NSMG Event: Profit through design

By Haughton Design Ltd
schedule21st Mar 12

21st March saw the North Staffordshire Chamber’s Manufacturing Group welcome David Mills, Managing Director of local design development consultancy Haughton Design, to deliver a dynamic presentation about the value of new product development.

Having worked for some of the regions finest companies, Haughton Design has seen first-hand how investing in design has helped companies to grow and were keen to share their experience. Mills stated “Investing in design can transform a business and allow them to become more competitive. It was fantastic to be given the opportunity to share our know-how and encourage best practice within the industry.”

The British Manufacturing Industry is currently booming, and with The Chancellor of the Exchequer outlining plans for the UK to be Europe’s centre of technology in the budget, it looks set to stay this way. This has encouraged companies to review their product offering and identify opportunities to grow their business. Ian McLaughlan, Business Development Manager at North Staffs Chamber said “The manufacturing sector is undergoing a renaissance and there are so many successful local companies to be proud of. To remain cutting edge, business will need to invest in things like product design and this event was a great place to start.”

Mills highlighted the benefits of clever investment in design and how to reduce risk within the product development process, in order to ensure a successful return on investment. Attendees were also shown successful case studies for regional manufacturers Broxap and Terrafix.

Attendees found the event very insightful and have left the event ready to reconsider their approach to product development. A representative from Collcap Packaging stated “It gave me a lot of food for thought, and I am going to propose a few changes to management here.”