Vent-Axia shares benefits of ‘re-shoring’ with other Sussex firms – Voltimum

Jenny Smith, Vent-Axia Marketing Manager.

Jenny Smith, Vent-Axia

At this event, hosted by the company, other Sussex manufacturers heard how this move – called ‘re-shoring’ – had created new jobs, resulted in investment in the local community and boosted the company’s competitive advantage.

Vent-Axia completed the re-shoring of the balance of its domestic fan manufacturing, from China back to the UK, in January 2013 with the launch of three new production lines at its Crawley site. 

The culmination of a two-year project, the new assembly lines doubled the company’s on-site manufacturing of its residential unitary fans. The company invested over £350,000 in tooling for the new production lines, as well as investing in building works to incorporate the new manufacturing.

Speaking at the event Jenny Smith, Vent-Axia Marketing Manager and Graham Morrison, Vent-Axia Group Inventory Controller explained why the company decided to bring manufacturing back to the UK and how this decision had enhanced product innovation and improved customer responsiveness.

Explained Jenny Smith: “Since completing re-shoring, we are able to produce our products more quickly in the UK to meet demand, significantly reducing the lead time required compared to when products were manufactured in China. 

“We can also now produce shorter runs of specific bespoke products to meet customer needs, therefore making us more competitive and responsive in the marketplace,” she said.

Good business sense

As well as hearing about Vent-Axia’s re-shoring initiative, delegates at the event were also able to tour the facilities and see for themselves how moving manufacturing back to Crawley has benefitted the company.

Commented David Shore, Chairman of the Manufacturing Forum at Sussex Chamber of Commerce: “We were delighted to hear at the Manufacturing Forum how Vent-Axia has returned manufacturing to the UK and invested in Sussex. It is very valuable for other Sussex manufacturers to witness the benefits that this initiative has brought to Vent-Axia and the wider community. 

“Re-shoring not only makes good sense for Sussex but also good business sense, as Vent-Axia has shown,” he concluded.

At the event, Vent-Axia explained that another benefit of moving manufacturing back to the UK is the company no longer needs to hold high levels of stock in its warehouse to anticipate demand. This stock reduction has reduced the company’s working capital by around £250,000. This, in turn, helps to reduce carbon emissions. And up to 15 tonnes of CO2 emissions are avoided each year since re-shoring because of the reduction in international shipping.