SMMT and Guests Welcomed by Tantec and Ebble Manufacturing for Networking Event
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Tantec Hosts SMMT Midlands Networking Event
SMMT, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders often arrange networking events and discussion groups hosted by members around the country. This gives the SMMT a welcome space in different areas so members can attend as well as showcasing the products and services within the SMMT network.
Ebble Group were thrilled to host this September (10th September 2024) and welcomed a range of customers from plastics manufacturers, machinery suppliers, recruitment specialists and more, all with a strong interest in the automotive industry in the UK.
Tantec and UK Automotive Manufacturing
Tantec have been manufacturing equipment since 1974 and the global automotive industry has played a key part in the growth of the business. For us here in the UK there has been a strong focus on tiered suppliers in to OEMs with a number of systems installed with large tier one manufacturers, especially within the Jaguar Land Rover supply chain, although many manufacturers big and small have the technology at some point within their supply chain.
Alongside medical device manufacturing, automotive is one of the key industries that Tantec supply machinery to and with new materials, adhesives and processes coming along, it looks like plasma is a sensible option for future vehicle manufacturing too due to it’s low carbon footprint and ability to open up the use of these new processes without the need for gas flame treatment, chemical primers or manual processes like abrasion.
A Day of Excitement and Engagement
Tantec and sister company Ebble Manufacturing were excited to welcome so many people through its doors all at once, it gave us a great opportunity to shut production for a short while, clean the entire place and freshen up some of the paint work to allow the place to shine.
As guests started to arrive, the factory began to have a real buzz as guests helped themselves to coffee and introduced themselves to other industry professionals, filling the factory with a lively tone.
The aim of these events ranges from sharing industry insights and exploring new technologies, to general networking and discussion between automotive professionals. As regular visitors to SMMT events, Tantec have wanted to showcase their company. The business has been in these premises for nearly two years and the production hall is filling up with parts, machines and projects that we really want to shout about!
Chris Howey, Managing Director of Tantec, shared his enthusiasm for hosting the event: “We have been a part of the SMMT for a few years now and have found visiting events to be really useful so it was always a goal to host one ourselves, it took moving in to our new site to make this happen and the day went really well“
Showcasing Plasma and Corona Technologies
For many visitors, this was their first encounter with Tantec technology. The event featured a series of presentations and hands-on demonstrations:
Chris Howey gave an initial introduction presentation, explaining the role of Plasma and Corona equipment company Tantec alongside the subcontract manufacturing side of the business, Ebble Manufacturing.
Followed by Rob Boyce (Sales Manager) who gave examples with real life parts to demonstrate a range of automotive parts alongside a few examples from other industries.
Finally Steve Laurie (Production Manager) took control and gathered visitors around different technologies. On the day we gave demos on:
Tantec have worked in the automotive industry for decades and continued business within the sector seems very likely, so it’s always exciting to engage with others and get more information about industry trends, upcoming vehicles and general information about the state of the market.
Thanks to Tim Hughes at the SMMT for organising the event and bringing so many wonderful guests to our doors, and also to the guests for braving the wind and managing to find our hidden factory!
A quick thanks to local bakery Brunos who supplied a fantastic lunch which was enjoyed by everyone – highly recommended if you find yourself in Redditch!
