Neil Owen, Vice President, NOTE UK, reflects on National Manufacturing Day and what the changing manufacturing landscape means for UK businesses.
Key Takeaways
- Neil Owen discusses National Manufacturing Day and its significance for UK electronics manufacturing.
- NOTE UK operates six sites each contributing unique capabilities, supporting diverse industries.
- Modern manufacturing involves more than assembly; it encompasses design, development, fulfilment, and end-of-life management.
- The human expertise behind the processes is crucial, as engineers and operators solve challenges daily.
- UK manufacturing remains vital due to supply chain resilience and proximity to customers, blending local capabilities with global networks.
Neil Owen, Vice President of NOTE UK, reflects on National Manufacturing Day, what we celebrated across our UK operations and why the people, skills and capabilities behind British manufacturing matter long after the day itself.
National Manufacturing Day gives our industry an opportunity to stop for a moment and celebrate something we probably don’t talk about enough – what we make here in the UK and the people who make it possible.
Across NOTE UK, today has been an opportunity to shine a light on our teams, our facilities and the breadth of manufacturing capability we now have across the country.
But as National Manufacturing Day draws to a close, I think the more interesting question is: what are we actually celebrating?
For me, it is much more than manufacturing equipment or production volumes.
It is people, knowledge, investment and the ability to turn an idea into a product that performs reliably in the real world.
Six UK sites. One manufacturing network.
NOTE’s UK manufacturing footprint now extends across Windsor, Haddenham, Basildon, Wolverhampton, Hook and Poynton.
Each operation brings different skills and capabilities to the wider NOTE network, allowing us to support customers across sectors including MedTech, industrial, communications, GreenTech, security and defence.
That breadth matters because what customers need from a manufacturing partner is changing.
Increasingly, they are looking for support across much more of the product lifecycle – not simply somebody to manufacture a PCB.
From an idea to a finished product
One of the things National Manufacturing Day allows us to demonstrate is just how much happens before and after a product reaches the production line.
Our involvement can start with design and development, followed by prototyping and sourcing, before moving into electronics manufacturing.
And it doesn’t necessarily stop with the electronics.
At sites such as Haddenham, our box build and complete product manufacturing capabilities allow us to bring together electronics, mechanical components, assembly and testing to deliver a finished product.
From there, support can extend into fulfilment, after-sales requirements and eventually end-of-life management.
It is a very different picture from the traditional perception of an electronics manufacturer.
The people behind the process
The machines inevitably attract attention on days like today.
But the technology only tells part of the story.
Behind it are engineers solving design challenges, purchasing teams navigating component availability, operators who understand their processes in extraordinary detail, quality teams ensuring standards are maintained and colleagues working together to solve the unexpected problems that inevitably arise in manufacturing.
That human expertise is one of UK manufacturing’s greatest strengths.
Technology and automation will continue to change what our factories look like and how we operate them. But the experience, judgement and problem-solving ability of the people working within them remain incredibly important.
Why UK manufacturing continues to matter
The past few years have also changed the conversation around where products are manufactured.
Supply-chain resilience, security of supply, lead times, traceability and proximity to customers have all become increasingly important considerations.
For some OEMs, having engineering and manufacturing capability closer to home can make collaboration easier and allow teams to respond more quickly when requirements change.
That doesn’t mean every component or manufacturing process suddenly becomes local. Electronics manufacturing is inherently global.
The opportunity is to combine strong UK electronics manufacturing capability with access to an international sourcing and manufacturing network.
That gives customers options.
So, what do we take away from National Manufacturing Day?
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that modern manufacturing is far broader than many people realise.
It is engineering.
It is technology.
It is supply chains.
It is quality.
It is investment.
And, most importantly, it is people.
National Manufacturing Day gives us one day to put all of that in the spotlight.
Tomorrow, our factories will continue doing what they do every other day of the year – solving problems, building products and helping our customers bring their ideas to life.
And perhaps that’s the best way to wrap up National Manufacturing Day.
We’re proud of what we manufacture in the UK. But we’re even prouder of the people who make it possible.
Neil Owen
Vice President, NOTE UK