A study which led to the retention of 200 manufacturing jobs in the UK has won the Rossmore Group an award for consultancy work.
The company, which is based in Blythe Valley Park in Solihull, was recognised in the operational performance category for its work which led to Infast reversing a decision to off-shore production.
Infast, a maker of fasteners, appointed Rossmore Group to deliver a strategy for exiting manufacturing in the UK following reported losses on its UK fastener operations of £16 million a year.
However, Rossmore consultants soon identified that a UK manufacturing operation could still offer clear benefits to Infast.
High-volume products could be re-sourced to low-cost suppliers and the UK side transformed into an agile, high-quality supplier of high-value, low-volume products.
Infast realised an annual saving of more than £600,000 on the outsourced volume products.
Meanwhile, monthly losses on the retained higher-value UK manufacturing business, which peaked at around £250,000 a month, were converted to operational profits within six months.
The fastener operations were subsequently sold as going concerns, saving 200 manufacturing jobs and Infast doubled its market value.
Infast's then chief executive Robert Sternick, who collected the award with Rossmore's project director Matt Cooper, said: "Success came by incorporating people and knowledge from Rossmore into our senior management team while defining clear measurable objectives."
The 10th anniversary consultancy awards ceremony, hosted by BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine and organised by the Management Consultancies Association and Management Today at London's Park Lane Hilton, showcased best management practice from around the UK consulting industry.
Rossmore's new chief executive Alan Marsden said: "Working with staff from our parent company, Arup, we were able to provide a truly innovative solution." ..SUPL:
