Where do you belong? 

Sometimes it’s hard to find your community– those people who are experiencing the same challenges as you, who share your values when it comes to doing business and who experience the same concerns in the waking hours. Is our sales pipeline about to run out? How will our sector be affected by changes in legislation? How can I compete against cheaper imports? Where can I find good staff who are in it for the long haul? 

Manufacturing was, is and always will be a vital sector for our region. It is why East Midlands Chamber has set up a dedicated manufacturing network, delivered by and exclusively for manufacturers. 

We’ve listed five key reasons why we think you should be involved in the East Midlands Manufacturing Network (EMMN): 

You’ll get to find out about useful stuff whether it be fully-funded business support or training, or grant funding. As Tom Cantle, Director, Fox Fabrications, points out, EMMN is “a highly informative network which offers strong levels of support and information which we otherwise wouldn’t have been aware of.” 

There’s expertise galore at our forum meetings. Taking place across the East Midlands in Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, you have a choice of which forum you wish to attend. Each regional network, which typically holds forums every 10-12 weeks, is led by a chair, hand-picked for their knowledge of what it means to succeed as a manufacturer in today’s Britain. As Mark Whittaker, Divisional Head, Structural Interior Installations, points out, “the Chairs and detailed meeting content are second to none.” Find your nearest regional network.

Stronger together. By bringing manufacturers together in this way, as Richard Cohen, Head of Operations at Pennine Healthcare describes, the Network “helps tremendously to really shout about the benefits of UK manufacturing.” Joining the Network also provides you with a regular sector update from Make UK at the EMMN meetings with the added benefits of Make UK affiliate membership including access to industry reports and insights.

Engage with universities and other business support providers. Our breakfast forum meetings are mainly held at cutting-edge university facilities and supported by members of their teams.  We are also joined by other business support providers, including local authorities and our own Chamber team advisers who are there to ensure collaboration and support is matched across all those support agencies, meaning you get the best knowledge and experience required to support your business.

Last but by no means least, it is free promotion for your business. There is no cost to joining the network and each member is afforded the opportunity to list their manufacturing business in the East Midlands Manufacturing Network’s Members Directory. 

So, whether you’re looking for the camaraderie of meeting with peers over a bacon buttie or simply want to keep abreast of the latest manufacturing support via our newsletter, we invite you to join our growing network by following the link below:

I’m in! Please sign me up as an EMMN member.