Michael Turner, Westex sales and marketing director on the need for more information
What do you see as the main advantages of being a UK manufacturer?
The ability to support the UK economy, the depth of market knowledge in the UK, the environmental benefits of being more local, and being able to hold factory visits for training.
What efforts do you take to promote these advantages to UK retailers?
We have monthly factory visits and we put on all POS the message ‘Made in UK’.
Do you think UK retailers understand sufficiently the advantages of sourcing from UK manufacturers?
No, but we are doing more to promote that. The commercial customers do understand more and it is usually one of the first questions asked.
Do retailers make enough of the fact to their customers that they are selling UK-made products?
No, but the UK manufacturers need to supply more information for the retailers to use.
What would you like to see the UK government do to help UK manufacturing?
Not a lot, is the short answer.
Do you have overseas markets, and if so how has this changed since Brexit?
We have a small export business but Brexit has definitely made exporting more challenging and the paperwork more onerous.
