The Manufacturer Magazine : Promoting best practice in Manufacturing

W Howard, The leading edge

Manufacturing in Action, Source : The Manufacturer
Zone : Leadership and strategy
Published : April 2008

Gerrard Aspinall, manufacturing manager with MDF moulding manufacturer W Howard, talked to Jayne Flannery about the importance of change and process innovation in a traditional industry

Under the trade name of Primer Mould, W Howard is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers

of MDF mouldings. Based in Manchester, the company currently employs just fewer than 100 people and has an unbroken trading history that stretches back over 50 years. A vast product range includes just about every conceivable size and shape in skirting boards, architraves, door linings and window boards. If the company does not make a specific moulding, it will happily undertake bespoke manufacture.

Despite its long heritage, Gerrard Aspinall, manufacturing manager, believes that W Howard is set apart in what he considers to be a highly traditional and conservative sector by forward thinking and a commitment to change.

Since he joined W Howard two and a half years ago, he has seen a whirl of activity lead to accreditation with the Investors in People (IIP) standard and also the ISO: 9001 quality standard. “Of course, this company has been in the business for far longer than most, but I attribute our success to the fact our quality is typically better than that of our competitors. In addition, we are highly flexible and responsive on lead times. We make both to stock and to order. With the former we will deliver anywhere in the UK within five days while we specify just 10 days for bespoke products. However, if a customer has an urgent requirement we will always go that extra mile to cut lead times even further if we can,” he said.

The company is now working towards the ISO: 14001 environmental standard and the ISO: 19001 Health & Safety at Work standard, and in addition to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, W Howard received accreditation in the new Carbon Emission Reduction Programme in March of this year – part of an ongoing commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

Another key area of interest is formalising the company’s approach to lean manufacturing. Aspinall worked for a number of years in the automotive industry and has found that his ideas resonate with other senior managers. “It is a highly competitive environment and price is critical, so we are looking carefully at ways we can control and reduce our production costs.”

As a starting point on the lean journey, he targeted optimum equipment efficiency (OEE). “We needed accurate measures and a much better understanding of our performance across different processes. Improving the management information system has been fundamental in moving forward. A natural progression now will be to move towards continuous improvement and we will be forming dedicated teams over the next few months to focus on the specific deficiencies and areas of waste identified,” he said.

Changeover times have been highlighted as a problem area and he is convinced they can be cut by at least 25 per cent. A standardised approach towards maintenance and a shift to TPM have already been introduced. “Previously maintenance tended to be very haphazard and was often left to chance. A programme of planned preventative maintenance will inevitably make us more efficient,” he said.

His next challenge is to enlist the support of the shopfloor in driving through change. “Obviously, the IIP standard stresses the importance of training and consultation with staff. I feel we are at the leading edge of the industry in both these areas. As a company we recognise that staff involvement is critical. An important next step for us will be to equip our shift managers with the knowledge and skills they need to take full responsibility for driving through continuous improvement on the shopfloor,” he said.

Over the forthcoming years, there are ambitious plans to grow the company further. In 2004, turnover hovered around the £8 million mark. Last year it stood at a heady £16 million. This year he expects the company to do even better, which will be an apt reward for its 50th anniversary.

“We are planning a series of celebrations which will culminate in October with a big party for all of our staff,” he added.

Despite the economic downturn, he believes there is still great untapped potential for W Howard. “We might have been around for a long time, but there is still much more we can achieve in the marketplace. At the same time, we are becoming more efficient in meeting the needs of our existing market. We want to see Primer Mould in every home across the country. That is our vision,” he concluded.

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