UK-based manufacturers are seeing their business grow again
after years of business moving offshore to lower cost areas in
eastern Europe and Aisa.
PCB manufacturer Invotec said 2004 was its strongest year for a
number of years. Business was driven by the aerospace and military
sectors but also was due to orders from small and medium-sized
companies.
“The world market recovered in 2004 and we saw the best
year since 2000 with turnover up 26 per cent,” said David
Jones, group chief executive at Invotec.
Contract manufacturer AWS Electronics is also seeing its
business growing at 25 per cent. As a result the firm said it is
planning new investment and recruitment to support business growth
this year.
It is the ability of local suppliers to be flexible to customer
requirements which AWS said is making the biggest difference in the
market. “Despite prevailing attitudes in the country, we fear
little from eastern European and Far Eastern competition as these
cannot easily offer competing services,” said the
company.
GSPK Circuits is another manufacturer feeling more confident.
“Confidence is a lot higher,” said Steve Lloyd,
managing director at the firm. “The UK is more buoyant than
the rest of Europe.”
Invotec is seeing business for pre-production and prototyping
for major OEMs, as well as work from small and medium contract
manufacturers which do not have the volume to use the Far East PCB
firms. “From the start we accepted that high volume would go
to the Far East and a bit to eastern Europe. We cannot compete with
that but it leaves a significant number of market niches,”
said Jones.
Invotec, AWS and GSPK are part of a group of manufacturers
highlighting the renewed strength of UK-based companies at next
month’s Nepcon Brighton exhibition. A special zone at the
show entitled “UK Can Make It” is being sponsored by
Electronics Weekly and Intellect.
www.aws-electronics.co.uk
www.gspk.co.uk
www.invotecgroup.com/html/index.html