Seven engineering and manufacturing businesses in Grantham and South Kesteven are celebrating after successfully opening their doors to students for Make UK’s National Manufacturing Day.

The Grantham-based businesses are working together under the banner of the Greater Lincolnshire Engineering and Manufacturing Network (GLEAM) with support from the LEP’s Manufacturing Board.   

The group includes:  

  • BGB: an international business that supports wind, wave and nuclear power generation as well as electric vehicle applications. 

  • DLS Plastics: a manufacturer and supplier of injection-moulded products for a variety of customers including the leisure and caravan market and medical sector. 

  • Grantham Engineering: parent company of Grantham Electrical, a family-owned business specialising in electro-mechanical engineering design, manufacture and repair for the international raw materials handling industries. 

  • Harlaxton Engineering Services: which provides a wide range of services for design, construction, connections, servicing and maintenance supporting utility services. 

  • Iconic Engineering Solutions: which offers 3D scanning, design, printing and CNC work, specialising in motorsport related items. 

  • Pentangle Engineering Services Ltd: specialising in robotics and automation as well as dedicated fabrication, laser cutting and fully engineered solutions. 

  • Viking Signs: which specialises in digital on-demand signs using state-of-the-art specialist equipment. 

Each business pledged to Make UK’s ‘open-house’ initiative, which allowed students and aspiring manufacturers get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the industry. 

From large scale automation and fabrication to printing and CNC manufacturing, there was something for everyone to learn about.  

Darren Joint, Managing Director of Viking Signs and Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s Manufacturing Board, said: “National Manufacturing Day was a fantastic way for the newly formed GLEAM-SK group of manufacturers to come together and showcase the amazing careers and opportunities available in our industry.  

“Of the 100 or so manufacturers throwing open their doors to the public across the UK, seven were in and around Grantham, with at least another four across the Greater Lincolnshire region.  

“In South Kesteven we were able to host more than 400 visits from pupils of local secondary schools - multiplied up over the whole country this is sure to have had a positive effect on the understanding and appeal of modern manufacturing and engineering as a career choice. 

“I'd like to pay thanks to the teachers supporting their pupils to take part, the other GLEAM-SK members and all my team at Viking Signs who participated and hosted our visitors so well on the day.” 

If you’d like to find out more about this sector in Lincolnshire, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP has created a manufacturing toolkit for schools and colleges which includes key facts and figures, lesson plans, activities, and careers information for further and higher education routes. Click here to access the toolkit. 

If you would like to work with local schools to tell them about manufacturing and careers in the industry, please contact the LEP’s team of Coordinators: Contact | Greater Lincolnshire LEP.