Who are we and why are we here?

Plymouth Manufacturers’ Group (or ‘PMG’) is an informal network of manufacturing companies from across Plymouth and surrounding region.

Our membership includes household names like: Mars Wrigley Confectionery, and Kawasaki PM. Also in the network are major local employers such as Babcock International, Princess Yachts and BD (Becton Dickinson) joined by innovating and ground-breaking companies such as Plessey and Collins Aerospace.

 

Collectively, the PMG membership employs over fifteen thousand staff in the Plymouth travel-to-work-area and has a combined turnover of just under £3bn.

The group facilitates a highly supportive and varied interchange of information and experiences between members, helping to address matters affecting the interests of their companies and employees, thus encouraging the industry’s continued growth and positive impact on the local economy.

 

The PMG's Strategic Priorities

The PMG has the following core priorities as the network goes forward in 2024.

Sharing best practice to improve members’ performance across all aspects of their business.

 

Lobbying to improve the far south west’s connectivity infrastructure.

 

Tackling education, skills & employment issues that affect manufacturers.

Promoting the manufacturing & engineering sector as an exciting career pathway for young people.

Why Join the PMG?

Membership offers first and foremost an informal network for like-minded business people at the most senior level. This group of senior directors meets at regularly to discuss topical issues and to listen to speakers present their thoughts and ideas on relevant topics. If someone has something to say to manufacturers in the City the chances are that they will want to say it first to the PMG.

Past speakers include: the SW Agent for the Bank of England, local MPs, representatives of local authorities and public sector agencies and private sector service providers.

The PMG also has a number of sub-groups that specialise in these subjects; health & safety; continuous improvement (including digital transformation); skills & employment; finance; sustainability, marketing, supply chain & purchasing. These groups typically function by engaging senior staff who are responsible for these functional areas in a mix of networking by group emails and/or by regular meetings.

We also bring these subgroups together for cross-group seminars to share learning around common subjects which  have a strong thread through multiple specialisms such as Net-Zero and Well-Being.

Benefits of being a member

Collectively the PMG has considerable clout and is a voice that people listen to.

Our policies are shaped directly by our membership.

The PMG is a natural repository for ideas on manufacturing in the City of Plymouth and its surrounding sub-region.

A culture of openness and preparedness to listen to one another means that these PMG events provide great learning opportunities for participants.

We also host other events during the year such as Industry 4.0 seminars and dinner gatherings with an inspirational talk.

To find out more about joining our network, please visit our Becoming a Member page here.

How the PMG Works

How is the PMG organisation structured?

We have two principal groupings based on size. Firstly firms with 00-99 employees – our PMG SME Network – and secondly our PMG Enterprise Members who employ 100 plus employees.

We have a PMG Committee that consists of approx 8 firms who meet bi-monthly with the PMG Executive Team to help with the running of the PMG and decisions that we may need to take about policy and strategy, and upcoming meetings. Matters of importance that affect the membership in general are also taken to the two separate members groups for their ratification.

The subgroups mentioned above tend to be led by the Chair of that subgroup and the membership who determine agenda topics and speakers etc.

Who is the Chair?

The Chair is appointed for twelve months at the AGM every year and would be a director of one of our core member companies.

What is the role of the Executive & Engagement Lead?

The PMG Executive Team (the “PMG Office”) manages the delivery of most things that the PMG does. Everything from the administration of meetings through to meeting with local, regional and national stakeholders to lobby and undertake outreach work on members’ behalf.

Is there a Constitution?

The PMG does have a formal Constitution that was first written back in 1977 when the group was formed. We occasionally review it when significant changes take place such as the decision in 2007 to open membership to smaller firms and to create our PMG SME Network membership. Essentially, however, the constitution remains unchanged as we are still fulfilling the role that caused the PMG to be formed in the first place.

How is the PMG funded?

The PMG is largely self-financed by its membership. We may occasionally bid for funds or work with partner organisations or sponsors to fulfil a particular task or undertaking but we maintain our independence by generally not being beholden to anyone other than ourselves.

Does the PMG have influence?

The simple answer is yes it does. Manufacturing in the Plymouth sub-region is significant. Sometimes we forget how significant it really is. As we quote elsewhere on this site, Plymouth has the highest proportion of manufacturing and engineering employment of any City in England south of the Midlands. That’s not our figures but those published by the Centre for Cities – a respected national research and policy institute. In 2014, we were instrumental in forming a south west group of manufacturing networks that are very similar to our own. We did this because there is much we can agree on and if we collaborate we have a stronger and more influential voice. This group meets with various bodies including the Government’s LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnerships). Locally, within Plymouth, our Chair sits on the Plymouth Growth Board, which is the private/public/voluntary board that works together to drive forward the economic priorities of Plymouth.

We also have representation on a number of other groups including; The Board of the Plymouth Area Business Council, the Plymouth Growth Board and the Plymouth Employment & Skills Board. The PMG are also lead players in STEM Plymouth and Women in STEM Plymouth.

Surveys show our name is well known locally amongst the business community and further afield amongst national manufacturers.

"PMG is more than a networking group. We're a connected, collaborative voice for manufacturing in the region. We share knowledge and best practice, nurture skills, and foster supply chain relationships. Together, we enrich our community and create opportunities and livelihoods for thousands. Join us, and help to shape the future of manufacturing in the region."

Karen Friendship

MD of Aldermans and Chair of the PMG

Watch our 40th Anniversary Video!

In 2017 / 2018 the PMG celebrated its 40th anniversary with various business and social events including a special dinner dance for charity. Another celebratory activity was to create an anniversary video to act as a record overview of the beginnings of the PMG and its work over the years until the present time.

You may find it an interesting watch – a way of “virtually” meeting the PMG and understanding our reason for being.

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