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What was best thing about the 2012 Best Factory Awards? What strikes everyone who attends the Best Factory Awards is the sheer enthusiasm and commitment of the companies that attend – and in great numbers, too. They really get into the spirit of the awards. It reflects how companies that are frontrunners for the awards build up that same positive approach inside their businesses and that is such a good indication of the culture needed for successful manufacturing. Really, this is what underpins all that is best in our industry. The BFAs have gained in prestige, year by year. For those who are there, it's a great chance to meet with companies that have won awards in previous years and to learn about the benefits that have accrued, which is encouraging – even for those companies that don't win. In fact, the whole BFA qualification process is a kind of audit, showing organisations how they can improve in every area of their business. The BFAs are much more than just a badge; they offer something that brings sustainable benefit. How would Britain's best factories fare in a worldwide Top Factory competition? That would be a very challenging competition to take part in! But I truly do believe that, when you see the calibre of companies taking part in the BFAs, these are already world class. We could compete against any of our overseas rivals. I'm not sure if there is a BFA equivalent in other countries, but it would be really great to have a 'Best of the Best' event where everyone is pitched against each other. In business, we need that global view, as we can't afford just to focus on our own local 'patch'. That's not the way of the world any more. Our Schaeffler factory in South Wales is effectively competing against all the other plants in our group – well over 100 manufacturing locations worldwide. So we have competitiveness in our veins as an organisation. What's the key challenge for UK manufacturers in the next 12 months? The biggest challenge is uncertainty, both in the UK and globally. At home, we are affected by national taxes, laws and regulations of course, but both customers and our supply chains are also being impacted by what's happening elsewhere. Uncertainty tends to breed inertia and creates a creeping reduction in consumption, right down through the economy. For example, there is often a reluctance to replace even ageing equipment, if it can be repaired. Many businesses that did well to survive the very steep 2009 recession are now suffering cash flow problems. If we have another downturn, or start the climb-back towards future growth, then, unless there is more liquidity of funding available, I think we still have a lot of bad news to come. Many businesses with good order books and sound business models are simply running out of cash, which is criminal. What should manufacturers know about Schaeffler? That we are a company with a global presence, utilising leading-edge production plant, much of it developed in-house, encompassing everything from forging, grinding and polishing, through to state-of-the-art coating processes that help automotive OEMs reach their emissions targets. Schaeffler offers engineering excellence and expertise to a wide range of industry sectors – supplying massive bearings for heavy industry and super-precision products for aerospace, for example – and can cross-fertilise both ideas and developments, because we believe it's the value of the whole package that's important. What's your favourite UK-manufactured product and why? Given its success right now, the automotive engine [in which Schaeffler parts are used] made in the UK. Motor manufacturing has seen a great revival and I only hope it continues. It's bucking the global production trend and proclaims that 'British is Best'. What do you wish was made in GB? More Schaeffler products! But also I wish we could make the traditional products we produced 30 or 40 years ago – such as in shipbuilding, textiles, even production machinery – as so many skills, trades and worthwhile working careers have been lost, based on decisions that wiped out whole areas of manufacturing in the UK. Let's hope we have stopped before the brink, at a level that is sustainable, and can gradually rebuild on that.