Manufacturing Wales recently hosted a tour of one of its members, Renishaw plc. Tours like this are a great showcase of the amazing manufacturing businesses we have in Wales. Renishaw, which has a 193-acre manufacturing site at Miskin, Pontyclun, is a FTSE 250 business that began in 1973. It is now a world leading supplier of measurement, motion control, spectroscopy and precision machining. Employing 3,400 people in the UK (with 700 employees in Wales) and a further 1800 people worldwide, Renishaw has a global reach across 36 countries. (June 2022)
As a manufacturer Renishaw places huge value on the benefits of innovation, transformation and sustainability (Net Zero target is 2050) with a massive 13% of its £670 million turnover committed to R&D and engineering innovation. With products in position measurement, industrial metrology, additive manufacturing (AM), spectroscopy and neurology, the breadth of the business is huge.
This means Renishaw has customers across most sectors, particularly aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, heavy industry, precision manufacturing, healthcare and scientific research.
So, from checking the chemical composition of a sample as part of forensic investigation, to ensuring exact uniformity in manufactured products, to 3D printing a jawbone, to helping measure and adjust brain activity, Renishaw has a product.
Renishaw’s Bryan Austin, Director of AM Sales, said,
“Last year we announced a significant investment at Miskin which will almost double the footprint of the site, consisting of two new production halls and an employee welfare facility. This £65 million investment demonstrates a huge vote of confidence in our Welsh manufacturing operations and employees, at an exciting time for the business.”
Manufacturing Wales members were keen to outline why connecting to each other on tours like this are so helpful.
Andrew Harrison, Linear Plastics, said,
“This was a very informative visit to Renishaw, and it was great to take part. The facility was very impressive in terms of the technologies both employed and produced, some of which we utilise as part of our own processes. It really was fantastic to see first-hand the level of investment and commitment for the future of manufacturing in Wales.”
Katy Penny, Biocatalysts, confirmed,
“It’s great to be part of an organisation like Manufacturing Wales, where a factory tour and sharing of operational process, can also turn into a discussion on employee engagement strategies and sustainability planning. The Renishaw facility was impressive, it was a fantastic opportunity to see their innovative technologies and hear about their ambitious growth plans. It’s great to see the manufacturing footprint sustainably increasing within Wales.”
Neil Jones, Dudley’s Aluminium, stated,
“It was a fantastic opportunity to view cutting edge manufacturing first hand on this scale. I was especially impressed by Renishaw’s STEM education outreach, providing FREE workshops for schools from as far as Swansea and Newport. Well done them!’
Huw James, Atlantic Service, explained,
“The Renishaw visit was a fantastic opportunity to learn from a well renowned business and also to network and discuss the common challenges that we are all facing as manufacturing organisations. We were hosting a facility tour the following week, so it was great to leverage lessons learnt for our own event.”
Heather Myers, Manufacturing Wales CEO concluded,
“When you get great feedback from members you can really understand why being part of a network like Manufacturing Wales is so valuable to manufacturers. I never fail to be impressed by the incredible products that are made in Wales, and Renishaw is a very real exemplar of this. Tours like this not only help our members to discuss issues and find new solutions, but also enable them to supply each other and provide a great space for learning and reflection to take back into their own businesses.”
