Rise in new plastic injection projects designed for manufacture in the UK
14 December 2020
As UK manufacturing businesses seek to de-risk the possible impacts of Brexit, rebound from the global lockdown of the coronavirus and mitigate supply chain challenges, currency fluctuations protect IP rights - more and more projects are being designed for manufacture in the UK.
The demand for UK plastic injection moulding continues to grow
The attraction of low cost overseas manufacturing, especially plastic injection moulding, took it's toll on many UK companies as manufacturing offshore increased with the turn of the new millennium. However, with the UK breaking away from the EU and a global pandemic, it seems a tipping point has been reached with the hidden price paid overseas manufacturing.
The cost of delays, IP theft and potential brand damage is no longer worth it
With the 5 weeks shipping a cost worth paying in the trade off for low cost products many UK companies chose to have their manufacturing in far east countries. However, the hidden price was in fluctuating quality, language barriers and a cavalier approach to intellectual property rights. The latest wave of potentially brand damaging revelations is the use of slave labour camps in far east manufacturing heartlands.
Tex Plastics have seen greatest growth in new projects to be manufactured in the UK
The drivers influencing the rise in new projects being designed for manufacture in the UK is the perfect storm for overseas manufacturers. Speed to market is increasingly important, as is responsiveness to customer requirements, but there are 7 key factors companies placing new projects to be manufactured in the UK point to for this change in direction:
7 Reasons why more companies choose UK plastic injection moulders
1 - Higher transport costs
2 - Growing demand for shorter and more responsive lead times.
3 - Increasing costs as low cost manufacturing based economies workers demand more
4 - Uncertainty over exchange rates
5 - Quality control
6 - Language issues and time zone communications
7 - Plagiarising of product IP
Britain's taking this a golden opportunity to rebuild its manufacturing base
The UK is becoming more competitive through deployment of technology to increase productivity. Combined this with the general populations desire for an ethically, environmentally produced product. The result is a greater desire for British made products. This appeal isn't limited to the UK, as the Made in Britain accolade is desired in most markets across the world. We are at one of the most important, exciting and challenging times in the history of global enterprise.