Made in Britian – A Stamp of Value and Quality

Rotherham reflects the history and culture of its suburbs. For me, I grew up in an old mining village, which after the mines left, the town had no industry and it was decades before industry came back in the form of call centres.


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Through the last recession Rotherham has been hit hard, and many people have been hit even harder with the closure of the Burberry factory (yes, one of the worlds renowned brands was manufactured in Rotherham) and large scale job cuts at Corus Steelworks, so large that most people who live in Rotherham will know someone first hand who worked at Corus and has been told to find new work, some of whom left school and joined Corus (formerly British Steel).

CMD Ltd’s Head Office and factory is situated in the midst of the closed factories and run down steelworks. Yet CMD has been manufacturing in Rotherham (one of CMD’s British manufacturing plants) for over twenty five years, and takes great pride in being able to promote this fact.

One comment that that I heard over the weekend and which stuck was from BBC Top Gear, they talked about how in the mid 1970’s 26% of the British work force was employed in manufacturing, yet now it is only 9%, the reason this stuck is that I am part of that 9%.

If someone had asked me ten years ago which industry I would be working in, I don’t think that manufacturing would have been on the list. I was growing up into a world where companies were realising they could produce their products cheaper in foreign countries and import them in, increasing their margins, which makes good business sense by anyone’s reasoning, and by the time I had grown up Britain would no longer be a manufacturing nation.
Now I am employed and working for a British manufacturer I see that there is an array of British manufacturing firms, many of whom are surviving because of a belief that British manufacturing can stand up to the foreign imports, on price and quality, whilst adding the pride of buying British.

Buying British is something we are increasingly seeing in our supermarkets of all places, as we all try to do the ‘right thing’ and support our British farmers, whilst reducing the carbon emissions which flying in fruit and vegetables from around the world causes, as the impact that carbon emissions has on our environment cannot be reversed.

So why aren’t we all supporting more British manufacturers, companies which are producing their goods ‘up the road’ not across the other side of the world.

Written by; Jonathan, Employee of CMD Ltd for 2 Years

jonathangriffin@cmd-ltd.com

When less means so much more

Corporate social responsibility extends far beyond simply using recycled paper in the photocopier or Fair Trade coffee in the boardroom. Even if your organisation is dedicated to designing and manufacturing products that in their own right will help your customers save precious resources (as well as money), the need to take into consideration your overall burden on the planet, and other social responsibilities is nowadays an essential component in any company taking a rounded, holistic and appropriate role in the commercial world.

There’s far more than meets the eye in applying a sustainable and ethical approach to running a business. CSR is very much a journey and not a final destination.

Take duplication and repetition for example. By taking a step back and identifying the unnecessary doubling up of processes, shortening distances through rationalisation of plant and the consolidation of procedures by identifying cost and materials saving opportunities, most companies are able to save precious resources. Even if it’s only a little, every little helps.

In the case of CMD what we’ve done is simple but effective – we’ve cut out unnecessary waste by merging our warehousing and distribution sites. Instead of three separate distribution hubs we used the opportunities afforded by our re-branding (the integration of three brands, DPG, Powerplan & Form Fittings under the CMD banner) to operate out of only 2 warehouse/distribution hubs. It’s very much a win/win – not only are our standards of service and delivery improved but the process goes some way to helping us fulfil our commitments and responsibilities.

Other initiatives that run alongside our warehouse and distribution consolidation include:

• Using recycled materials for all boxes and packaging
• Insisting that all marketing material and paperwork is printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved stock
• Wherever possible, purchasing locally. In the case of CMD that means purchasing the majority of material locally in the UK and where possible close to our HQ in Rotherham
• UK based assembly and testing.
• Moving toward 100% manufacture in the UK.

• Investing in ‘Green’ technology for example our eco² power modules and Ceiling Plus Energy efficient lighting control.

At CMD it’s not just some our products that are environmentally friendly. As a company we’re doing everything we can to be as kind as we can to the planet and respect our social corporate responsibilities too.

CMD – If it’s good enough for the BBC…

These film and TV producers know a thing or two when it comes to setting their scenes and to specifying their sets. It’s their job after all to make what you see on screen as authentic and as realistic as possible, reflecting the realities of each scenario, of each situation.

Audiences are lightening-quick to point out any kind of anomalies, inconsistencies or inaccuracies in TV and film sets. Get it wrong and you are in big trouble. Carelessly park a red sports car on the set of Ben Hur or have a member of the film crew (and not the pirate crew) loitering absentmindedly behind Jack Sparrow on the Black Pearl and of course the ‘aficionados’ will spot it. Set designers know their stuff. They know how to suspend disbelief and they know how to impeccably reflect reality.

Take the BBC hit spy drama Spooks for example. What sort of office might best reflect the type of cutting edge environment in which high-tech, state of the art security officers ply their trade? Probably the sort of office that employs all the latest in classy, modern and imaginative office technology. The sorts of workstation accessories, monitor arms, under floor busbar systems, access floor boxes, desk electrics, floor grommets and in ceiling power distribution systems used in real intelligence services offices. The sorts of energy saving, power management and workstation accessories installed the length and breadth of the UK in the most positive and progressive of organisations by CMD.

The same applies to the ITV show Trinity that depicts a modern University setting and to the BBC’s One Show with Adrian Chiles.  Both these programs and Spooks insist in portraying a clean, modern, ergonomic working environment and chose to use CMD products to do just that as well as Radio One, Watchdog and Top Gear’s offices, in this case probably for more practical reasons. As impressive as the CMD range is on screen, what you can’t see from the television are the energy saving, cost saving and time saving benefits that match the great looks.

You’ll need to experience them first hand to really get see the sorts of advantages that CMD office products can deliver in the flesh. If it’s good enough for the BBC.

CMD – Home Office advice during this cold spell

Well they’re calling it the BIG FREEZE and with temperatures barely hitting zero and languishing well below for weeks on end the Arctic conditions gripping most of Britain are some of the worst for 30 years. With no sign of an immediate return to more clement conditions this spate of intense cold is causing problems for almost everyone the length and breadth of the British Isles.

With schools remaining closed after the Christmas break, transport systems paralysed and much of British business at a standstill many people are opting or else being instructed to work from home. For many, getting into the office and carrying on working life as normal is not an option.

Of course there’s nothing new in people working from home but with new technology such as readily available broadband Internet access remote working is an increasingly important part of modern business life. More than 3.5 million people already work from home in the UK, that’s over 12% or one-in-eight of the population – an increase of 600,000 since 1997. It is estimated that 60% of new businesses start from home and that 2.1m small businesses generating nearly £4 billion business a year are based at home.

There’s a lot more to working from home than meets the untrained eye and the more progressive and forward thinking companies realise all too clearly that working from home successfully means more than just being sat in your pyjamas at the dining room table tapping away on a laptop. People who work to maximum effect do so with organisation, using the right equipment, in the right working environment and with proper support from their companies. A successful home office needs planning and proper execution. Take the ergonomics, the environment for example. Without a proper working space, a suitable desk, chair, cabling system and I.T. arrangement you will waste both time and money. The whole exercise may be rendered futile all for the sake of a little planning.

A company like CMD, experts in efficient and productive working environments can save all manner of fuss and false economy by helping organisations get things right first time round.

With transport emissions reported to account for over a fifth of the UK’s carbon footprint and workers collectively wasting almost 5 million hours a day commuting why not use this cold snap as an excuse to closely consider the many cost, efficiency and environmental benefits of a proper home working environment for your staff?

CMD – Building Sustainability – the future’s already here

Building construction, development, refitting and renovation all impact directly and indirectly on the environment. The fact that any working space demands resources such as energy, water and raw materials means that it is inevitably the source of potentially damaging emissions as a consequence of waste in occupancy, during construction and eventually in demolition. No building is ever truly environmentally neutral.

In the USA for example buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of total energy use including 60% of electricity use.  40% of CO2 emissions are attributable to buildings whilst nearly two thirds of non-industrial waste is generated by construction and demolition.

The challenge for us all, whether we are a building owner, an architect, builder, planner or just a building user is to do what we can to contribute our best efforts to minimize the negative impact of our environment on THE environment. It’s also important that buildings, as well as being green are also useful, accessible, safe, productive and pleasant for those who have to life and work in them.

At long last the new challenges are starting to be taken extremely seriously. Gordon Brown in a recent announcement to establish a £1 billion green innovation fund intended to develop Britain’s green economy stated, ‘We are already global leaders in wind power, green cars, clean coal and carbon capture. And now we will lead again, with new designated low-carbon zones around the regions of this country. And I say to you today – we will create over a quarter of a million new green British jobs.’ A large part of that Green Future that Brown talks about will be based on building sustainability.

In certain respects the future is already here as even today though there are plenty of products on the market that can contribute extremely positively to a building’s sustainability. There are a wide range of tools available to enable the monitoring and control of energy for example absence detection or balance of brightness systems – products that maximize efficiency, minimize waste, intelligently study power usage and act accordingly. Rather than waiting for new innovations, take a look around and see what’s available on the market to help you start saving cash and emissions straight away.

CMD – Ergonomics for busy people

Do you or your staff and colleagues live in a state of perpetual motion? We’re all hugely busy these days and sometimes the chores, the housekeeping, has to take a back seat while we deal with the really important client focused and profit focused aspects of our businesses – the mission critical aspects of working life that demand priority. Things, like workable workstations or desks for example can simply get overlooked and sometimes it’s easy to get used to less than ideal situations as your eye and your mind remains fixed on other ‘higher’ matters.

When the rush is over though and the deadlines passed it’s possible to stand back and take a full and proper assessment of where you’re at. Sometimes it can make you recoil in horror.

Does your desk look like it’s been hit by a bomb, with pens, paper, phones, mice, leads, cables, cards all over the place? Is your workstation its own eco-system, a culture dish breeding heaven knows what new life forms? Do you fear one day discovering a Japanese soldier wandering out of a file or from behind a monitor thinking the war is still on?

Well if, in your efficiency to get the important work done, you don’t have time or energy to expand on less pressing matters like keeping workstations and desks ship shape and Bristol fashion then here is some advice.

Consult a professional office environment provider about solutions in cable management systems, to ensure that all your cables and wires are stored neatly. Use tracking, raceways, cableways and cable baskets to turn cable chaos in to order and take the complexity, the confusion, the frustration and the potential health risks out of the office equation.

What’s more, there are all kinds of monitor arms that will conveniently suspend your monitor over your desk as well as CPU holders to house computers underneath the desk to free up valuable desk/floor space. You spend a large proportion of your life at work – why not make it as pleasant as possible – not just after a big tidy up but on an ongoing basis? The technology is there. Use it to improve the quality of your working life – save time, save aggravation and save money over the long term.

CMD – Construction industry – an uphill struggle? What does the future hold?

Life in the construction industry has been tough for some time now. Work has been thin on the ground and spending cut to the bone in an effort to keep costs to a minimum. With businesses lacking in confidence and not sure where the next sale might come from it’s been a case of watching every penny.

On one hand there are signs that things may be easing slightly with successive monthly house price rises and an increase in year on year spending showing the continued effects of low interest rates and Government policy starting to oil the wheels of commerce. On the other, the Office of National Statistics revealed this week that business investment fell for the fifth straight quarter between July and September. The likely forthcoming public spending cuts will almost certainly see capital projects put on ice. It’s hard to know what to think.

Whether your glass is half empty or half full at the moment what seems to matter more than ever before is all round value for money. It’s not simply a question of delivering cheap prices now but a question of delivery extra value for money with a package of benefits.

What can you offer your customers that will save them time, save on running costs and offer rock solid reliability? What can you offer that’s scaleable, adds value to their services and differentiates them from the competition? If it was just a case of the lowest price we could all pack up and go home.

Fortunately industry professionals are smart enough to realise that things like energy saving products, for example, innovations that slash power bills, are ecologically friendly, offer superior performance and have a longer life expectancy than less well conceived and poorly manufactured products are the best option. Sure there are cheap versions of lighting control modules, floor boxes or power modules out there but what you spend now will be quickly recouped. New energy efficient lighting systems and power saving devices can pay for themselves many times over.

Are you quoting for new work? A refit or a new build? Then don’t specify false economies – specify with extra value that will deliver real long-term savings and other benefits to your client.

CMD – Copenhagen – deal or no deal?

The eyes of the world are fixed firmly on the Copenhagen Summit. An estimated 15,000 officials from 192 countries are working around the clock in an attempt to establish an international CO2 emissions and energy saving agreement, a deal that can be accepted and acted upon by developed and developing nations alike.

Time is short and the stakes have never been higher. With scientists releasing figures today that show the last 10 years has been the hottest decade since records began the need to do something material to address carbon output and consequences of a rapidly overheating planet is pressing to say the least. According to some analysts The Copenhagen Summit is so fundamental to the future of the planet that they are referring to it as the most important international conference ever.

More than just energy saving, this is about planet saving.

Rather than getting bogged down in worst case scenarios, what about taking a look at some of the amazing innovation and creativity that is being applied by British companies in an attempt to reduce carbon footprints, save resources and maintain the planet’s fragile ecosystem?

Take something that at face value might have little or nothing to do with the environment whatsoever – the office. Well what you would say it you were told that every year a single PC uses over £100 in electricity if left on every night of the year? Would you be amazed that billions world wide are being wasted on dumb terminals? Well now there’s a way of monitoring for computer inactivity through USBs, wireless devices and master sockets and automatically shutting down idle computers and associated hardware. Experts estimate that it is possible to save up to 60% energy per year on a typical working office desk.

What about office lighting? Imagine how much money is wasted every year and how much unnecessary CO2 produced by lighting empty offices or using lights during bright daylight? What a waste. Here too modern innovation has an important role to play. Intelligent absence detection systems and sophisticated lighting systems that provide a “balance of brightness” between the ingress of daylight and the need for artificial lighting are being developed and used to deploy energy where it’s needed when it’s needed. Save an average of between 35% and 45% on lighting costs using modern systems.

Of course global warming is a concern and everything must be done that can be done to reduce carbon emissions. When it comes to protecting the environment though, necessity is proving the mother of some very impressive inventions.

A happy office is a productive office

Office productivity is all about creating the optimum environment, applying the right procedures, the right culture and the best opportunities for people to work harmoniously, efficiently. It’s certainly not about cracking the whip, enforcing policy dogmatically and slave driving people to the grindstone. The truth of the matter is that if you want to see your figures soar, to get the very best out of your staff, the ultimate in service, the more responsive and positive approaches, the best performance, that ‘yes I will stay late and get the project completed tonight’ attitude, then you need to treat people with respect and with dignity. You need to treat them right. Do unto others, as they say.

There’s no great mystery behind the concept but you would be surprised how often politics, ego and empire building can get in the way of common sense. When staff feel like they are taken lightly they end up taking their responsibilities lightly too. Staff who can easily sense the value that’s placed in them rise to the challenge – profitably.

People need to feel safe, feel comfortable and feel like the company they are committing their time to actually care about them. One of the most obvious ways to show you value your staff is to provide them with a pleasant and comfortable environment. Committing to an improved office environment is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to boost morale, esteem and productivity.

What about the office furniture? Is it right for the job? Adjustable so that everyone can work comfortably without the risk of RSS or damage caused by bad positioning or bad posture? Are your desks, your storage, displays, the lighting and the cabling fit for purpose? Will it inspire and satisfy or will it depress and deflate? Does your staff have the tools for the job and are they properly equipped to get the job completed on time and to the standards you are demanding of them?

Of course, we all have a responsibility to do our jobs to the utmost of our ability. By the same token employers are tasked with the responsibility to make sure that each of their staff members have the environment and the resources to enable them to do that properly; to be happy in their work and to be productive.

CMD – 7 things that might surprise you about Rotherham

Only 6 miles from Sheffield City Centre the South Yorkshire town of Rotherham has a proud past, a successful present and a confident future.

Here are 7 things that you may not know about Rotherham.

1. Since Roman times iron, and later steel, have been the mainstay of industry in Rotherham. Despite numerous recessions and challenges from other steel producing nations, steel is still produced locally for a number of prestigious international projects including Airbus and Renault.
2. More recently Rotherham business leaders and entrepreneurs have turned their skills and ingenuity into high tech, environmentally friendly business success. For example CMD Ltd (brands of DPG & Form Fittings) who design and manufacture desk ergonomics, office power, lighting control and cable management solutions and are celebrating their 25th anniversary.
3. Staring disaster in the eye and still coming through victorious, Rotherham United (aka the Millers) overturned a potentially fatal 17 point deduction imposed at the start of the 2008/2009 League 2 season. What’s more they currently stand at the top end of the division and are hotly tipped for promotion.
4. Avid Millers fan Chris Wolstenholme, bass player in rock band Muse was born in Rotherham, as was backpeddling, pony-tailed, Arsenal and England goalkeeper David Seamen.
5. Darling of the Conservative party since his famous speech as a 16 year old at their 1977 National Conference, former party leader Williams Hague was also born in Rotherham. Currently serving as MP for Richmond (Yorks), Hague is Shadow Foreign Secretary and unofficial deputy to party leader David Cameron. William Hague’s middle name is Jefferson. Best known for his life in politics he is also a successful biographer having published acclaimed biographies of both William Pitt the Younger and William Wilberforce.
6. Rotherham’s twin city in China is Shenzen. With a population of over 10 million (contrasting sharply with Rotherham’s of just over 200,000) and a futuristic high tech cityscape, any similarities between the two might be considered purely coincidental.
7. Jarvis Cocker and Pulp, based in nearby Sheffield played their first ever gig at Rotherham Arts Centre in 1980. They wouldn’t have their first hit single for another 14 years!