CMR UK
​​​​​​​ON TOP OF THE TABLE

PRODUCTIVITY EFFICIENCY THROUGH QUALITY PEOPLE AND PROCESSES/ cmr uk SAW OFF STRONG COMPETITION RECENTLY TO HEAD A LEAGUE FOR THE TOP MANUFACTURING BUSINESS IN THE NORTH OF EAST ENGLAND.

Regional business magazine Insider’s Manufacturing Growth Network reports commercial performance over a three-month period based on turnover, productivity, exports and apprenticeships.

And now CMR UK has come first for productivity in the magazine’s most recent table. Group operations director Neil Wilkinson told the magazine that productivity success isn't all about machinery: "It's about our people, their quality and expertise. We operate in quite complex areas of engineering and therefore attract people who want to work on interesting projects."

Back in 1984, the company’s Wallsend operation was just a small unit when Neil Wilkinson joined as an apprentice. 34 years on, Neil is CMR’s global head of the OEM engine side of the business.

The products that CMR produces in the North East today mainly go to OEMs elsewhere in the UK. There are 85 employees based in Wallsend, of which around 12 work on production. “The bulk of what we do here is on the product design”, Neil said. “We make product prototypes here but the production intent is carried out at other CMR locations in other countries. This means we are very flexible and we can supply customers from where in the world it makes sense to supply them.

CMR’s productivity measurements include the work that is done in other locations around the world. There are people in Tunisia and in China that are working solely on the company’s products in the North East. Growth has come from markets around the world picking up.

From Wallsend CMR supplies into the US, China, India and Singapore, with the company’s global project business for engines operating out of Marseilles. Being customer-facing Neil and his team focus on managing delivery expectations. “Customers can be demanding on delivery, and their forecasts are constantly changing. So it’s about managing the logistics.”

Neil explained the company’s strategy is to create strong jobs in the UK with the support of the global group. “We’re globalising our R&D capabilities; we have a team in the US who are creating designs, as well as here, and we also have some staff embedded within our customers.