Manufacturing Digital quizzes Nylacast, a market
leader in the provision of engineering solutions
in high value added technologies
By Ian Armitage
Nylacast is renowned for its ability to provide the customer with a complete engineering plastic solution. The versatility of its components sees them used in many diverse applications within industries including construction, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, food processing, rail, water treatment, defence and automotive.
In this unique Q&A, Manufacturing Digital looks at a company with high hopes for 2010.
Q: With the economy showing signs of recovery, how would you summarise Nylacast’s current performance?
A: Nylacast is diversified across a number of industries, including oil and gas, automotive, construction, agriculture, marine and alternative energy to name but a few. This has allowed the company to balance its portfolio and continue to grow as a business unit.
Q: So then, what have been some of the major milestones of the last 12-18 months?
A: The last 12-18 months have seen Nylacast invest in a number of our assets. Amongst those, we have initiated a group wide lean manufacturing programme, allowing us to deliver greater value added to our customers through significantly reduced lead-times, improved delivery and quality performance. Simultaneously, this programme has also benefited the business directly through a significant reduction in inventory, including finished goods, WIP and raw materials; also enabling better utilisation of our internal resources, factory space and working capital.
Furthermore, we have made significant investments in our people, allowing them to undertake training in best practice business improvement skills that will enhance their personal qualities, accredited qualifications, build morale and, ultimately, benefit the business through applied engineering/manufacturing practices.
Nylacast recognises the importance of its people and considers them to be its most valuable asset. The majority of our workforce is from the local community and has proved an intrinsic part of Nylacast’s successes.
This is why we focus on the long-term goals and conduct an array of in-house and external training, including NVQs, professional qualifications, mentoring buddy systems and apprenticeships. Where required, we have also acquired industry experts into vital positions to complement and enhance our strong workforce. Nylacast consider our people-based investments as pivotal to both our success and our push towards continuous business improvement.
Q: What are your current business goals?
A: Nylacast is a forward thinking, customer orientated business. We pride ourselves on being able to go to market and provide the engineering solutions that offer our customers a real value alternative. We believe in the value of building business partners through long and sustainable relationships.
With over 40 years of pioneering polymers, innovation, providing solutions and creating value, Nylacast are well placed as market leaders to continue to pioneer, innovate and create cooperative value for our business partners. Therefore, our vision is to continue as a market leader in providing engineering solutions in high value added technologies.
Q: We’ve talked about performance already, but what is your view of the current state of the industry?
A: There is no doubt that the global economy is going through a significant overhaul and, as a business enterprise, we are ever aware of the constraints placed on each of the industries we service. It is how we adapt to provide our customers with the best value possible and we have achieved this by ensuring we are economically value added.
Q: Does that mean the industry changing? How so? How are these changes affecting you?
A: The current change in our business operating environment has not been without its challenges. However, as a company, we have chosen to endorse these changes and adapt to the requirements placed upon us.
We have updated our processes, applied knowledge management practices, increased our customer awareness and continue to educate our customers on the benefits of using lightweight non-metallic materials as an alternative to traditional materials. This vision is ever apparent and we are now able to provide our value to both new applications and new industries.
On top of educating our customers, we continue to seek to innovate and provide the advanced engineering solutions our partners require. As such, investments into our in-house R&D and technical teams continue, meaning our engineer polymer solution knowledge base is second to none.
Q: How about the future? How would you like to see Nylacast develop?
A: We believe we have a significant part to play in the future of engineering solutions. Our products are world class and genuinely provide our customers with a cost saving and sustainable solution.
Application development, technical consultancy and value added engineering are the areas we excel at and our intention is to continue in the same capacity. We anticipate and expect to invest further in our technical resource to more than meet the demands placed upon us.
Long-term sustainable, value added partnerships are our key objective, ensuring the needs and requirements of our customers are met each time.
Q: What do you believe is the key to Nylacast success? Do you aim to ensure the continuation of this success?
A: The key is innovation, coupled with outstanding value. We are at the leading edge of developing polymer materials for the most demanding of applications. With them, we lead the world in advanced engineering solutions and we have the opportunity to do this with the superior quality of product we design, manufacture, machine and engineer.
Ultimately, we believe Nylacast is intuitively synchronised to our customers’ needs; with this being the definitive component to both Nylacast and our customers’ continued success.
Edited by Ben Lobel
SOURCE: Manufacturing Digital Magazine
ADDITIONAL LINKS: www.nylacast.com