**UK**: Tony Hague, CEO of PP Control & Automation, highlights manufacturers’ shift towards strategic investments and supply chain collaboration to tackle economic pressures, enhance resilience, and drive sustainable growth amid inflation, trade disruptions, and labour challenges.
Tony Hague, CEO of PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), has shared insights into the evolving landscape of manufacturing, emphasising how resilience is increasingly reliant on collaborative efforts within the industry. Speaking to The Engineer, Hague outlined the strategic adjustments manufacturers are making to navigate contemporary economic pressures such as rising costs, supply chain uncertainties, and tariffs.
According to Hague, manufacturers are shifting focus from aggressive diversification to strategic investments aimed at long-term competitiveness. “There is a strong focus on product innovation to counteract price pressures, whilst moderate investment into new areas of opportunity has replaced aggressive diversification,” he explained. This cautious and deliberate approach reflects a prioritisation of sustainable growth rather than speculative expansion.
A notable development highlighted by Hague is the surge in supply chain collaboration. PP C&A has observed a significant increase in enquiries for outsourcing solutions that offer flexible scaling of production and access to capabilities that are often too costly for companies to maintain in-house. Hague noted, “Potential customers seek to build supply chain resilience and try to achieve growth without significant investment. There’s also a definite move towards shortening supply chains in the wake of global trade wars and disruption widely seen during the pandemic and issues in the Red Sea.”
At the core of PP C&A’s offering is a commitment to supply chain management, where the company not only inherits but manages and optimises customers’ supply chains to mitigate supply and stock risks. “Turning suppliers into value-add partners and technical guides, rather than simple transactional relationships,” has been key to their success, Hague said.
The company’s track record includes partnerships with twenty of the world’s largest machine builders, serving sectors such as food and drink, renewables, medical devices, and machine tools. Beyond established manufacturers, PP C&A has extended support to start-ups and innovators, particularly those facing challenges related to skilled labour shortages and limited space.
Hague emphasised the centrality of collaboration in all its operations. “Playing to each other’s strengths can bring the most value into play and help to remove unnecessary bottlenecks,” he stated.
PP C&A has recently expanded this collaborative philosophy through initiatives like PP Plus—a network of around 20 manufacturing, technology, professional services, and marketing specialists—and the Clean Energy Systems Partner Alliance (CESPA). CESPA, launched to encourage onshoring manufacturing, brings together six expert companies: Danfoss, Emerson, Glacier Energy, Phoenix Contact, Voltserve, and PP C&A itself. This alliance pools expertise across diverse fields including electrical, civil and structural design, renewable energy software, automation, connection technology, electronics, climate control, and power solutions.
Members of CESPA have access to top-tier machine building, control systems, and energy assets, creating a comprehensive resource for innovators and developers in green technology sectors. Hague highlighted the integrated capabilities of the group, noting their ability “to optimise and build systems” with an emphasis on sustainability and proven production techniques.
Hague acknowledges that recent global economic challenges have accelerated the UK’s pursuit of supply chain resilience. He advocates leveraging collective resources, expertise, and innovation to overcome issues largely beyond individual firms’ control, summarising that collaboration is an unifying force capable of accelerating progress and mitigating risks in the manufacturing sector.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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