Sponsors

Toyota Material Handling - Headline Sponsor

Toyota Material Handling is very proud to be sponsoring the Best Factory Awards. Home to the world’s best selling Toyota counterbalance and BT warehouse trucks; we offer a single point of contact for all your materials handling needs.

From single truck users to some of the biggest names in manufacturing we have the product and support services to be a strong business partner. At Toyota we pride ourselves on bringing innovative products to the material handling market with the quality assurance of the Toyota Production System. Our range is packed with features to help improve productivity and safety alongside driving down costs. For example our unique System of Active Stability (SAS) has helped to protect counterbalance operators across the world for the last ten years and our reach truck range which boasts 360° steering and seamless lifting technology for smooth, productive handling. From years of experience working with manufacturers in the UK, we know there is much to celebrate and we look forward to hearing the many inspirational stories the awards are sure to uncover.

Click here to download sponsor interview.

Website: www.toyota-forklifts.co.uk

ABB

This year ABB are proud sponsors of the Energy and Environment category of the Best Factory Awards.

This category symbolises ABB's Discrete Automation and Motion business which provides products, solutions and related services that increase industrial productivity and energy efficiency. Its motors, generators, drives, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), power electronics and robotics provide power, motion and control for a wide range of automation applications. The leading position in wind generators and a growing offering in solar and marine renewables complement the industrial focus, leveraging joint technology, channels and operations platforms.

Website: www.abb.co.uk/energy

DAK Consulting

Our mission at DAK Consulting is to help organisations to secure year on year improvement in performance. We do this by supporting the development of in house CI capability using practical work based improvement projects. Often this includes activities to deal with gaps in performance management processes or to secure cross functional engagement with the delivery of a common set of business improvement goals.

In addition to improving today's operations, we help organisations to continuously improve new product and capital project delivery processes to deliver growth and industry leading profitability.

In short, we work with you to build on existing good practices and challenge barriers to change to accelerate the delivery of lasting business benefits.

Let our consultants help you and your team to deliver your future business improvement goals. Alternatively sign up for one of our DAK Academy train the CI practitioner workshops @ www.dakacademy.com

Click here to download sponsor interview.

Website: www.dakconsulting.co.uk

DHL Supply Chain

DHL offers a comprehensive range of supply chain solutions to the manufacturing sector.

We understand the unique logistics challenges posed by an ever changing manufacturing landscape and can support customers at each stage, such as:

• Raw Materials Management
• Manufacturing
• Warehousing
• Distribution including Reverse Logistics

Our global scale and local insight enables customers to manage their supply chain efficiently with complete visibility. Our processes, technology and people drive cost and capital out of customers operations and by working in partnership with our customers we help them achieve their business objectives like cost control, improved productivity and customer satisfaction.

For more information please see:
http://www.dhl.co.uk

EAL

This year EAL are proud sponsors of the Skills category of the Best Factory Awards.

EAL (EMTA Awards Limited) is the UK’s leading awarding organisation for engineering. National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and their Scottish equivalents (SVQs). With over 70% of engineering vocational qualifications awarded by EAL it is easy to see why we are the market leader in this field.

EAL also offers high quality qualifications and technical expertise for related sectors including building services, energy and utilies, logistics and operations and environmental technologies.

Since 1964 EAL has evolved to become who we are today. Our roots are firmly placed in history and it is this background that has shaped us for today's competitive markets.

EAL is recognised by Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to award over 60 N/SVQs in a range of occupational areas.

Support is readily available to help Centres and learners, and we strive for continuous improvement in offering quality products and service second to none.

Website: http://www.eal.org.uk/default.aspx

IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health)

IOSH is the largest professional body for health and safety practitioners in the world. A Chartered Institution since 2003 we were granted the right by the Privy Council to offer individual Chartered status to members who meet our exacting criteria in 2005. We have over 39,000 members with more than 14,000 of them Chartered Members.

As the acknowledged guardians of health and safety competency our mission is to see a world of work that is safe health and sustainable through a pragmatic approach to health and safety legislation and practice. All of our qualified members maintain a Continuing Professional Development record with us ensuring their knowledge, skills and advice are of the highest standard.

Click here to download sponsor interview.

Website: http://www.iosh.co.uk/

Kronos Systems

With customers in over 50 countries and widely recognised as the thought leader and innovator in managing the workforce, Kronos has unrivalled reach with more than 30 million people using a Kronos solution every day including Caterpillar, Coca Cola, Cadbury, Hozelock, Kellogg's, Nestle and Vaillant Group.

Kronos for Manufacturing optimises workforce performance by closely aligning labour resources with customer demand, and by collecting accurate real-time shop-floor activity data to deliver improvements in productivity and quality. Kronos helps you to take control of employee absences and leave, typically reducing unscheduled absence by more than 30 per cent, and provides up-to-the minute unit labour costings to effectively manage margins and productivity.

Website: www.kronos.co.uk

PP Business Improvement

PPBI helps businesses uncover the things that stand in the way of their productivity and profitability and gives them the tools and techniques to change them.

It works with major names and small companies alike to raise their performance to a whole new level. Unlike conventional consultancy, it doesn't use one–size–fits–all training. Instead, it gives people the specific technical, analytical and managerial skills their own organization needs to grow. But, more than that, it helps the entire workforce develop the confidence and attitudes to actively seek improvement in every aspect of the business for themselves. So the business will carry on improving long after PPBI has left.

Website: www.powerpanels.uk.com

The Schaeffler Group

The Schaeffler Group is one of the world's leading engineering companies, employing more than 66,000 people in 180 locations worldwide and achieving global sales in excess of €7.3 billion (fiscal year 2009).

The Group, which remains a family-owned concern, markets its products under three world class brands - INA, FAG and LuK. More than 5000 staff worldwide are directly involved in R&D and on average, their efforts result in over 1200 patent registrations every year.

The combined INA FAG standard bearing catalogue comprises over 40,000 standard products for use in over 60 industrial sectors ranging from power transmission, mechanical handling, rail, construction, mining, quarrying, steel and paper to automotive, wind, marine and power generation.

Schaeffler's team of experienced service engineers provides support for these industries by offering a comprehensive portfolio of maintenance products and condition monitoring services to maximise plant availability and reduce plant maintenance costs.

For further information on the Schaeffler Group, its products and services, please visit:

www.schaeffler.co.uk

Zurich

We’re always looking for new ways to help protect manufacturers.

Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurance provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices. Zurich's UK General Insurance division is the UK Branch of Zurich Insurance plc, part of the Zurich Group. It supplies personal, commercial and local authority insurance through a variety of distribution channels. Based at locations all across the UK, with large sites in Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Farnborough and Whiteley, the division employs approximately 4,200 people.

As a leading UK Corporate insurer, we’ve always worked closely with brokers and their customers aiming to share knowledge, anticipate trends and provide the best possible insurance solutions to the Manufacturing sector. We’ve successfully been helping to protect manufacturing companies against risk for over 135 years.

In a complicated industry that’s changing rapidly and with manufacturers vulnerable to increasing regulations, our insight helps you to understand current and emerging risks so you can better safeguard your business.

Benefit from manufacturing-specific protection including:

- Expert strategic and operational risk management
- Supply chain insurance
- Advice on mergers and acquisitions

Please visit www.zurich.co.uk/expertise or speak to your insurance broker.

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