Four Cumbrian businesses are among the first recipients of the Made Smarter Awards, which celebrate excellence in manufacturing.
Agricultural machinery firm Storth, Playdale Playgrounds, R.A.F Engineering and The Cumbria Clock Company all received ‘gold’ certification.
The Made Smarter Awards was launched to mark the fourth anniversary of the Made Smarter adoption programme – a government-funded and industry-led initiative helping SME manufacturers digitalise, decarbonise and drive growth.
In total, 158 businesses representing every part of the North West region across a diverse range of sectors, have been recognised for their committed approach to digital transformation.
There are three levels of certification – bronze, silver, and gold – depending on a recipient’s engagement and advocacy of the programme.
Four Cumbrian businesses were among the first 19 gold award winners:
- Storth, an agricultural machine manufacturer, based in Holme.
- Playdale Playgrounds, a playground equipment manufacturer based in Ulverston.
- R.A.F Engineering, an engineering and fabrication business, based in Workington.
- The Cumbria Clock Company, a clock repair and restoration specialist based in Penrith.
Donna Edwards, director of Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme, said: “The Made Smarter adoption programme is a huge success story for UK manufacturing. It has inspired leadership and evoked change in hundreds of businesses through technology and new skills.
“Digital transformation can be hard, particularly in the current climate and given the challenges the sector has faced in recent years, so it is right we recognise the hard work, dedication and forward-thinking nature of these businesses and their employees. They have embraced digitalisation to become a leading example of UK manufacturing excellence.”
Playdale Playgrounds invested in a state-of-the-art equipment to integrate their design and manufacture processes. This has enabled them to achieve significant improvements in efficiency, output, productivity, reduce material use, tooling and downtime, and improve quality.
Paul Mallinson, technical and operations director at Playdale Playgrounds, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Made Smarter programme. Adopting technology is an essential part of our digital strategy. Their expertise and support has accelerated our future state and ambitions to become an entirely digitally integrated factory.
“In such a competitive market we need to be able to manufacture faster and more efficiently.”
Storth transformed their production process using automation and robotics with the support of Made Smarter. These investments increased productivity, upskilling staff, unlocked research and development opportunities, and enabled the business to achieve lights-out manufacturing for the first time.
Julian Lopez, Storth export manager, said: “We are delighted to receive a gold Made Smarter Award. It is the icing on the cake of a challenging but rewarding few years, which has kickstarted the digital transformation of our business.
“From the start, Made Smarter has encouraged us to explore the opportunities of digital technology and patiently supported us through the beginning of what is a significant cultural change.
“We are proud to be advocates of this pioneering programme which is giving SMEs like us the know-how and backing to map out a digital future.”
To date, the Made Smarter North West programme has provided support to over 2,500 businesses.
Some businesses have adopted technologies that enable them to integrate systems, capture and analyse data, and even create simulations of their plants and processes. Others have adopted 3D-printing, automation, and robotics to solve business challenges and meet increased demand.
These investments have created 1,300 new manufacturing jobs, upskilled 2,400 existing roles and added over £209 million to the regional economy. Businesses are also benefitting from improved productivity and revenue, increased exports and lower energy bills, and a reduced carbon footprint.
