Says Minister for Business and Industry Andrew Stephenson MP: “Sharing in Growth is helping the UK advanced manufacturing supply chain compete on the world stage, creating high-value jobs and helping companies grow by five times the industry average. The UK is a world leader in aerospace manufacturing and this programme is a fantastic example of our Industrial Strategy in action – bringing the Government and industry together to build on our excellent reputation and ensure we reap the rewards of future opportunities.”
A not-for-profit organisation, Sharing in Growth is supported by the Regional Growth Fund and by more than £150 million in private investment. Over 60 companies have benefitted from the Sharing in Growth programme across the UK. Each business participates in a bespoke and intense training and business transformation programme which focuses on leadership, culture and operational capability. Training is delivered by SiG’s own 100 strong team of business coaches, as well as a bank of experts, including the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, Deloitte, Industry Forum and the National Physical Laboratory.
Says Sharing in Growth CEO Andy Page: “An integral part of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, Sharing in Growth is helping to boost the UK’s aerospace export drive. We are the UK’s largest productivity programme, having delivered more than 3 million hours of transformation support. Moreover, we have a scope and scale that’s commensurate with the size of the challenge involved in helping programme participants to win a larger share of the global aerospace market. Our programme is effective: we’ve secured more than £4 billion in contracts two years ahead of schedule. We are, therefore, well on target to safeguard 10,000 UK jobs by 2022.”
Among those that have benefited from Sharing in Growth are CW Fletcher of Sheffield, Ulverston-based Oxley Group, and JJ Churchill of Market Bosworth, all of which are exhibiting at the Paris Air Show next week (17-23 June).
CW Fletcher is exhibiting at the Paris Air Show for the first time, having just secured a long-term agreement worth £160 million with Rolls-Royce. Working with Sharing in Growth since 2013, CW Fletcher has secured more than £200 million in contracts. The company is now building a 2,000 m2 factory extension, has a confirmed order book of £27 million for 2019, and is on target to hit £30 million in 2020.
Says managing director Steve Kirk: “The degree of change and growth we have experienced with Sharing in Growth is unprecedented in our 126-year history, and has played a big part in transforming our company into a globally competitive organisation, securing 200 jobs.”
Oxley Group was selected for Sharing in Growth in April 2018 and has already seen a £5 million increase in turnover. The privately-owned firm designs and manufactures LED lighting, night vision products and high-specification electronic components, including EMI suppression filters and interconnectors for defence and aerospace. Exporting over 70% of its turnover, major customers include Boeing, Airbus, Saab, Sikorsky, BAE Systems, KAI, General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin.
Says Oxley Group CEO Darren Cavan: “We want to leverage our technology lead in defence to break into the civil aerospace market so we can double our turnover in five years, and then treble it in 10 years. Thanks to Sharing in Growth, we are well on target with our growth strategy, having increased turnover from £13 million in 2017, to almost £18 million in 2018.”
Since joining Sharing in Growth, the company, which employs 160 in Cumbria and 30 at its US subsidiary in Connecticut, has won the Cumbria Best Exporter award, and is a 2019 finalist in both the Electronics Industry Awards and in the Sharing in Growth All Star awards.
After five years on the Sharing in Growth productivity and competitiveness programme, family-owned precision engineering firm JJ Churchill has secured more than £200 million in contracts, increased its headcount by 35% to 165 employees, and its export order book from under £1 million to more than £37 million.
The company’s presence at the Paris Air Show will be led by executive chairman Andrew Churchill who says: “Sharing in Growth is an excellent example of how the UK Government and engineering is working together to make our industry more effective, more efficient and future-proofed. This is increasing opportunities, sales and jobs.”
Set up by industry in 2013, Sharing in Growth is endorsed by Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bombardier, GE, GKN, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, MBDA, Rolls-Royce, Safran and Thales because it is helping the UK advanced manufacturing supply chain to become more competitive and win a larger share of global aerospace contracts, typically by addressing a 20% cost gap and targeting 50% productivity improvement. In 2018, Sharing in Growth won the national Semta Innovation Award for improving the capability and productivity of over 10,000 people working in the aerospace supply chain.
