What does it mean to be a manufacturer in the UK at the moment? There is so much uncertainty hovering over our engineering and manufacturing businesses in a pre-Brexit world, that a sense of solidarity and pride in the industries that made Britain great, is as essential as it ever was.
On a regional level, it would appear to the outside world that we have an unfair regional advantage over the rest of the country. Not only do we boast the world's oldest steel company, Sheffield Forgemasters – now a globally-leading innovator in highly complex engineered products, we have the Advanced Manufacturing district on our doorstep.
And bolstering the quality of our output, we have Made In Sheffield - one of the world's great brands, made famous internationally as a mark of origin and quality for the City's manufactured products. Nowhere else can you gain this honour.
Today, Sheffield is home to world-class companies in sectors as diverse as advanced manufacturing, materials technology, food, aerospace, biomedical/healthcare technology and the creative & digital industries. Those creatives based here are safe in the knowledge that Sheffield ranks third place behind the Canadian cities of Quebec and Winnipeg in a worldwide list of best places to start a digital company, compiled by software firm Sellics.
Companies in the Sheffield City Region can now showcase their proud Sheffield credentials through the use of the Made In Sheffield Mark, a symbol of the City's ongoing commitment to quality and excellence.
Our city remains at the forefront internationally in metals and metal products and in materials related technology. It is home to many companies which are probably better known internationally than they are in Sheffield, world class in their own fields.
However, Made in Sheffield is much more than an accolade of quality and distinction for the manufacturing industry, but that purpose is well met and plays an important role in cementing the values of our manufacturers.
As an initiative, it goes further and serves to underpin the importance of manufacturing, associated with the great innovations that have – and continue to originate in Sheffield.
At Wake Smith, we are proud to work alongside many of those notable manufacturing businesses, to be an integral part of their success stories and to capitalise on our wealth of experience and sector specific expertise in helping manufacturing companies with all of their legal requirements.
Tthe development and pace of change enveloping manufacture in and around Sheffield is not unnoticed and the city is widely regarded as the UK's advanced manufacturing hub.
We cannot fail to be awed by world-class technologies employed by firms like Boeing, Rolls Royce, Sheffield Forgemasters, McClaren, and many others, which bring unique skills tothe city.
The city has now started to establish a strong supply chain of other companies which can profit from, and add to, the cascade of materials, technology, skills and services delivery. This further improves the growth and opportunities that will benefit the whole region.
So despite the uncertainty faced by manufacturers in the UK, the Made In Sheffield brand is proudly touted by our producers - and collectively, they continue to be a force to be reckoned with, in the city region, across the UK and around the globe.
