UK Manufacturing: Suddenly it’s sexy again!

Take a look at the advertisement on the right. Now look again. No, your eyes are not deceiving you, this is actually an advertisement taken out by a financial institution to boast about supporting an SME manufacturing business based in the North of England!

What’s more it’s a true story, will wonders never cease? I wasn’t aware that most banks knew where Rochdale is let alone would actually support a business based there!

Fair play to GE Capital on this one, where most banks fear to tread they’ve gone in and backed a British manufacturer when far too many doors in our big UK banks are at best barely ajar and at worst are slammed in manager’s faces, despite the assurances given with Project Merlin.

What’s more GE Capital are telling the world about it with a series of advertisements. In fact this one is running across national newspapers including the FT, business publications and regional newspapers. It is next due to run in the Birmingham Post on 7th July.

If anything proves the extraordinary performance, resilience and all round “just get on with it” spirit of British manufacturers surely this it. As John Hanson, son of the managing director quoted in the advertisement, told me yesterday: “People want to know us [manufacturers] again. We’re hot.” Yes, even the banks!