Following a quicker than expected recovery across the industry, current barriers to growth is the main focus of the latest Manufacturing Barometer.
The South West Manufacturing Advisory Service (SWMAS) is asking Cornish manufacturers (employing less than 250 people) for their take on supply chain price changes and raw material availability – two common pain points for businesses over the last six months.
Nick Golding, managing director of SWMAS, said: “The bounce back has been much faster than many of us expected and that was reflected in the last Barometer, with 58% of companies expecting to increase investment and 54% looking to take on more staff to meet increasing customer demand.
“This is great to hear, but it is not without its challenges. Our experts have been hearing concerning reports of massive price changes on raw materials, lead times being extended to months rather than weeks, and challenges with recruiting staff.”
He continued: “Since this survey opened on 12th July, 94% of respondents have told us that price changes within their supply chains are proving problematic, so we encourage other SME manufacturers to also highlight the most pressing issues they are facing.
“We will then share these findings with Government, so they can take action to develop more specialised support and we protect the recovery.”
The Manufacturing Barometer should take no more than ten minutes to complete and is open until 4pm on Friday (July 23). Click here to take part.
