Made in Britain CEO John Pearce and representatives of two of the organisation’s members based in Northern Ireland, Alan Lowry, CEO of Environmental Street Furniture (ESF) and Martin Mallon, Technical Marketing Manager at CT1, took part in a session at the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference in Belfast on 22 June.
The speakers were encouraged by the level of optimism and positivity surrounding the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland. Billed as a ‘Fireside Chat’ (ironically on such a glorious sunny day), the discussions covered topics vital to manufacturing across the UK: managing supply chain disruption, achieving sustainability goals and making the most of Northern Ireland’s unique proximity to EU markets.
John Pearce said: “Northern Ireland continues to tick every box for business – especially those that make products and sell them within and outside the UK. There is an extraordinary manufacturing legacy, a proud and highly skilled workforce. The place is bursting with energy and new ideas to help get back to green, responsible growth and an economy that serves both people and planet.”
Made in Britain member Alan Lowry, who is CEO of Environmental Street Furniture (ESF) and Northern Ireland Policy Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), was keen to share with the audience the ways in which ESF - a leading maker of, in his words, “bins, bollards and benches” - is working on sophisticated circular economy projects and global product licences that bring to accelerate its sustainability efforts.
“We’ve always had sustainability at the very core of what we do - it’s even in our name. When we were approached by a new global licencing project to make some of our range, entirely from upcycled materials, we jumped at the opportunity.“Ultimately, all the talking in the world won’t change things – we have to act in a way that proves we’re serious about the environment and we’re a genuinely responsible manufacturer. The Made in Britain: Northern Ireland Mark will be on every product we make, reminding everyone that interacts with our products that Northern Ireland is already going green and leading the way,” Alan Lowry said.
Made in Britain is an independent, apolitical, not-for-profit membership organisation uniting close to 2,000 British SME manufacturers by their licensed use of the Made in Britain Mark, which helps manufacturers across the UK to achieve more sales by promoting their British provenance. Members manufacturing in Northern Ireland use the Made in Britain: Northern Ireland Mark.