Avon Valley Precision Engineering (AVPE) is a successful and rapidly growing SME specialising in precision-engineered manufacturing for the defence and aerospace sectors.
In the aftermath of the EU referendum, AVPE were concerned about a number of business-critical issues, and were keen to maintain business continuity in the face of these challenges. Aerospace supply chains are often complex, involving involve significant levels of cross-border trade and supply-chain dependency.
AVPE were keen to better-understand the impact of Brexit on various certification regulations relating to the chemical coatings applied to many of their products. AVPE were also keen to train their staff on potential export documentation required under a range of Brexit scenarios. As a business involved in a number of ‘just in time’ supply of goods which extend across multiple European and non-European countries, AVPE wanted to protect the supply chains in which they operate, shielding and enhancing their competitive edge.
A lack of clarity regarding the UK’s ongoing compliance with REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulations were also identified as a potential stumbling block for planning and operations. REACH is an EU regulation dating back from 2006, requiring key info on chemicals certification to be communicated across supply chains. A ‘No Deal’ Brexit would have important implications for REACH certified companies, potentially requiring UK-based companies to source certification from within the EU. For many companies in this situation, ‘No Deal’ could have threatened their ability to sell directly or indirectly into the EU.
Faced with these challenges, AVPE approached Business West for bespoke support from the Trading Through Brexit team. The consultancy project that followed identified identify areas of AVPE’s business model which would potentially be exposed under a ‘No Deal’ scenario, and provided robust contingency-planning advice to help ensure continuity of trade under these circumstances.
AVPE’s Managing Director Mark Summers said:
“We asked Business West to help us better understand the potential impacts of Brexit on our business. All advice was comprehensive: Business West managed to disseminate detailed technical information into far more understandable layman’s terms. My team now have a far better grasp on the challenges we face and how we need to amend our internal processes and systems accordingly.”
Since engaging with Business West’s Trading Through Brexit team, AVPE have announced landmark investments in both capacity and skills to the tune of £750,000, and are now confident that they are prepared whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.
Trading Through Brexit has supported hundreds of businesses to better-understand the various real-life outcomes and scenarios associated with Brexit. As one of the UK’s largest business support organisations, Business West are committed to helping companies reach their potential, and navigate risk and uncertainty. If you would like to discuss bespoke Brexit-related support for your business, please get in touch with us at tradingthroughbrexit@businesswest.co.uk.
