Mark Amphlett, general manager at Amtek Plastics UK, speaks about successful leadership styles and the secret of innovation.
Mark Amphlett has the passion and determination for Amtek Plastics UK to be the best in the industry, he prides himself on doing things differently and is always looking forward.
Amphlett continually strives to provide the very best customer experience and is always on the lookout for the next opportunity.
He has a single-minded determination to bring the plastics industry into the 21st century, and make engineering and manufacturing an attractive and exciting place to be.
He is immensely proud of manufacturing in the UK and believes everyone should shout about it.
The Manufacturer recently chatted with him about innovative mindsets, people who had the most impact on his leadership style, and his expectations around The Manufacturer Leaders Conference in Liverpool – 15-16 November.
What areas of the business are you currently seeing significant success in?
We are seeing our current clients growing with us which proves that UK manufacturing is still totally great. Also, we are seeing a higher than average level of new enquires coming in which shows that we are still thinking of new products and ideas.
On the other side, managing the business growth is certainly a challenge – with growth comes a little pain along the way. Also – working with the right clients is important to us, there are some businesses that may not be right for us, and we may not be right for others, but when we find the right ones, that is when the excitement starts to happen.
Why are you excited about this year’s The Manufacturer Leaders Conference?
I enjoy sharing my passion for manufacturing with anyone who is willing to listen – we have something really special in this country, and we all need to shout about it. And the audience will learn everything about efficiencies and how crucial it is to concentrate on the important stuff.
Myself, I’m all ears. At the conference I love to find out what other manufacturers are doing, and I hope to take away some amazing ideas to help us grow and help me manage the business better.
What business achievements are you proud of, and what are your plans for 2018?
I am really proud of the work we have done in conjunction with our customers, we have helped them improve their own efficiencies and have been getting ever closer to 100% on time delivery.
We have a clear plan for 2018, primarily on increasing percentage margin by becoming even more efficient by introducing new machinery and further robotics.
Mark Amphlett will be a keynote speaker at The Manufacturer Leaders Conference in Liverpool in November.
Secure your place today by clicking here.
We also have the desire to grow our business with the right sort of clients – we are always wanting to increase our client base but we must be right for our potential customers – it needs to be a good fit, a good partnership.
Robotics as well as new machinery are the two areas I am looking to invest in over the coming months, purely to help increase our efficiencies.
How does your business approach innovation?
We have a young team here at Amtek, so innovation is part of the culture of the business. We are here every day to help our clients to innovate new and exciting product which in turn will help them to become one of the UK’s next big things.
Some of the key activities that support this vision include working closely with our clients and can help advise them on design tweaks and amendments which can really help them set their idea or design a million miles apart from their competitors, therefore giving them a unique product, and one that does not simply offer the same as everyone else.
How do you create an innovation mindset within your team?
So, to create an innovative mindset, we make sure we get on board the right people who have a passion about what we do. I feel that passion and enthusiasm are contagious, and getting people to think of innovative ways of doing things seems to come naturally.
Can you name a person who has had a significant impact on your leadership style?
I have to say that my father has had the best impact on my leadership style. I grew up in the family business that my father started, and I have learnt a great amount about taking responsibility for everything that I do. Seeing the success that my father created for himself is what drives me on a daily basis to exceed any expectation anyone could ever have.
What are the most important decisions you make as a leader within your organisation?
I guess all decisions are important, making on small simple mistake with any decision can have huge consequences within the business. Also, trusting the management team to make their decisions for the right reason is certainly a consideration.
If you want to know more about Amtek Plastics UK, click here.
