and workforce development has seen it become a metal pressings and assembly specialist, offering a full product lifecycle from concept and design to prototyping and low, medium and high-volume production.

It has also worked tirelessly to achieve the highest levels of manufacturing performance, securing world class ‘right first time’ and quality scores, not to mention gaining ISO 9001, AS9100 (aerospace) and TS16949 (automotive) accreditations.

More recently, Pre-Met has reinforced its commitment to digital transformation by obtaining its Cyber Essentials security certificate.

James concluded: “The next few months are going to be really exciting. I’m due to be speaking at a virtual Made in the Midlands event (September 17 ^th ) on how acquisitions can accelerate entry into new markets and then we head to Farnborough for a ‘JOSCAR’ meet the buyer session. This is a fantastic opportunity to get in front of a lot of defence buyers for the first time.”

For further information, please visit www.metalpressingsandstampings.co.uk

or follow the company across its social media channels.

We're officially one of the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Companies in Worcestershire!

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:14:52 GMT

Pre-Met is proud to be recognised in Grant Thornton’s 2025 Worcestershire Growth Index, which celebrates the region’s top-performing privately-owned businesses based on three-year EBITDA growth.

This recognition reflects the strength of our team, our drive for continuous improvement, and our commitment to excellence in UK manufacturing.

Explore the report to see how Worcestershire businesses like Pre-Met are shaping the future of British industry.

Download the full report here

JOSCAR approval sparks £multi-million opportunity for Pre-Met

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 11:38:00 GMT

A Redditch-based metal pressing and stamping specialist is targeting a £multi-million opportunity in aerospace, automotive and defence after it was approved by a major industry buying portal.

Pre-Met, which recently completed the acquisition of Quality Springs & Pressings, has passed all the criteria and compliance checks required to be listed on JOSCAR, a global best practice supplier portal used by thousands of major OEMs, tier1s and supply chain companies across the UK and Europe.

The company’s impressive 100% on-time-in-full delivery performance, outstanding quality scores and commitment to environmental and health and safety best practice saw it pass all the stringent checks and the firm is now looking to increase sales with existing and new customers using the platform.

“There is a definitive move to industry using online portals more for purchasing decisions as they do a lot of the hard work in terms of quality checking and approving suppliers,” explained Steve Delaney, Business Development Director at Pre-Met.

“JOSCAR is one of the most widely used platforms and, from the research we’ve undertaken, we genuinely believe being listed on there will generate £millions of new quoting opportunities for the business, a lot of which will be in our new target market of defence.”

He continued: “The portal promotes competitive responses to work packages and design solutions, as well as grouping work packages in consortia approaches – these can be very lucrative.

“Membership is not a given. To be eligible you must demonstrate strong quality performance and a proven financial track record, as well as holding major industry accreditations, such as TS16949 (automotive), AS9100 (aerospace), ISO14001 (Environmental) and ISO45001 (Health and Safety). It’s another really important badge of approval for us.”

Operating from Redditch since 1973, Pre-Met originally made high-value pens, cufflinks and telecommunication parts, with today’s company evolving into a critical, quality-assured supplier to aerospace, mobility, medtech, construction, electrical and transport sectors, shipping its components to customers across the world.

The acquisition of Quality Springs & Pressings will take the total workforce to 60, with the transfer of production machinery and equipment to the company’s Studley Road site being completed over the next two months.

It will broaden the group’s capacity to include more wire form and spring manufacturing expertise, additional presses, as well as embedding new robot and manual welding capabilities, as the enlarged business aims to increase revenues towards £10 million.

James Leng, Managing Director of Pre-Met, concluded: “JOSCAR is another avenue for us to explore as we look to grow the company both organically and through future acquisitions that complement our existing services and products.

“Automotive, aerospace and construction have always been big markets for us, but we now have the technology and capability to make medium and high-volume pressings, assemblies and wire forms for use in defence. With spending set to rocket in this arena, there is a great opportunity to bring some of this work to Worcestershire.”

For further information, please visit www.metalpressingsandstampings.co.uk or follow the company across its social media channels.

Pre-Met Presses on with QSP Acquisition

Tue, 20 May 2025 13:29:40 GMT

One of the UK’s leading metal pressings and stamping specialists has set its sights on growth after sealing its latest strategic acquisition.

Pre-Met, which operates from a 50,000 sq ft factory in Redditch, has purchased nearby Quality Springs & Pressings (QSP) in a deal that will help it increase market share in the automotive, construction, environmental and transport markets.

Caption for Pre-Met Acquisition (Ext): (l-r) Steve Delaney, Martin Haywood, Lucie Long, Gerry Dunne and James Leng (all Pre-Met).

All 16 staff are being retained to take the total workforce to 60, with the transfer of production machinery and equipment to the company’s Studley Road site being completed over the next three months.

The acquisition broadens the group’s capacity to include more wire form and spring manufacturing expertise, additional presses, as well as embedding new robot and manual welding capabilities, as it looks to increase revenues toward its targeted revenue milestone of £10 million.

“This is a very important strategic move for our business and creates a host of exciting opportunities to offer our customers additional manufacturing processes and assemblies all under one roof,” explained James Leng, Managing Director of Pre-Met.

“QSP has a fantastic track record and strong client base, which was a major attraction for us, and we will only improve this through the support of our quality accreditation team, technical/design specialists and our comprehensive on-site tooling shop.”

He continued: “This is just the first deal. Over the next twelve months we’ll be embarking on an ambitious acquisition drive that will bolt on complementary manufacturing businesses that give us access to new technologies, new markets and new products.”

Operating from Redditch since 1973, Pre-Met originally made high-value pens, cufflinks and telecommunication parts, with today’s company evolving into a critical, quality-assured supplier to aerospace, mobility, medtech, construction, electrical and transport sectors, shipping its components to customers across the world.

The firm can also provide a tool transfer facility for companies looking to shorten supply chains or reshore work back to the UK.

James went on to add: “QSP’s parts are relied upon by globally renowned OEMs and 1 ^st tier suppliers with operations both in the UK and overseas. We are now looking to extend our quality assurance accreditations to support us winning new business in the EU.

“As part of the deal, Director Steve Delaney joins the Pre-Met leadership team to explore business development opportunities and strategic customer relationships. He has over 28 years’ experience in this arena and a comprehensive understanding of what clients require – this is a skill set I’m sure will be very beneficial to the group.”

Advisers to the acquisition were Higgs LLP, Kreston Reeves Accountants and Metro HR.

For further information, please visit www.metalpressingsandstampings.co.uk or follow the company across its social media channels.

Pre-Met: Key Challenges Navigating Business in Tough Times

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:35:18 GMT

The key factors to staying resilient when global economic drivers indicate swings in uncertainty levels not seen since the 1970s.

As we prepare for Winter 2024, with heavy rain hammering the UK and Europe in unpredicted downpours, we look at challenges, and responses of course, for business during a period post-pandemic, with ‘cost of living’ shockwaves easing but residual and persistent economic limpness. Just how does business respond? A strategic approach, prompt action, and careful monitoring of business metrics can provide assured control in securing long-term survival and growth. Let’s find out more…

Recognising a Period of Economic Stagnation

The first step is to spot the early signs of economic stagnation and make your company resilient enough to weather the storm. By knowing the early indicators, you can take pre-emptive measures before the situation worsens. As management experts McKinsey state,

“Economic downturns are impossible to predict and sure as sunrise. Build resilience now, because when the sun comes up, you’d better be moving.”

Source: McKinsey, May 21, 2019

Monitoring Competitors

“During an economic downturn, companies should keep a close eye on the competition.”

Source: Forbes, Feb 8, 2023

By doing this, you can understand if the economic decline is part of a wider trend in the sector. Monitoring your competitors, particularly their pricing, marketing strategies, and other tactics, helps you identify their response to the downturn. This crucial data helps your business to remain competitive by adapting and adjusting strategy to respond as the changes impact and accelerate.

Being Decisive

Decisiveness is the key to survival during a downturn before the economic crisis worsens. Having the ability to sport the early signs and make swift decisions is vital. Opus, Business Advisory Group recommends that,

"Good management sees the red flags early and takes corrective action before the downturn becomes irreversible”.

Source: Opus, June 5, 2023

Effective and prompt decision-making such as cost-cutting, restructuring, and finding new revenue streams can make your company resilient to the downturn. This will bring stability and pave the way for a sustainable financial future. Do not bury the head in sand and hope things will improve. They just don’t.

Continue Regular Communications with Staff

Effective communication with staff is crucial during a period of economic slowdown. Transparent communication builds up morale and a sense of trust. Human resources should be a key component of this strategy. It helps to keep the workforce motivated and productive. It is important to explain the challenges and the measures being taken to counter as many of them as possible. It is also important to acknowledge sometimes those actions can still fall short.

Honesty and balanced briefing counters rumours and misinformation that could destabilise the workforce morale. Snapcomms, the employee communication software company, advises that,

“Few people thrive when feeling insecure and unsure about their future. Staff work best when there’s a clear picture of the organisation’s direction and the role they can play.”

Source: Snapcomms.com, Aug 2024

What Do Your Dashboard/Scorecards Tell You?

Another important action to take during a period of downturn is to closely monitor the metrics and KPIs of your business. Dashboards and scorecards give an insightful overview of your company’s financial health. They indicate the operational efficiency and market performance of the business.

By regularly reviewing these metrics, you can keep your finger on the pulse and be watchful for anything that needs urgent attention and strategies set in place. Not paying attention to metrics and KPIs can result in financial difficulties for the business and the missing of potential opportunities.

Continue to Do the Basics Well

Operational excellence during an economic downturn helps to keep your company sustainable and resilient. Attending the basics means managing cash flow, keeping suppliers and customers happy, maintaining product quality, and meeting productivity targets. The cumulative effect of doing the basics well is to emerge from an economic crisis competitive and financially healthy.

Final thoughts

Diversification of your products and services can add to your financial resilience when the economy declines. If one stream dries up or a supplier goes under, you still have other revenue streams to keep the business afloat. As Rauva.com explains,

“Diversifying your revenue sources is crucial for safeguarding your business during economic downturns. By relying on multiple streams of income, you can reduce the impact of a decline in one particular market or industry. This strategy allows you to spread your risk and ensure a more stable financial position.”

Source: Rauva.com, Jan 19, 2024

Indeed, economic downturns are challenging, but they are also times for growth and expansion. Invest where clear mover advantage exists through constant vigilance.

Spot the early warning signs, position your company, and employ effective strategies to counter threats. Offer clear communications, decisive action, and maintaining operational excellence will lead to success in the long term.

Sources:

Maximising Technology in Metal Pressings & Stampings Manufacture

Wed, 01 May 2024 13:14:18 GMT

An Overview of How Technology Benefits Pre-Met

In this article, we explore how technology is maximised in the world of metal pressings and stampings at Pre-Met Engineering. Technology is leveraged at all stages from design to supply chain management. Let’s find out more.

Technology and Engineering

Technology plays a key role in modern engineering. In this latest blog, we examine how technology helps Pre-Met optimise products and services in the following areas:

Design and Production Efficiency and Cost Savings
Predictive Maintenance
Technology Empowers The Workforce
Tooling and Quality Control
Supply Chain and Prototyping
Continuous Improvement, The Kaizen Way

Design and Production Efficiency and Cost Savings

Technology means Pre-Met can optimise material use, reduce waste, and lower the environmental impact. It helps us to refine the design of intricate stamping tools to drive down cost savings and maximise resources. In addition, we can calculate the most efficient layouts for stamping runs with significant cost savings.

Using technology, we can leverage historical data and material characteristics to produce optimised designs. This improves precision, reduces waste to a minimum, and boosts the overall efficiency of production.

Predictive Maintenance

At Pre-Met, we carry out predictive maintenance algorithms that provide proactive equipment maintenance. Real-time data from sensors in the factory help to identify potential failures and then carry out planned maintenance. This reduces the need for costly interruptions by spotting maintenance issues before they go wrong. Therefore, the cost of maintenance is lowered and also reduces downtime in our metal stamping and metal pressing operations.

Technology Empowers The Workforce

In the media, there is a significant focus on how technology is likely to take away jobs in the future. However, advances in sheet metal fabrication technology actually allow workers to achieve greater efficiency, precision, and productivity,

“...does not replace human workers; rather, it augments their capabilities. By automating repetitive tasks and leveraging AI-powered insights, manufacturers empower their workforce to focus on more complex, value-added activities.”

Source: Mridul Krishna Dey, April 16, 2024

Equally, technology training initiatives are improving the skills and technical knowledge of the workforce. This keeps staff at the leading edge of technological advancements in engineering in an increasingly competitive market.

Tooling and Quality Control

Advanced technology has also been highly beneficial to tooling and die design. It has streamlined tooling quality in processing design elements and production variables. Also, it is possible to make tools more durable and precise. Using simulations, we improve the process, reduce costs, and guarantee high-quality finishes.

Quality control is carried out in real time and ensures product consistency. We have the technology to monitor the metal stamping cycle and immediately spot flagging deviations to stop defects from occurring.

Supply Chain and Prototyping

We maximise technology by utilising it to provide efficient supply chain management as it is able to predict demand shifts, as well as anticipate disruptions. This means we can streamline sourcing and meet our delivery deadlines. Equally, our existing technology speeds up prototyping, using virtual simulations to anticipate component performance under various conditions. Ultimately, this means our market entry times are more rapid and innovation is accelerated.

Continuous Improvement, The Kaizen Way

Harnessing technology, Pre-Met can continuously analyse data, refine processes and make recommendations over time. This contributes to industry best practices, improving efficiency and reducing defects. Continuous improvement is part of the Kaizen philosophy that we follow.

Business Performance Management

Pre-met’s overall business performance has been helped immensely over recent years with the deployment of business metrics. These form an overall dashboard/ scorecards that indicate critical business performance aspects quickly, simply & effectively on a daily/weekly frequency.

Reflections

Here at Pre-Met Engineering, we continuously embrace new technology in our industry to deliver the highest quality products and services possible to all of our clients worldwide.

A CEO’S 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 12:13:42 GMT

The Power of Teamwork At Pre-Met During Global Economic Downturn

To kick off the festive season, I have put together the 12 days of Christmas from the Pre-Met CEO’s point of view. Obviously lighthearted but beneath the humour belies a team spirit that has helped us thrive during difficult economic times.

In the face of economic downturns, engineering companies face unique challenges that require innovative solutions. One of the key factors that can make a significant difference during these tough times is effective teamwork. In this final blog for 2023, we examine why teamwork is the solution and explore the Kaizen philosophy.

A CEO's 12 days of Christmas?

On the first day of Christmas, my FD gave to me a budget that balanced the books.

On the second day of Christmas, my IT gave to me 2-factor authentication.

On the third day of Christmas, my QC gave to me 3 closed NCRS.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my Board gave to me a heartfelt thanks for each quarter's results.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my Sales Team gave to me 5 juicy orders.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my VA Office gave to me a 20% reduction in business rates within 6 weeks of our claim.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my Customer gave to me commendations for 7 months' shipments OTIF.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my HR gave to me 8 MHA certificate passes.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my Advisor gave to me 9 business offers of interest.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my OPS team gave to me 10 accident-free months.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my Plant Team gave to me 11 smiley faces as I walked the facility.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Auditor gave to me 12 golden ticks.

Embracing Continuous Improvement

The Kaizen approach favoured by Pre-Met prioritises continuous improvement in all aspects of our operations. By fostering a culture of constant evaluation and refinement among the team, we can identify and address inefficiencies, reduce waste, and optimise processes. This team commitment to improvement fosters a sense of shared purpose and motivates our employees to work together towards common goals.

Business management expert Peter Drucker once said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." Proactive and continuous improvement are the building blocks of success for Pre-Met.

Collaboration & Collective Responsibility To Build Resilience

During the global economic downturn, the Pre-Met team has adapted to changing circumstances quickly by fostering a culture of collaboration. Pre-Met ensures that each team member contributes their expertise to tackle complex problems. This collaborative approach helps the company become more resilient and adaptable during challenging times.

Kaizen places a strong emphasis on involving employees from all levels of the organisation in decision-making and problem-solving. By giving the team the autonomy to contribute ideas, we have fostered a sense of collective responsibility. According to Professor Masaaki Imai , a leading authority on Kaizen philosophy, "The greater the involvement, the more likely that ideas will be accepted and implemented."

Effective Communication for Enhanced Productivity

Clear and effective communication is crucial in any Pre-Met project. In times of economic uncertainty, it is even more essential. Pre-Met promotes open lines of communication and ensures that team members are well-informed about changes in market conditions, customer demands, and organisational strategies. This helps us to make informed decisions promptly, enhancing productivity and maintaining competitive advantage.

Leveraging Diverse Skill Sets

Pre-Met leverages diverse skill sets and perspectives from our team which are critical during economic downturns. Each of our team members brings unique strengths and experiences to the table. Pre-Met fosters an inclusive environment that values diverse viewpoints which optimises the potential for innovation in finding solutions.

Cultivating a Learning Culture

Hand in hand with diverse skill sets is developing a learning mindset for adapting and thriving in challenging economic times. Pre-Met has invested in the growth and skill enhancement of our team by providing training opportunities. We strongly believe in promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement which is fundamental to the Kaizen approach.

Engineering expert Dr. W. Edwards Deming states that, "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival." A learning mindset is crucial to adapt and thrive in challenging times.

Data-Driven Decisions

As Peter Drucker once said , "What gets measured gets improved." Data and metrics are key tools to drive continuous improvement. A Kaizen approach encourages a data-driven approach to decision-making. By collecting and analysing relevant data, Pre-Met Engineering has gained insights into areas that require improvement, identified trends, and made informed decisions. This approach promotes transparency, accountability, and collaboration among team members.

Business management expert Jim Rohn stated, "Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals." Data and metrics as essential tools to drive success and achieve continuous improvement.

Summary

In times of economic uncertainty, the strength of teamwork becomes even more critical for all engineering companies. Pre-Met Engineering exemplifies the importance of collaboration, communication, and leveraging diverse skill sets to navigate challenging times.. By fostering a culture of teamwork, the company not only enhances productivity and innovation but also maintains employee morale and resilience. As we look to the future, it is clear that teamwork will continue to be a driving force in 2024 and beyond!

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!

WHY DO BUSINESSES FAIL?

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:29:48 GMT

The bigger they are, the harder they fall…

Unfortunately, another competitor of Pre-met has recently gone into administration. Sadly. this is not an isolated incident as several more continue to post challenging annual financial results, some firms much larger than Pre-met. It is never nice to see another business collapse because that means jobs are lost and families affected. In this blog, we uncover some of the reasons why businesses fail and identify the solutions that can prevent failure.

Keep putting your head in the sand and you'll never find any problems…

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

Dale Carnegie, American Writer and Lecturer

(Sales, Corporate training, self-development, interpersonal skills)

Carnegie was a well-known writer and expert on business. He understood that success is derived from learning the lessons from failure. As a business, if you keep ignoring issues and burying your head in the sand, you may well avoid facing challenges until it is too late. At which point your business may be heading for administration and any solution to rescue the venture has long passed. Reflecting on Carnegie’s wise words gives us food for thought in these difficult times for the world economy.

The factors that are beyond the control of every business

Undoubtedly, some factors are way beyond the control of any business, especially the following ones:

Global supply chain challenges
Acts of God
Runs on currency and commodities
Cost of living crisis

Global supply chain challenges are currently affecting most businesses worldwide with rising prices for raw materials and energy price hikes being passed along the supply chain in pricing.

‘Acts of God’ such as natural disasters including fires, floods, earthquakes, and so on, cannot be controlled. However, companies can prepare for such eventualities with risk management strategies in place e.g. a colocation data centre can ensure there are flood and earthquake protection measures in place to ensure the continuity of services.

The instability of currency and commodities and the effect on corporations in times of economic uncertainty are also beyond the control of businesses. Lastly, the cost of living crisis with global inflation is not something that businesses can change. Instead, they have to be strategic in their planning; inflation increases the costs of the supply chain and there is a need to raise salaries. Being agile in their business strategy can mitigate such challenges.

The importance of looking ‘under the hood’ of your company

Looking under the hood ‘to diagnose business problems and receive proactive advice on how to improve’ is a must for every business. (Source: inspire.accounts, 2023 )

Examine the internal workings of your own business to stay aware of challenges and pitfalls. This is a proactive approach that Pre-met takes regularly to make sure that we are primed and agile enough to react to change.

You need to ask yourself as a business owner this question, ‘Do you look under the hood retrospectively and, more importantly, as the owner/entrepreneur and your senior management teams, do you all look under your hoods to evaluate business problems and positively seek solutions?

Ever?

IF so, how often

IF so what do you look for?

WHEN you do, do you take prompt and decisive actions when there are options available to you and your team ?

The thing is, if you are not looking under the hood and evaluating your internal systems and processes, you are vulnerable to crisis when it arises.

Be proactive, look under your hood and ask questions!

Never assume the simple basics are in place

“Be brutally honest about the short term, and optimistic and confident about the long term.”

Reed Hastings, Businessman and co-CEO of Netflix

Honesty and confidence are two important characteristics in business. Being ‘brutally honest’ in the short term is vital to overcome some of the aforementioned challenges. Confidence in the long term comes from getting the basics right. However, never assume the simple basics are always in place. Make sure they are and persistently check to ensure they remain so.

Three years ago Pre-met followed, what we believe to be, "doing the basics well". Nevertheless, the basics had been neglected for some years, but we now revisit them regularly. These are the questions that we ask ourselves:

What is our core product portfolio and business model?
Which key processes need to be monitored, measured, and managed in the delivery of our business model?
Do we have an organisation and cost structure that is optimised for our core processes and scale?
Do we review, monitor, and manage the performance of our key processes?
Is our overall business performance in sync with our Business Model, Scale, Processes, and the current Business Environment?

As winter approaches, I wish you the best of success in maintaining long-term, sustainable growth for your business in difficult times.

The 360' Flexibility Solution For Businesses in Challenging Times

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 08:50:11 GMT

How Pre-Met laid foundations for transformation in a difficult 3-year period

In the business world the cynics might often say, “flexibility is for the customer to demand and the supplier to comply”, whilst others state that it is, “expecting your employees to do everything asked of them without questioning anything”.

In this article we explore what Pre-Met has endured and the challenges overcome in the last 3 years. We also explore the foundations laid which allowed us flexibility in business to generate long-term sustainable growth.

Three Years Of Transformation

At Pre-Met none of the attitudes or statements mentioned in the first paragraph could be further from the truth. The last 3 years at Pre-met have evidenced transformations in culture, attitude, performance, the need for change, dealing with tough realities and getting our hands dirty.

This all happened whilst ensuring there was a strategic focus in place. It has been a true partnership embraced by all concerned; employees, management, suppliers, customers, advisors, stakeholders and investors. Transformation and change are fundamental to our business success,

“A corporation is a living organism; it has to continue to shed its skin. Methods have to change. Focus has to change. Values have to change. The sum total of those changes is transformation.”

Andrew Grove, former CEO of Intel

Challenges Overcome

The challenges for our business over a 3-year period have been phenomenal and have left many other organisations debilitated. The wide array of problems facing firms have included funding, sustainability, supply chain, credit squeeze, covid, material economics, utilities and inflation.

Nevertheless, during the most challenging times, Pre-Met and its partners have dealt, head on, with the big issues. Together we have laid a foundation which has ensured Quality, Cost and Delivery are the cornerstones of our stable and thriving business. At the heart of this success is our ability to make important decisions at the right time,

“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision”

Peter Drucker

Foundations For Flexibility

Whilst we still face the remnants of some key challenges, the foundations were laid to deal with “the big things”. This has enabled us to review all round flexibilities that we can offer, or comply with. Essentially, this means Pre-Met can weather smaller storms; in the knowledge that we can flex and navigate through to a mutual solution, when things we cannot influence, impact us more favourably. In this sense the crises the company endured, have opened up new opportunities.

“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”

John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the USA

Long-term Sustainability

Overall, some of these factors may seem insignificant but they are in fact crucial in terms of long term sustainability. What we mean by this includes:

continuing dialogue (whether the message is good or bad)
doing things we wouldn’t normally do
changing customer delivery dates
accepting supplies when they are available and not necessarily when we want them
bending on when we take holidays

These are a few examples of our approach to long-term sustainability.

“ When sustainability is viewed as being a matter of survival for your business, I believe you can create massive change.”

Cameron Sinclair, Serial Entrepreneur

Final Thoughts

So we would urge you as a business to ensure that you deal with the big things when you have the capacity to do so in challenging times. Also, that you have the credibility to ask, and the humility to comply, on the little things in business when it's right and appropriate to.

Our experience is that 360 degree flexibility in business will help forge and maintain partnerships with other companies that last for years.

Stay tuned for more insight into the Pre-met story as we look to pave the way for others to hopefully achieve a double century.

How Nimble Is Your Business?

Thu, 11 May 2023 12:41:24 GMT

Revisiting the importance of being an agile business in an economic downturn

In uncertain times being agile as a business can be the key to sustainable growth. The world economy is currently experiencing a downturn - knowing how to respond in these times is paramount. In this quarterly blog we explore the concept of being nimble in business and responding to change in times of both uncertainty and times of growth.

What does it mean to be nimble in business?

Being nimble in business is having the capacity to be agile and make changes to adapt to different economic climates. Successful businesses invest in staff and technology during lean periods or recession. Then in growth periods, the same businesses will be ready to increase their production to respond to increasing levels of demand.

UK Economy

Recent reports show that the UK economy has so far avoided recession, but the lack of growth means it is now behind many other major economies. A Commons Library article stated that,

“It now seems likely that the UK’s economy did not shrink during the first three months of 2023, as earlier forecasts suggested it might. The Chancellor said in his response to the figures that the UK was “set to avoid recession”. However, the lack of growth still leaves the UK behind other major economies.”

Source: Commons Library, UK Parliament 2023

The need to react quickly and decisively in these times is crucial. If economic growth continues to slow, some companies may need to streamline their costs to remain financially healthy. Nevertheless, the most successful companies invest during downturn and are ready to respond to surges in demand when the economy picks up.

Taking Your Whole Team With You

In difficult times the economic unpredictability can be felt by the whole workforce, especially if economic slowdown triggers job security concerns. Pre-Met maintains a positive communications approach that welcomes ideas from top to bottom in the organisation. Fear and uncertainty can stifle innovation. Making staff feel valued and involved in the decision making process can forge a strong sense of togetherness. This whole team approach is part of the resilient and agile nature of Pre-Met.

Continuing To Invest Wisely and Appropriately

Recessions are generally short and followed by subsequent periods of growth and expansion. For this reason investment during an economic downturn is essential for a business to remain nimble and able to respond to sudden growth. The Harvard Business Review (HBR) in June 2022 clearly outlined the historical evidence for this trend,

“First, recessions are typically short-lived and followed by long periods of growth and prosperity. The period after World War II, for example, is considered the greatest expansionary phase in modern times . Similar points can be made for the years after the OPEC oil embargo recession (1973 to 1975), the energy crisis recession (1981 to 1982), the Gulf War recession (1990 to 1991), the dotcom bust (2000 to 2002), and the Great Recession (2008 to 2009). Each recession was followed by a longer period of growth than the period of recession.”

Source: Harvard Business Review June 17, 2022

HBR advises companies to study businesses that survived during previous recessions and those that ‘emerged from recessions as winners’. Also, the HBR explains how scaling your business while other companies are making reductions has been a winning strategy in the past. In addition, the HBR states that recession is the optimum time to gain resources to prepare for the eventual growth and expansion when the economy bounces back,

“A recession is the best time to acquire resources for the forthcoming expansion, all while your competitors are cutting back. The biggest and most important resource — talent — is more readily available now than during an expansionary phase.”

Source: Harvard Business Review, June 17, 2022

Reflection

Overall, being nimble in business is the mindset of the most successful businesses who enjoy sustained growth. It is important to learn from the lessons of history from past recessions and follow the lead of companies who have invested during economic downturn. Furthermore, having a whole team approach where staff are engaged, well trained and valued also helps your business to be agile enough to respond quickly to upward or downward swings in the economy.

Being nimble is part of the culture of a business; it needs to be lead from senior management and cascaded through middle management so that it becomes part of the DNA of a business. Companies with this approach at the heart of their infrastructure and ethos are hardwired for success and sustainable growth in both economic downturn and growth periods.

Sources:

1. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/economic-update-uk-economy-not-growing-but-not-shrinking/

2. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/five-ways-companies-can-nimble/

3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65250170

4. https://hbr.org/2022/06/how-companies-should-invest-in-a-downturn

Stay tuned for more insight into the Pre-met story as we look to pave the way for others to hopefully achieve a double century.

Heads and Hearts in a Challenging Economic Environment

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:15:58 GMT

Investment in staff training, development, and support in economic downturn

In the current economic environment of uncertainty we look at how Pre-Met is preparing for the unknown by investing in supporting and training staff. Finding a balance between following reason with data driven decisions versus trusting your instincts to ensure the long-term growth of the company is essential. In this article we explore leadership in a period of economic downturn and the importance of investment in staff.

Leadership in Tough Economic Times

In a difficult economic climate, many engineering companies are reluctant to invest heavily as it may be perceived as a risk during financial instability. However, investment during a downturn can be an effective approach to making a business more resilient and sustainable. In these times agile and responsive leadership is needed to steer a workforce. As Dennis Baltzley , Global Solution Lead at Korn Ferry states,

“The future of leadership lies in preparing people for the unknown. That means creating an adaptive capacity within the organization, so that everyone is ready to pivot when needed.”

Source: Korn Ferry , 2023.

Many companies lower their spending during an economic downturn and cutting their training and development budget can often be the first to go. However, investment in staff training and development can enhance your business operations and help your company identify ways to cut costs and be more competitive. Furthermore, investment can nurture the pioneering spirit within an organisation to help stay on the cutting edge with products and services.

Investing In Apprenticeships, Staff Training & Development

Here at Pre-Met we believe investment in a challenging economic climate bears fruit in the long-term. Currently, we are actively looking at the possibility of apprenticeships to expand our workforce and create employment opportunities. In addition to this, we have also started a programme of middle management development. Investment in training and development can improve problem solving skills, retain talented workers, reduce costs and enhance customer service.

Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace

We are committed to promoting positive mental health for all staff and taking the necessary steps to support employees. We have had to deal with several issues relating to mental health for staff and we are committed to supporting our employees through their challenges. This action is essential for the wellbeing of staff and also to maintain staff retention, productivity and reduce absenteeism. As WHO figures show, staff absenteeism is a major issue for companies,

“Twelve billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety alone.”

(Source: World Health Organisation , 2023).

Reflections

Reflecting on investment in staff training, development and support mechanisms during economic downturn, the answer lies somewhere between heart and head. Succinctly put, decisions should be guided by data and facts, but some investments are also based on instincts and empathy regarding staff needs. It is important for a company to think about how their investment affects stakeholders such as employees or customers in terms of well-being and overall satisfaction.

The Pre-Met Formula For Success

Pre-met continues to look at ways at investing in training and development with apprenticeships on the horizon. Furthermore, investment in middle management development and staff training across the board are important ongoing practices to maintain consistent success in our industry. Lastly, Pre-met places great emphasis on supporting positive mental well-being for staff. Our consistent approach in these areas bears fruit because we have recruited a well-trained, loyal workforce with minimal staff turnover through astute investment during economic downturn.

Stay tuned for more insight into the Pre-met story as we look to pave the way for others to hopefully achieve a double century.

Evolution not Revolution!

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 11:28:52 GMT

The Consistent Steps Of Pre-Met’s Success

With a legacy of over one hundred years, if revolution were the answer, a one-off event in the annals of Pre-met's history would stand out like a beacon. If only life

were that simple …

Kaizen: Small Steps And Often

If not realised before the era of Deming and continuous improvement, long-term successful businesses know that Kaizen (i.e. small steps, often) is the solution to

survival, growth and improvements in all aspects of business performance. For those not familiar with Kaizen, it is a Japanese concept which refers to business activities that continuously develop all functions of the organisation and everyone from CEO to frontline staff are involved. Kaizen also relates to processes like logistics, purchasing etc within the supply chain.

Recession On The Horizon

Over the global landscape a cloud, in the shape of the threat of recession, currently hovers. A large proportion of the business community looks on with dread, whilst

those for whom Kaizen is a reality, tighten their belts, take yet another look to ensure they are doing the basics well, and continue to make small, wise decisions as part of daily operations.

Showing Our Value In Hard Times

Only when customers and suppliers of these organisations look back, after such challenging periods, do they realise the value in having customers and suppliers such as Pre-met, realising these are part of the core that keeps them strong.

The Pre-Met Formula For Success

Reminding ourselves of what we need to continue to do well is never pointless.

These are the key areas for Pre-Met:

People - training, development, remuneration, recognition are all integral to maintaining a highly trained and motivated team.

Communication - information, recognition, acknowledgment, looking in the mirror. Communication is at the heart of any successful enterprise.

Plant & Machinery - upgrades and maintenance are a constant factor in our mission to deliver the best quality services.

Customers / Suppliers - regular contact, even if it's challenging, instils trust and confidence in our clients and suppliers. This is one of core ingredients to stay

successful, especially in economic times like the current era.

Performance - processes, change management and tools are essential components of our management of performance.

Information & systems - upgrades, development, tools, single base of data for all. MIS is vital for every well-run company.

Financial strength - forecasts, updates, KPI's, challenging paradigms,

Governance - 360' transparency and accountability. These factors ensure that Pre-Met is financially robust and resilient in the marketplace.

That’s all for 2022. Wishing you a happy festive season and a prosperous 2023!

Stay tuned for more insight into the Pre-met story as we look to pave the way for others to hopefully achieve a double century.

Doing The Basics Well, Consistently!

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 10:56:40 GMT

The Keys To Pre-Met’s Success During Tough Times

It is not always easy to identify what makes your company successful. However, one of the characteristics of defining what a company does best often has to be pointed out by a third party. This is because in the optimum cases, it is normally part of the DNA of the organisation. Therefore, an objective third party view can give valuable insights into the how and why of your success.

2019 - A Time For Much Needed Change

At the end of 2019 it was obvious to the new management team what historically wasn't working well. However, almost 3 years on, we need to step back to reflect and take ourselves out of the business to refresh our minds about what has been achieved in a period of global, national and local change. In that time period, there were such upheavals that have been rarely experienced to this level before, certainly not in most peoples' lifetimes anyway.

Analysing The Elements of Success

In ascertaining the elements of success, it is essential to have open communication with staff. To focus the mind, it would be best to pose the following questions to any of our current team to summarise recent achievements:-

Is your working environment a safe and pleasure space to come to work ?
Do you feel valued and rewarded appropriately ?
Do you believe there is a leadership team taking the business forward ?
Are your role and contribution clear as part of that plan ?
Do you feel you have a voice in change ?
If you expect the company to invest in something, would you do so if it were your personal money ?

Reflecting On The Issues

In a nutshell, we have looked in the mirror, recognised the issues arising from each and every one of these questions. Subsequently, we have either answered our own questions or are on a journey to doing so in the near future.

The Keys To Success At Pre-Met

Having reflected and analysed the keys to our success, we now have a business which we are happy to say:-

Is a safe place to work.
Is well organised and structured.
Which rewards, involves and values its whole workforce.
We acknowledge contributions not merely in monetary terms.
We measure performance regularly against short and long term plans.
Make decisions as quickly and appropriately in an ever evolving world for the benefit of its wider stakeholders.

It is this reflective company culture that keeps us striving to achieve the very best we can for our clients and for our dedicated team. We are in strong position as we approach the end of 2022!

Stay tuned for more insight into the Pre-met story as we look to pave the way for others to hopefully achieve a double century.

Survival, Success and Beyond!

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:13:49 GMT

The key lessons learned during a period of global crisis

It’s useful to periodically reflect on business decisions from time. This article summarises the valuable lessons we learned at Pre-met, as owners and as a business, over the last 2 years. Although very difficult and demanding from time to time, you will hopefully see how we faced the challenges and overcame them with a more robust business with our whole team more valued and engaged than when we started this journey.

Three Core Management Issues

Looking back to January 2020, Pre-Met was facing three core issues. Imagine the scenario as a business owner where:

You have a decision to take on a substantial volume of new business which didn’t work out quite as expected.
You find out, during the integration, two executives made a personal decision to retire.
You were just getting your head around these first two points when a major global pandemic hit with an anticipated 40% drop in sales.

These were significant challenges facing Pre-met. It took great tenacity and level-headed management to steer through this period, and come out the other side stronger then when we went in.

Key Lessons Learned From An Ownership Perspective

Having reflected on the obstacles, there were three main takeaways from the situation:

Taking decisive action

In a time of crisis it is essential to make informed decisions and not flounder in the face of adversity.

Don't be afraid to seek outside help

Seeking advice outside of the company gives a fresh perspective.

Putting the right team & mix of skills in place immediately

Getting the balance right in the team was paramount to endure the pandemic and a potential drop in sales.

Key Lessons Learned From A Business Perspective

Whilst it was a very demanding period, we learned some beneficial lessons:

Even when facing immense, challenging decisions being credible and trustworthy as a senior management team is a fundamental foundation.
Don't assume anything - analyse, validate, make changes and re-validate. A methodical and consistent approach is needed in times of crisis.
Show empathy in equal measure to implementing critical business changes and take your team with you on the journey. Empathy shows clients and staff that you value them and the pressures they are facing.
In society today, the words "sorry" and "thank-you" are very underused but in fact they are very easy to use as long as sincerity accompanies them. Old school values go a long way in building strong relationships.
Talk to your customers and suppliers, even in the midst of adversity. Communication is what holds an organisation together during adverse times.
Costs don't reduce themselves - reviewing business processes is the single most effective way to understand the scope for improvement.
Doing the basics well should never be under-estimated!

T hat’s all folks. Next month, we will examine how Pre-Met does the basics well, delivering consistently high standards to all of our clientele.

Stay tuned for more insight into the Pre-met story as we look to pave the way for others to hopefully achieve a double century.

Pre-met 103 Not Out!

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 16:16:33 GMT

Navigating a Time of World Crisis and Managing the Symptoms

Any world class cricket batsmen will tell you that getting close to a century is quite dangerous as attention to detail may lapse in the light of being so close to a 100. They might also tell you that is time to step up the ante, ensure you do the basics better than ever, and make sure you have your ‘A game’ with you.

This was exactly the position Pre-met found itself in towards the end of 2019, 100 years on since the inception of Lewis Springs Products, its merged partner since 2005. Frankly, had the new management team have taken its eye of the ball 3 years ago, it is extremely likely that Pre-met would no longer exist.

Facing the Challenges

The challenges were fierce, some would say hopeless, but the whole team, under new leadership, faced the unknowns of Brexit and the Global economy head-on. At that moment, the unleashed impact of the Covid 19 pandemic and further supply chain challenges were about to add to that stark reality.

History Repeats Itself

History has a habit of repeating itself. The Great Depression of 1929–39 was perhaps the worst financial and economic disaster of the 20th century. In 1973 the OPEC Oil Price Shock member countries reacted to the US sending arms to Israel by an embargo on oil. In the Asian crisis of 1997 massive debt accumulation lead to economic collapse in some Asian countries.

F rom 1998 to 2000, the dotcom bubble expanded and then burst leading to the stock market to crash in 2000 and many technology startups folded. Next, from 2008 to 2009 a global financial crisis saw the world economy take a dive into recession.

A resilient business has to be prepared for every eventuality. In December 2019 we were only just getting an inkling that we would all need to throw away the old rule book..

The symptoms about to hit in 2020

In 2020 we were facing included global automotive plant closures, the birth of the new word "keyworker" and a gut feeling that Pre-met sales would drop by c.40%. Clearly, there was a dire need to match resources to this level even to stand a chance of survival with the severity of the situation. Government financial support was the saving grace, without which we now know, failure would have been a dead cert.

Taking Action to Survive

With an impending crisis, we got to work immediately, taking decisive action in the face of global uncertainty. Furthermore, we planned a mass furlough strategy, leaving a core team in place for an unknown period post-Easter 2020. Following this, we created a survival business plan and gained bank/government loans with little margin for error.

O ne of the hardest challenges was using Zoom to inform 40% of the workforce they would have no job in 4 weeks’ time.

Three Years On

Three years on and Pre-Met is stronger than ever before in our 100 plus years history. Indeed, we have attained a sense of resilience beyond belief through a resounding team effort, not to mention the importance of our strong supplier partnerships.

Bright Future

Pre-Met exited the Covid crisis with a renewed sense of valuing its people, on a much stronger financial footing; and is now part way through a £500k 3-year re-investment plan. In Quarter 1 of January 2020 some might have considered such aspirations ludicrous.

103 years, we have had a good innings so far!

Stay tuned for more insight into the Pre-met story as we look to pave the way for others to hopefully achieve a double century.

Precision Metal Pressing and Stamping Firm Demonstrates Great Team Strength During World Crisis

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 15:19:28 GMT

How A UK Engineering Firm Expanded During Difficult Times

As any business will tell you, the last 2 years have been a tremendous challenge in the UK and abroad. We reflect on what the world has been through during this time and how Pre-Met Ltd rode the waves achieving remarkable growth.

The Challenging Issues Faced by Businesses

Early 2020 saw the onset of Covid and a worldwide pandemic. What happened next was unprecedented in modern history. The world entered lockdowns and people’s movement was restricted. For high street retailers it meant huge losses in many cases, but other industries saw a surge in growth and sales due to their supply chain and digital readiness for a boom in demand.

As well as the Pandemic, Brexit has affected the UK economy with shortages in the supply chain and the TV news showing images of massive lorry tailbacks. The advent of new paperwork for UK businesses post-Brexit was an added spanner in the works for many firms, beset by uncertainty about what the new regulations entailed. Both imports and exports were affected by the changes.

With the supply chain seriously impacted by the Covid pandemic and Brexit shortages, some businesses sadly were unable to survive. The UK economy witnessed a number of well-known brands enter administration as well as smaller businesses. These issues have been further compounded by the recent inflation & energy price rises which have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

However, for our West Midlands’ precision metal pressing and stamping firm, it has been an exceptional period of growth, bucking the trend of businesses which have not fared so well.

Success in Turbulent Times

A difficult economic climate meant that the strength of our team was tested more than ever before. With a company culture of open communication, continuous improvement and strategic management, the staff at Pre-Met pulled together to achieve a formidable annual turnover of £6 million.

The company's focus on team well-being nurtured the spirit of resilience within the workforce and while many businesses closed down, Pre-Met saw an excellent period of growth.

Sustainable Growth in 2022

In 2022, we are looking forward to another period of economic success. We are truly grateful for the hard work, determination and team spirit of all our staff which has led to such sustained growth. Thanks to all our staff and suppliers for their hard work during the last two years!

In our next instalment we discuss how we partnered with key suppliers during uncertain times to meet customer demand.

Pre-Met News For Summer 2022

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 15:15:54 GMT

A summary of topics for the next 3 months

June 2022: The strength of the Pre-met team dealing with the last 18 months uncertainties - the onset of Covid, Brexit issues and supply chain challenges.
July 2022: Partnering with key suppliers to meet our customers needs in an increasingly uncertain economic client.
August 2022: Investing in our future through our people, the tools they need, plus plant and equipment.

Read the first instalment now.

News - The Yangli 160 ton press is operational

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 14:51:51 GMT

Fully progressive component solution

Pre-Met's biggest press to date, the 160 ton Yangli high speed press is now operational.

This fully progressive component solution is vital to secure new contracts for the company in many different markets.

The arrival of the new press is another clear indication of Pre-Met's ambitious growth plans of the next 5 years.

Yangli 160 ton press joins the family

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 09:01:10 GMT

Cutting edge technology from Yangli in China

We are proud to announce the arrival of our biggest press to date - a 160 ton high speed punching press from Yangli in China.

This press increases our capability to handle materials up to 300mm wide and our stamping force capabilities to 160 ton. It is a fully progressive component solution that will help us further penetrate the Busbar market.

The arrival of the new press is another clear indication of Pre-Met's ambitious growth plans of the next 5 years.

A Haulick & Roos press joins the family

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 13:53:33 GMT

80 ton press with 1500 mm bed length

Our expansion plans continue at pace. This week we have taken delivery of an 80 ton Haulick & Roos press with a 1500 bed length - an improvement on our current largest bed.

We already have a multitude of 60 ton long bed Bruderer high-speed presses. But as we continue to increase our precision tool length capacity, we will require longer beds to fulfill more complex pressings with a fully progressive tool solution.

A longer bed means more tool length capacity. This therefore increases our capacity in the electric vehicle sector and our ability to produce larger and more complex busbar parts. It also expands our capability to press up to 4mm thick both non ferrous and ferrous metals.

Our journey of growth continues in the summer, when we will be taking delivery of a high speed press with a bed of over 2000mm. This will provide us with more scope to provide multiple stage solutions.

We are buzzing about our expansion plans

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 09:58:21 GMT

Finding the bees a new home

As Pre-Met grows in size, so does the need to have larger facilities in order to fulfill our substantial order book.

We are also looking to the future and following on from our recent acquisition of Berck Precision Components, we are investing £50,000 into increasing our Redditch site by an additional 150 square meters.

To facilitate this expansion we needed to move some old machinery and also a beloved bee colony that has lived at the back of the Pre-Met site for over 12 months.

We contacted the Worcester Beekeeping Association ( WBKA ) who sent over a beekeeper to carefully remove the colony into a new hive. Once all the bees had popped back to congregate with the Queen, the hive was removed overnight and taken to spend their time with other bees in a farm in the Worcestershire countryside.

The video above shows how the colony was located and how it was carefully removed by the beekeeper.

With Pre-Met well on track to increase its turnover by 70% this year, the extra space created will be housing some the many presses we use at our Redditch facility, including 15 precision presses from Bruderer.

We are hoping to get a jar or two of honey from our departed bee friends, who we have been assured are living happily in their new digs in the local countryside.

Pre-Met's growth continues at pace

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 10:30:53 GMT

We welcome two Bruderer presses to the family

Following our recent acquisition of Berck Precision Components, we are continuing to move machinery from Berck's West Bromwich site to our home in Redditch.

Today we began the installation a 60 ton super long bed Bruderer high speed press and a 40 ton long bed Bruderer high speed press. This will take the number of Bruderer presses at our Redditch plant to an impressive 15 as part of our continued expansion plans.

Leigh Cresswell, General Manager at Pre-Met added, "These machines have been acquired to fulfill what is already a substantial order book and we are also well on track to achieve our growth plan to increase turnover from £5.4m to £9m at the end of our financial year in August. And these presses will be key to help with our ambitious growth plans in the future to help us become the largest manufacturers of highly engineered metal pressed or stamped components in the UK."

Berck Ltd acquisition

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 14:11:11 GMT

We welcome Berck to the Pre-Met family

Pre-Met Ltd completed the purchase of Berck Ltd towards the end of January 2019.

Steve Haynes MD, said, "This is a proud day for Pre-Met and a good day for Redditch. We will continue to bring well paid skilled jobs into the local economy and create real career opportunities for school leavers.

Pre-Met are active in various safety critical industries including Automotive, Aerospace, Medical, etc. Given some of the statements coming out of the West Midlands automotive sector recently it’s feels good to be the bearer of more positive news.

Berck have over 70 years experience in global manufacturing of metal pressings and plastic sub-assemblies in the automotive, electronic and industries. We welcome their customers into our expanding order book here at Pre-Met.

Pre-Met export around 50% of output and although Brexit will cause several challenges we are not going to sit on our hands and wait to see what happens. Industry needs to be more assertive than that."

Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch County, said: "Clearly there is confidence in the Redditch economy and in the town’s workforce.

I want to congratulate Steve and his team on the successful purchase of Berck Ltd which will create more well paid and skilled jobs for my constituents.

Redditch has a proud history of manufacturing and Pre-Met Ltd is ensuring this continues long into the future."

If anybody has any queries regarding the Berck acquisition, please don't hesitate to get in touch by calling us by contacting us on the number above or by emailing sales@pre-met.com .