MHA

  SME manufacturers and engineers remain broadly optimistic and confident about future growth, despite the uncertainties around Brexit, rising production costs and skill shortages. These are the findings of the recently published 2018/19 MHA Manufacturing and Engineering Report.

The seventh annual MHA Manufacturing and Engineering Survey has just been launched by Worthing and Gatwick-based chartered accountants, tax and business advisers MHA Carpenter Box, together with sector colleagues from its national association MHA. The survey is supported by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the Future of British Manufacturing and helps to compile a picture of the sector across England, Scotland and Wales, with a dedicated focus on South East businesses.

In the UK SME manufacturers are more confident around revenue growth, despite Brexit uncertainties, skills shortages and production cost rises. This is all according to this year’s MHA Manufacturing and Engineering annual survey report which is supported by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

Post referendum the world has changed. The UK sits amidst a political vacuum and an economic maelstrom - but where does that leave business and business planning and investment? The environment for manufacturers and engineers is particularly complex. The drop in the value of the pound should make the price of our products more attractive in world markets – a point made recently by the Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England.

The growth plans of more than one in four of Britain’s small and medium sized manufacturers are being jeopardised by a shortage of skilled people, according to the annual Manufacturing Survey by MHA, the UK-wide group of accountancy and business advisory firms.