Senior politician visits world-class UK manufacturer

On Thursday 14th June, world leading metrology company Renishaw plc hosted a visit by Alan Duncan MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Trade, Industry & Energy, at its manufacturing facility at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.

During his visit, in which he was accompanied by Neil Carmichael, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Stroud, Mr Duncan was impressed with the cleanliness, efficiency and modernity of the operation, which is at odds with the general negative perceptions of UK manufacturing.

He commented, “Renishaw is a great example of an engineering and manufacturing company that has had to be ground breaking in new technologies, environmental policies and in producing a highly trained work force to compete worldwide”.

UK manufacturing is world renowned

Mr Duncan added, “Manufacturing in the UK is world renowned; still sixth in the global league table of manufacturing nations, modern UK manufacturing is about adding new dimensions that remove the onus from traditional mass production, to creating systems that minimise non-value added activities; the Renishaw plant being a perfect example of this process.'

Speaking about the visit Gareth Hankins, General Manager of Renishaw’s Manufacturing Services Division said, “We welcome the opportunity to correct public misconceptions and illustrate that UK manufacturing is alive and kicking and making a large contribution to the wealth of the nation. Mr Duncan has witnessed that products can be made profitably in the UK with appropriate investments in automation and rigorous attention to quality and process control.”

World-class factory

Renishaw’s Stonehouse factory has already been hailed within the manufacturing industry as a world-class facility, giving visitors the “wow factor” and presenting Renishaw as a “model manufacturer”. With a total investment in excess of £7.5 million, the building covers a total of 100,000sq.ft, with a 70,000 sq.ft. machine hall.