The Factory Next Door

Over the past 20 years, the amount we spend on shoes in the UK has tripled. It now stands at £14bn.During the same period, our domestic footwear industry has dramatically shrunk. The vast majority of shoes we buy are now made overseas.One town remains synonymous with shoemaking. Northampton. And it’s here that you can still find craftspeople making some of the finest shoes in the world. Brands like Crockett and Jones, Edward Green, Tricker’s and Joseph Cheaney & Sons are still selling their shoes to the world.In this special episode of The Factory Next Door, we head off on a tour of Northampton to ask a simple question:What can we do today, to ensure that in 10 years time Northampton’s historic shoe industry is growing again?We begin at last makers Springline, where director Michael chats to us about how we can help ourselves. He also shares a story that breaks my heart.Chris, founder of Crown Northampton shows us around his factory making the world’s finest trainer, as we consider overhauling the benefits of working in the industry.And then we pop in to visit a friend of the show, William Church from Cheaney to discuss the challenges facing the industry right now – and how to overcome them.  Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory

Pitching a 24-metre-long tent is one thing. Manufacturing one requires a whole different set of skills, including cloth cutting, sewing, woodwork and a good understanding of mathematics.On this week’s The Factory Next Door we head to North Yorkshire to meet a team striving to keep alive the ancient art of tent making.Number 48 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The Wedding Tent by Wills Marquees.Co-founder Chris Brawn gives us a tour of their workshop as we learn about the beauty of light cutting through cotton, consider why tent-making is both easy and difficult, and ask whether nice people can succeed in business.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory

When the world’s best surgeons spread a rib cage or clamp a blood vessel, they rely on instruments hammered and filed by skilled hands in a Sheffield workshop. On this week’s The Factory Next Door we head to Platts & Nisbett, manufacturers of surgical instruments for almost half-a-century. Number 47 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The Surgical Clamp. Alyson Nisbett gives us a factory tour as we learn why machines can’t make these instruments, we consider the responsibility that comes with hand-crafting life-saving equipment, and we ponder where a five-inch nail goes in the body. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory

Smalls are a big market. Annual underwear sales in the UK top £400m. Much of it used to be made domestically (with a thriving cluster in south Wales), but, in the past 15 years, that industry has dramatically shrunk. Today, just a few artisan lingerie companies survive.On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to New Tredegar in South Wales to meet Naomi Edmondson, the founder of lingerie company Edge o’ Beyond.Number 46 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Luxury Lingerie.Naomi gives us a tour of her factory as we chat about the challenges of keeping lingerie manufacturing alive in the Welsh valleys. Plus, we talk about the physical power of beautifully made underwear and being banned from social media.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory

What does it take to make a product so special customers will wait years to get their hands on one? In the world of horology, Rebecca and Craig Struthers have built themselves an enviable reputation using traditional tools and methods to craft extraordinary timepieces. Their watches are so popular the waiting time for one is currently seven years (they are working to bring that down!) Number 45 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Mechanical Watch by Struthers Watchmakers. On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we visit Leek in Staffordshire to meet the husband-and-wife team who say their journey into horology was an accident. We learn about the joys of vintage lathes, consider why it matters that kids can read analogue watches, and celebrate the humble white piece of A4 paper. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory

Every company has a lifespan. Some have two.Over the course of a century, glasses-maker Curry & Paxton went from pioneering new optical instruments, to becoming a key supplier to the NHS, to appearing in iconic movies. Then, in 1987, they vanished.On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we visit the workshop where they are breathing new life into this heritage British brand.Number 44 on our list of the greatest products we make here are The Optical Glasses.Peter Lynes, director at Curry & Paxton tells us why, after a 30-year career working with British clothing brands, he wanted to jump into the world of eyewear and revive this glasses maker. During our factory tour, Peter shares insights into how to build a brand and explains why he now wakes up with a heightened sense of purpose.Also on the show, glasses maker Mila gives thanks to his Grandad and celebrates a machine maker who transformed his life.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory

The market for jams and preserves might seem… well, jam-packed, but get your recipe right and you’ll find space to grow.Number 43 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Premium Preserve.On this week’s The Factory Next Door we visit Bristol to meet Nicola Elliott, founder of award-winning jam maker Single Variety Co.Nicola gives us a tour of her expanding factory as she explains why consistency is so hard in jam-making. She also reveals how a cancelled wedding helped transform her business and shares her big dream for the future.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory

There are somethings you can’t know about a company until you’ve bought it and had a riffle through the filing cabinets. In the case of clothing maker Buffalo Systems, it was numerous letters of appreciation from special forces, the military, and mountain rescue teams. Number 42 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Mountain Shirt by Buffalo.Broadcaster and adventurer Ben Fogle and Savile Row tailor James Sleater acquired the Sheffield-based company earlier this year. On this week’s show, they explain why they had always wanted to buy the company. Plus, we also get an exclusive look at a special new product, consider why Britain has so few global luxury brands, and hear why slow growth is sustainable growth. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory

There’s plenty of reasons to buy a British manufacturer right now. On this week’s episode, artist Susan Rose reveals why she’s just done that – acquiring a pottery in Stoke-on-Trent. We take a tour to learn about getting the thickness of mugs just right, the art of the kiln-stack, and why the random-shake of a cup in water is not always what it seems. We also hear about overcoming dyslexia to build a business, and why a little help from your friends is so often invaluable. Plus, Susan gives thanks for the birds, saves a butterfly, and makes a mug for The Factory Next Door. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory