Leadership in time of Covid Andel Plastics

Helena Flowers in discussion with other business leaders on how they have faced the leadership challenge in the time of Covid.

As a member of Made in the Midlands group, Managing Director Helena Flowers was invited to share her experiences of steering her business through the challenges of a Global Pandemic.

Helena recently took part in the Leaders Council Podcast, with guest Sir Andrew Strauss, so this discussion was a chance to share experiences with other business leaders and compare notes.

Helena was keen to share positivity, with Andel Plastics having been able to work all through the Lockdown period. Andel Plastics has actually achieved it’s best ever month in 45 years of trading in September of this year.

“more and more we are seeing businesses wanting to secure their supply chain in the domestic market.  Reshoring production, or taking the opportunity to redesign products by using more modern methods and provide cost savings.

Hopefully, we will see the tide turning on thinking abroad means cheaper.”

Helena went on to explain that ‘UK manufacturers have HAD to adapt over the past decade to be able to respond quicker, more cost effectively adding value to their whole service proposition. ‘

With Covid almost forcing OEM’s to test the UK market, I think they have experience that in fact the domestic market can compete on so many levels and often cases offer much more.  Working on the same time zones, to standardised Quality systems and HSE safe working environments.

Having your whole supply chain being UK based, gives reassurance of service and quality that more consumers and businesses demand.  Giving extra benefits of reduced environmental impact for travel and shipment, but also the timescale involved these.

Helena emphasised

I believe that this is an opportunity for UK manufacturers to showcase the investment and innovation we have done in recent years to show we can compete.  We can provide a full and better service as we lead the innovations not follow it.  When all aspects are considered, the domestic market has to be the way forward, to secure supply chains, ensure the UK economy bounces back and protect the planet from unnecessary travel”