Our MD on Brexit, Covid and Maxell Tapes
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Simon Jones - Aircare MD
With light slowly appearing at the end of the pandemic tunnel we have taken some time to reflect on how some major changes have had to occur in a very short space of time, and how they have affected our working practices and business in general.
It has been challenging times for British manufacturers but thankfully it is not all negative news. We caught up with our MD, Simon Jones, to get his comments on Brexit and what the future holds for Aircare Systems as a UK based supplier of pneumatic seating parts to Europe and the rest of the world. Here are his words…
What does being made in Britain mean to your clients?
“Europe contains a wide variety of design led office seating manufacturers and being in the centre of it means that we can respond swiftly. We can work with designers needs and help prove concepts as well as responding promptly to clients orders, reducing their supply chain and requirement to hold stock. So, we are a nimble supplier and an iterative resource to our clients.”
What are the USPs associated with British manufacturing?
“Our USPs are speed of delivery and speed of iterative design combined with a “yes we can” attitude.”
Aircare Production
We invest in our clients
Why would these USPs appeal to new clients?
“We typically are very price attractive as we own the manufacturing process. We can supply next day or as quick as couriers allow, therefore clients will receive great products with little lead time. We work with clients to develop new products and we do this at cost to us in order to stimulate the development process, a win-win for all.”
Brexit - what can we expect from trade with Europe now, as many customers are based in the European Union?
“We have grown our business significantly during the last five years and the majority of that new business has come from the European mainland, as far afield as Lithuania. We continue to see growth and new business, even during the COVID-19 period, and we expect that growth to continue. We have had initial delays as ourselves, our clients and our couriers adjusted to the new ways of working since the formality of Brexit but we very much see Europe as a place of opportunity.”
Producing pneumatic seating solutions
Managing risk
What would you say to new customers who have concerns about dealing with a UK company following Brexit?
“I would say - just trust us. Send us a simple design and we will develop it with you. Send us an order for a standard product and we will deliver. We offer good terms and the client will not pay until they receive their order. The risk is all with us and we work on trust.”
How has COVID affected the way you work?
“Like a number of UK operations we did suffer from a period of shutdown in March 2020 that lasted nearly 8 weeks but now we are all back at work. We have sensible hygiene and distancing rules in place and we are fortunate to have a large space for the number of staff we employ so we can work safely.
We have missed face to face collaboration with our industry colleagues but we can still work on projects based on simple drawings or just ideas, and development continues with European companies. The main issue for us in the last year has been bolstering our own supply chain to protect against potential supply shocks.”
Sourcing multiple suppliers
What other special challenges have you had to overcome recently?
Simon with his home grown produce!
“Our largest challenge was the lack of a key material that we source in the UK, that was diverted in order to support the ramp up of specialist NHS equipment during the early months of the COVID-19 period. We got around this with some nimble footwork but it has taught us some lessons about ensuring multiple sources of supply for key materials.”
What new projects are on the horizon?
“We are currently engaged in a new air support system for the waterfall feature of a well known chair manufacturer. (Waterfall seat fronts (downward curving) will prevent the edge of the seat from coming in contact with the back of your knees, cutting off circulation.)”
New markets for our patented seating technology
Who would you really like to work with in the future?
“Our eye is currently finding a company to work with in the United Sates in order to introduce our patented technology into that market. If anyone would like to talk, please drop me a line anytime…..”
What’s the best chair of all time?!
“Well that is easy for a man of the 80’s - the Le Corbusier’s ‘Grand Confort’ (1928) - featuring the coolest guy in the room, in a series of Maxell tape adverts beginning in 1985.”
Aircare Systems specialise in providing pneumatic seating solutions
If you have an ergonomic seating project that you would like our support with
simply contact us directly:
