According to Composites UK’s communications manager, Claire Whysall, the organisation is busier than ever, adding new members to its growing team and promoting engagement for its upcoming Industry Awards Dinner.
Despite the ongoing uncertainty of Brexit, here at Composites UK we’ve seen no signs of an industry that’s slowing down, with more enquiries than ever coming through our helpdesk. Also, a record number of 86,000 unique visitors used The Hub (our UK Composites Capabilities Database) over the last twelve months and a steady number of new companies are emerging into the supply chain.
It is an exciting time for Composites UK as we have recently welcomed two new staff members who will help the Association deliver a greater range of benefits and services on a deeper level.
At the beginning of May, Diane Alexander joined the team as Membership and Events Officer. Diane’s role includes being the first point of contact for member enquiries, organising events and providing marketing support. Diane was formerly at the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association and brings a wealth membership organisation knowledge with her.
June marks the arrival of Charlotte White as SME Relationship Manager. Charlotte’s work will help us understand the needs and requirements of our members and the wider industry, which will in turn, feed into new and existing benefits offered by the Association. Based primarily at the National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol, Charlotte will work closely with the NCC Connect Business Unit to understand how they can also increase their support of the SME community. She will also take on The Hub and interrogate the data within this to map the composites industry, its markets and the organisations that supply into it, developing a detailed overview of the industry and its standing.
Diane and Charlotte join us at an exciting time for the Association and the industry.
Following on from the news in the last issue where we announced Ben Wilson of MPM Limited as our new Chairman, the Composites Leadership Forum (CLF) also announces its new Chair in the form of Ken Smart, executive director of business strategy for McLaren Automotive.
The CLF is working to influence the Government and other bodies to bring together support for composites and ensure growth and industrial success for the UK. It is chaired and led by industry, set up in 2012 from an industry initiative to coordinate and connect the activities of the growing number of composite-using companies, supportive stakeholders and industry organisations.
Ken takes over from Alex Aucken, the ex-UK programme director – serial automotive at Solvay, following the completion of his term in office. Ken led the project team responsible for establishing the £50 million McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in the Sheffield region and has now been promoted to McLaren’s executive team with responsibility for Business Strategy.
Finally, the Association is encouraging all companies, including non-members, to shout about their successes and submit an entry to the 2019 Composites UK Industry Awards. Categories include Innovation in Composite Design, Materials and Manufacturing; Employee, Employer and Trainee of the Year; as well as awards in Sustainability and Health and Safety being up for grabs. Applications are open until the end of June with judging taking place over the summer and a shortlist of entries announced in September. The overall winner will be presented with their award at the Awards Dinner on 30th October 2019 held at the National Motorcycle Museum to coincide with the Advanced Engineering Show. As always more details about this are available through the website.
