Make UK Defence: The Pros & Cons of Working within the Defence Industry
News
June 11, 2024
Kicking off a busy summer of industry shows and exhibitions, CB Frost presented at the latest Make UK Defence Networking event. For over 30 years, CB Frost has been an approved supplier to the MoD, manufacturing and distributing a wide range of high performance sponge and rubber components, including gaskets,...
Kicking off a busy summer of industry shows and exhibitions, CB Frost presented at the latest Make UK Defence Networking event.
For over 30 years, CB Frost has been an approved supplier to the MoD, manufacturing and distributing a wide range of high performance sponge and rubber components, including gaskets, rubber gaiters, o-rings, bespoke turret seals, moulded seals, and noise/thermal insulation pads. In recent years, our membership with Make UK Defence has been extremely beneficial for us in developing our reputation as a market leading supplier of bespoke rubber and plastics products for the UK defence sector.
Make UK Defence is a national, not-for-profit, and member owned trade organisation, specifically for the defence sector. The aim of the organisation is to both support and celebrate the manufacturers that supply to the defence industry, helping to promote innovation and a UK supply chain that is internationally competitive. As a member, we have experienced a range of advantages, particularly in gaining the latest defence insights, as well as invitations to attend useful networking and meet the buyer events, and earlier this month we were asked to take part in an SME panel to talk about our work in supplying to defence organisations.
MAKE UK Defence Networking – May 2024
We were recently invited by Make UK defence to attend their defence industry networking event, held at SECO Tools, Warwickshire, on the 21st May. The purpose of the day was to help UK SMEs and other organisations supply into the defence industry, providing important insights and updates on numerous MoD projects, parliamentary requests and new standards being introduced.
It was was an eventful and informative day with a detailed schedule of talks and presentations, as detailed below:
09:15 Registration, refreshments and exhibition
10:15 Welcome, Defence sector landscape, opportunities and challenges – Andrew Kinniburgh, MUKD
10:30 MOD and Supply Chain Cyber Security – A sneak preview of the Cyber Security Model – Phil Blunden , MOD
10.50 SME Panel – Daniel Brock (CB Frost), Adam Clerkin (CMBE) & Kelly Oke (Eizo)
11:10 Fit for Defence partner support
11:40 Comfort break and exhibition
12:00 Jenny Bridge, Boeing Defence UK
12:20 Security Clearance Vetting Service – George Guthrie, Electranet UK, part of Capita PLC
12:50 Host presentation, Dave Magnall, SECO Tools
13:00 Tours, networking lunch & exhibition
15:00 Close
Defence Industry Networking
For CB Frost, the highlight of this jam-packed day was undoubtedly the morning SME Panel, as our very own Daniel Brock was asked to present on the pros and cons of working within the defence industry, speaking alongside Adam Clerkin of CMBE and Kelle Oke of Eizo:
“Being given the chance to talk in front of more than 100 guests was an excellent opportunity to not only discuss the pros and cons of working within the defence industry, but also to place myself (and CB Frost) at front and centre of the defence supply chain.
“Make UK Defence gave me the platform to also discuss the benefits of being part of the trade association, and how to maximise the membership and manage expectations of senior parties with regards to ROI.”
Following the panel, we were able to take a tour of SECO Tools’ impressive facilities and spend time networking with our industry peers, catching up with existing contacts and forming new relationships. With our expertise in material selection and manufacturing for the defence sector, we are always excited to take any opportunity to connect with other suppliers to discuss the latest industry developments and highlight the ways in which we can support the Land and Naval defence sectors.
Overall, it was an excellent event that provided an in depth overview of the UK defence market. The experience of speaking in front of a large audience and connecting with other suppliers working in all areas of the defence industry was extremely valuable and we look forward to future Make UK events.
Practical Manufacturing Solutions for the Defence Sector
With decades of experience as an approved supplier to the MoD, CB Frost offers various forms of paperwork for the defence industry, including FAIR, CoFc and D Certification. With our extensive catalogue of high performance materials to suit defence applications, and our wide range of in-house manufacturing capabilities, including gasket cutting, extruding, moulding and fabrication, we can supply the highest quality rubber, sponge and plastic products.
To discuss your land and naval systems needs, call us today on +44 (0)121 773 8494.
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