Manufacturing is alive and kicking

Across Scotland there are many examples of manufacturing companies doing surprising and exciting things

The death of British manufacturing has been greatly exaggerated in recent years.

While the service sector is the powerhouse of the UK economy – it accounts for more than two-thirds of GDP – manufacturing is a vibrant and growing minority.

In this October edition of Business Matters, we take at look at what is happening locally in the manufacturing sector.

And the answer is plenty.

For our cover story, regular contributor Ian Forsyth takes a look behind-the-scenes of Dover Fueling Solutions’ Dundee manufacturing centre.

Dover may not be a familiar name to many, but I guarantee every person reading this has used their forecourt fuel pumps at one time or another. Manufacturing is like that. Across Scotland there are many examples of manufacturing companies doing surprising and exciting things.

Take Smith Anderson of Kirkcaldy for example – they produce millions of paper bags for use by giants like McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks, but they are far from being a household name themselves.

What about Falkirk-based bus builder Alexander Dennis, a company that has literally kept the UK economy moving for decades.

And how about Ingenico of Dalgety Bay, the overall Business of the Year at last weekend’s Courier Business Awards (see right).

To redress that balance, Business Matters this month looks at some of the innovative manufacturing companies operating in this region and the products they produce.

Rob McLaren has an exclusive chat with Fife-based Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service chairman, Sarah Jardine, on how the sector is very much alive and kicking.

Enjoy.

Picture: PA. The production line at Alexander Dennis’s Scottish bus factory.