Made For Trade has been announced as the winner of the overall Manufacturing Award at the 2022 North East Business Awards grand final.
The company said of its award: “When deciding which of the top manufacturing organisations in the region to take home the coveted prize, judges looked not just at the company’s capacity and output in the direct sense, but also how it extends into the local region. Factors such as investment in equipment and of course people were carefully considered, as well as sales performance and how the business is looking to set its strategy for the future. That strategy includes not only manufacturing innovation, growth prospects and sales, but also key attributes such as sustainability, markets served and the continuous development of efficiency and productivity.
“One factor that helped Made For Trade stand out from the award competition proved to be the relatively unique position of being both a design and fabrication outfit in one efficient organisation – something that has proved to be pioneering in the fenestration industry. When it comes to glazing outfits, the products have progressed but the manufacturing technology and engineering has remained relatively stagnant; the predominant model is of large organisations developing products and supplying parts to fabricators, who in turn supply their customers.
“Made For Trade however encompasses the full timeline, from initial design through to in-house delivery – all for the benefit of efficiency, improving quality and reducing cost. MFT stands out from competitors thanks to its progression from a small installer and fabricator, to a manufacturing outfit bringing revolutionary techniques and processes to the industry, helping to fuel growth and invest in a well-trained local workforce. The engineering division features experience from the automotive and motorsport sectors; bringing a new level of precision not only to the product design, but also the manufacturing processes to elevate the fenestration products to a completely new level against the competition.”
Now operating from three purpose-built fabrication units with more than 250,000 sqft and employing more than 150 operatives, Made for Trade continues to invest in growth; with a quarter of pre-tax profits being put towards new assets.
The last two years have been unlike any other for UK businesses, and MFT says its strategy for dealing with this tumultuous timeframe also impressed the panel, as the manufacturing business overcame significant supply chain challenges and industry issues to sell 32,000 units in 2021 alone. From pre-emptive stock increases and rapidly leveraging new suppliers, to modifying components to suit, Made for Trade continued to excel in what were unique times for the entire industry, coming out the other side with an enviable reputation alongside record sales.
Thecompany y concluded: “The judging panel also looked at future manufacturing plans; a factor that differentiated MFT via continuous improvement plus investment in new technology and people to push the manufacturing process forward in the most efficient manner. Made For Trade is set to grow to a £45-50M turnover through commercial focus and vertical integration and in excess of £1M is again being invested in bespoke machinery for the production line, whilst the team are exploring a future that involves in-house glass manufacture to create a true one-stop shop.”
