Innovation to take centre stage at EMCON 2024

Emerging innovators from across the North East will be demonstrating their ingenuity and talents to the engineering and manufacturing sector at EMCON next month. EMCON, which is organised by the Engineering and Manufacturing Network, will take place at Rainton Arena in Houghton-le-Spring on September 12. The event brings SMEs and larger businesses together to share expertise, highlight their...

S&A Fabrications reports ‘remarkable improvements’ after moving to four-day week

A Barnard Castle manufacturer says moving its factory workers to a four-day working week has led to remarkable improvements in both productivity and employee satisfaction. S&A Fabrications, known for its high-quality metal fabrications, decided to innovate its work schedule by extending daily hours from Monday to Thursday, while reducing break times following a successful trial earlier in...

Allan Brothers pledges to pay ‘real living wage’

Window and door manufacturer Allan Brothers has pledged to pay its workers the ‘real living wage’ at its factory in Berwick-upon-Tweed. The company, which employs 87 staff, is the first manufacturing business in Berwick-upon-Tweed (and the third in Northumberland) to sign up to this voluntary benchmark, which is set by the Living Wage Foundation according to the ‘real’ cost of living rather than...