NDMA Awards for North Devon manufacturers

North Devon Manufacturers Association is now running its annual awards. Any North Devon manufacturer can enter – both NDMA members and non-members – for free in the nine categories: All entrants are considered for the Manufacturer of the Year Award. The winners will be announced at the prize-giving ceremony at the Barnstaple Hotel on Thursday … Read more

Royal Navy selects SEA’s Ancilia for £135m Maritime Countermeasures Contract

SEA (Systems Engineering and Assessment), a Cohort plc company, has been awarded a £135 million contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide a Trainable Decoy Launcher to improve Royal Navy surface ship defensive capabilities. Ancilia, SEA’s highly modular and flexible maritime countermeasures solution, has been selected by the UK’s Ministry of Defence … Read more

North Devon Manufacturers Awards now open for entries

The 2023 North Devon Manufacturers Awards are now open for entries – the closing date is 1 September. The awards are open both to NDMA members and non-members, and seek to recognise and celebrate all manufacturing across North Devon. There are nine categories, which are free to enter: ➤ Apprentice ➤ Business transformation ➤ Environmental … Read more

£55m Appledore shipyard contract boost for 100 jobs

Harland & Wolff (Appledore) in North Devon has been selected by the UK Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) to regenerate former Royal Navy mine-hunting vessel HMS Quorn. HMS Quorn completed 27 years of service with the Royal Navy before being sold to Lithuania in April 2020 and is scheduled to be handed over to the … Read more

Bideford startup wins £50,000 Innovate UK grant

Bideford-based Earthly Biochar has been awarded a £50,000 Innovate UK grant as part of the Young Innovators Next Steps Awards. Founded by two innovators in their 20s in 2018, Earthly Biochar helps farmers and gardeners to use less water and feed, and grow bigger, healthier plants using an organic soil supplement that also sequesters carbon. Earthly Biochar will use … Read more

What could electron microscopy do for your business?

Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre (PEMC) is relaunching its Industrial Solutions events for 2022/23 and invites industrial partners old and new to join it in discovering what electron microscopy could do for their businesses. Its new design of Industrial Solutions will be Microscopy Clinics and will be based on a 1-2-1 online sessions. This service is ideal for … Read more

NDMA North Devon Manufacturing Awards 2022

The North Devon Manufacturing Awards are returning after a two-year hiatus. Organised by the North Devon Manufacturers Association, any business in North Devon can enter the awards for free, both NDMA members and non-members. The 10 award categories are: Apprentice Business Transformation Champion Manufacturer Environmental Project Exporter Health & Safety / Covid Resilience Innovation Product … Read more

South Molton manufacturer to supply training equipment to Rugby World Cup France 2023

The France 2023 Organising Committee has announced that Aramis Rugby, a family-run business based in South Molton, has been appointed as Official Supporter of Rugby World Cup 2023.  Aramis Rugby will provide training, grounds and fitness equipment to the 20 participating teams at Rugby World Cup 2023, including the world’s most advanced digital analytical scrum machines. … Read more

First new apprentices join shipyard

Harland & Wolff welcomed five new apprentices to its Appledore shipyard as part of its very first ‘Apprentice Induction Day’ in September 2021. The scheme will run in partnership with Petroc, with apprentices ranging from 16 to 38 years in age, with a mixture of genders. The day enabled the newest recruits to tour the … Read more

New manager for shipyard

Harland & Wolff Appledore has recently welcomed Tom Hart as new general manager. With 30+ years’ experience in project, operations and construction management in the UK and United Arab Emirates, Tom joins Appledore from Dubai-based Drydocks World where he was director of projects and engineering. Tom began his career in the Merchant Navy as a … Read more

Shipyard to recruit apprentices in North Devon

Harland & Wolff, which is preparing to resume shipbuilding at its recently acquired Appledore Shipyard, is planning to launch an apprenticeship scheme in 2021 in North Devon and Belfast. It will offer apprenticeships across three distinct functions: trade, (welders, pipefitters, electricians, riggers, fabricators, etc); technical, (engineers, naval architecture); and business support (sales, administration). Highlights of … Read more

Manufacturers start slow journey back to growth

Make UK, the Manufacturers’ Association, and business advisory firm BDO have published a survey showing that South West manufacturers are continuing the long road back towards growth from the historic lows experienced earlier in the year. The survey also highlights the brutal impact of the pandemic with the sector forecast to see a 12% drop … Read more

Power supply manufacturer announces £11.5 million Ilfracombe investment

TDK Corporation has announced an £11.5m investment package to redevelop its TDK-Lambda manufacturing facility in Ilfracombe, North Devon. The investment will be staged over the next three and a half years to increase production capacity by 50%. The original factory was built more than 50 years ago with further expansion in the mid-1980s. While the … Read more

North Devon packaging specialist wins £7.9 million MoD contract

Barum & Dewar (B&D), the UK-based specialist packaging company, has been awarded a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to design and deliver a wide range of specialist packaging solutions in support of the New Style of IT (Deployed) Projects (NSoIT(D)). NSoIT Deployed is the MoD-designed-and-owned deployable communications and information system for UK … Read more

NDMA North Devon Technology Awards for school and college students

Entries are now open for the North Devon Manufacturers Association’s North Devon Technology Awards – for students 13-19 years – which aim to encourage the manufacturers of the future. These awards enable school and college students to showcase their technology projects to win an industry award. There is also a £100 cash prize. Winners will … Read more