Alastair Campbel hosts Manufacturing Forum in Ironbridge |
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Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spokesman and communications strategist, was the host of the 2010 annual Manufacturing Forum and Awards Lunch held by Brammer, Europe’s leading supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services. The event, held at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum near Telford and entitled 'Manufacturing our Future', was attended by more than 100 senior delegates from all sectors of UK manufacturing. The keynote address was given by Steve Radley, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the manufacturer’s organisation EEF, who explored the future for UK manufacturing in the post-recession economy. Two further thought-provoking seminars were hosted by Alan France, Operations Director of Idhammer Systems, on "Operational Excellence in Manufacturing, Maintenance & Asset Management", and Dr Keivan Zokaei of Warwick University on "Continuous Improvement in Procurement & Supply Chain Strategies". The speaker programme preceded the Brammer Awards lunch, hosted by Alastair Campbell. The awards, now in their fourth year, recognise the importance of sustainability, product and service innovation in delivering improved operational performance. The Award winners were as follows:
Delegates also had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Iron, which highlights the role of Ironbridge Gorge as the scene for some of the most creative thinking in the history of the industrial revolution - a process symbolised by the world’s first cast iron bridge. In 1986, the Ironbridge Gorge became one of the first UK sites to be awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO. Ian Ritchie, Managing Director of Brammer UK, commented: "Ironbridge was an ideal venue for our Manufacturing Forum as its history of manufacturing and engineering innovation provided the perfect backdrop to a day focused on the 21st century product and service innovations required to drive the future competitiveness of UK manufacturing. ]"This year's speaker programme was designed to be both challenging and thought-provoking in encouraging delegates to consider the commercial benefits achievable through optimising their procurement, supply chain, maintenance and asset management strategies. "The Brammer Awards once again presented some very difficult decisions for the judging panel, with many strong entries based on significant business benefits achieved. We congratulate all the finalists and especially the winners who have all demonstrated significant proactivity and innovation, working with Brammer and our strategic supply partners, to improve their manufacturing operations." |
