National Online Meet-up with Apex Pumps, Optimised & Trojan Baths

Join our Industry Meet-up!

Join us for a captivating virtual event where industry experts, thought leaders, and professionals gather to share knowledge, insights, and best practices. Our mission is to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and drive growth within the manufacturing community.

Our industry Meet-up event series features engaging talks from renowned speakers, focusing on key themes that shape the future of manufacturing. This online event covers a wide range of headline topics, including: Future Factories, Sustainable Manufacturing, Growth Strategies, and People & Skills.

Join us for this powerful and inspiring 75-minute event that will ignite your passion and creativity!

March's lineup of speakers and Roundtable Session subtopics includes:

• Andrew Simpson  – Managing Director, Apex Pumps

Creating a Modern, Flexible, Responsive Operation Built for Reshoring (Future Factories)

As supply chain disruption, rising costs, and geopolitical risk continue to challenge UK manufacturers, reshoring has become a strategic priority rather than a slogan. But bringing production back is only viable if operations are designed to support it.

In this session, Andrew Simpson shares how Apex Pumps modernised its factory to regain control over quality, delivery, and responsiveness. He explores the operational changes required to reverse overseas dependencies, including investment in new machining capability, workforce upskilling, and closer integration with local foundries. Grounded in real experience, the talk highlights how simplifying processes and building flexible production systems can enable reshoring that is resilient, sustainable, and fit for the future.

• David Mosley – Managing Director, Trojan Baths

Using Hyper-Local Supply Chains to Defend Margins Against Low-Cost Imports (Growth Strategies)

With energy costs rising and low-cost imports placing pressure on UK manufacturers, competing on headline price alone is no longer sustainable.

In this session, David Mosley shares how Trojan Baths has used a hyper-local supply chain to protect margin, quality, and customer trust. He explores where local sourcing adds genuine value – through faster response, tighter quality control, and reduced disruption – and where overseas sourcing remains unavoidable. Grounded in real-world decisions, the talk shows how proximity, transparency, and control can become competitive advantages when further price absorption is no longer an option.

•  James Wood - CEO, Optimised

The Hidden Cost of Energy Decisions – What Manufacturers Often Miss (Sustainable Manufacturing)

UK manufacturers face rising energy costs, volatile markets, and increasing pressure to reduce carbon. While unit price often dominates discussion, the real cost of energy is frequently shaped by operational decisions made on the factory floor.

In this session, James Wood explores how energy is often treated as a fixed overhead, managed through procurement alone, while production scheduling, equipment loading, and process choices quietly drive inefficiency. Drawing on recent UK manufacturing case studies, he highlights common hidden costs – from machinery running outside optimal load ranges to unchecked billing errors and carbon targets set without clear usage insight.

James will share practical lessons on how manufacturers can identify these hidden costs, improve operational control, reduce waste, and strengthen both profitability and resilience without compromising production.

•  Marketing Sub-Group

Making Events Count: Best Practice for Exhibitions, Trade Shows & Industry Events

Events remain one of the most important marketing channels for manufacturers, from major exhibitions and trade shows to factory tours, customer days and industry meetups. But with the cost and time involved, many marketing teams are asking the same question: which events actually deliver value, and how do you maximise the return when you’re there?

This marketing discussion group will explore best practices around event strategy — including how companies decide which shows to attend, how they promote their presence in the run-up to an event, and what happens afterwards to ensure the investment translates into meaningful conversations and opportunities.

As a peer-led session, delegates will share practical experiences and ideas, including creative ways to attract visitors to stands, effective lead capture methods, and whether traditional marketing materials still play a role alongside digital engagement. The aim is to compare approaches, learn what works in the real world, and leave with practical ideas for making events more effective.

Agenda

9:00 AM – Members join the virtual meeting
9:02 AM – Official welcome and event start
9:02–9:10 AM – Community updates and announcements
9:10–9:38 AM – Best Practice Talks from Made Community speakers (1, 2 & 3)
Topics include people & skills, growth strategies, smart factories, and sustainable manufacturing
(Each talk: 5–8 minutes)
9:40 AM – Member Virtual Roundtable Sessions
Members join their chosen session via the Made Platform events page
10:10 AM – Return to the main room for final remarks and goodbyes