At Your Service

RUN BY MANUFACTURERS .... FOR MANUFACTURERS

The Mid Wales Manufacturing Group is a proactive organisation that is driven by its members and offers a wide range of services. Members are encouraged to take an active role in the Group to help it develop and grow.

Established in 1994 the Group is a limited company owned by the members and operates on a 'not for profit' basis. The Group's principle sponsor is the Welsh Development Agency but it also receives funding from the European Union and other government funded agencies. Listed below is a selection of services offered for members, if you would like to see a listing of forthcoming meetings and workshops please visit the events page.

Legislation and Best Practice

The Group aims to inform its members about current legislation and best practice in running a manufacturing business. It does this by running workshops on specific themes given by industry experts, holding business network meetings where individuals with a common interest come together to share information, and by individual support to member companies by telephone or email. More details on events and meetings can be found on the events page or for individual help telephone 01686 628778,

Network Service (helpline)

This service is available to all members on an individual basis. Just contact us with your problem or issue and we will spend time in finding a sensible answer to your question. The greatest strength of the Group is the knowledge held by its members; just fewer than 200 companies possess a wealth of knowledge ranging from procuring unusual items to helping each other with equipment maintenance. We provide a link to that knowledge as well as assess to government agencies and other sources of information. Just telephone or e-mail.
Please note we only provide this support for member companies or those wishing to contact a member.

Business Networks

This service is based in Powys and is supported specifically by European funds and the Welsh Development Agency. Regular meetings are held across the region either over breakfast, lunch or tea to cover the following disciplines: personnel, finance, logistics, procurement, IT, production, sales and marketing. The meetings normally take the form of an informal presentation from an industry expert followed by the opportunity for managers within member companies who have similar responsibilities to share information and experience.

Preferred Suppliers

The Network Groups have began negotiating with manufacturing suppliers to obtain a preferential rate for MWMG members. The first area to secure a preferred Supplier List is in the Parcel/ Pallet delivery service. See link for further details.Preferred Suppliers Details

HRD Advisor- Skills: Advice, Guidance and Funding

In September 08 the Group began providing support through the Welsh Assembly Government's 'Workforce Development Programme'. An advisor from the group will be able to assist companies to:
• Review strategy to ensure staff development and training is focused on delivering business objectives
• Identify training and development requirements
• Help in identifying the most appropriate training organisations
• Support the company towards the Investors in People award
• Identify and assist in securing the most advantageous funding support to meet the company's training and development needs.

UK Exhibition & Mentoring Grant Scheme.

During September the Group will be launching its first grant support programme aimed at assisting small manufacturing businesses attend UK exhibitions to exhibit their products. The programme receives funding from the Rural Development Plan 2007-2013 as well as Powys County Council and will run for over two years.

To be eligible businesses must:
• Be manufacturers based in Powys
• Employ 10 staff or less
• Wish to attend a UK exhibition or show to demonstrate their products
• Can provide a business case based on potential sales as a result of attending the event

In return advice will be provided on how best to exhibit and 70% funding provided towards the costs of stand hire, show entrance fees and some promotional material up to a maximum of £5000. For further details and how to apply, please contact our office.

Manufacturing as a Career.

In 2003 the Group published its 'Eye for Manufacturing' careers brochure that has been made available to all schools and colleges in Mid Wales. The brochure features case studies of locally educated people from Mid Wales now enjoying successful careers in Mid Wales manufacturing companies. It supplements the many talks we give each year in local schools highlighting the career opportunities available in manufacturing companies. This part of our service is aimed at providing a long term progression of talented young people into manufacturing careers. In addition we are frequently sent details of skilled people looking for work in Mid Wales, where possible we put them in touch with member companies where their skills may be utilised.

Lobbying

The Group is one of the few private sector organisations in Mid Wales employing full time staff that collects the issues and concerns of member companies. As such we have a strong lobbying voice to government and its agencies, meeting regularly with local politicians and chief executives of the government funded business support agencies. We lobby on behalf of our members, specifically in the need to improve accessibility within Mid Wales both for road transport of goods and people and the provision of Broadband internet access. This coupled with the need to increase the working population available in Mid Wales (either by improved transport or housing) represents are focused lobbying activity.

Publications

Each year the Group publishes a hard copy of its Intertrader booklet featuring details of all member companies, their products, processes and markets. Copies are available from our office or an up to date version can be viewed on the Members Directory page.

The Group also publishes a monthly newsletter called 'Manufacturing Matters'. Copies are available from the office and the stories (plus many others) are on the Manufacturing News page of this website.