Barclays launches manufacturing help initiative

The bank says the programme combines practical guidance, workshops, industry discussions and networking events to offer manufacturing business owners and managers specific skills and knowledge that will help them in meeting the unique challenges, and identifying potential opportunities, the current recession presents. As part of the programme, a series of industry focused events have been scheduled throughout the next few months. ‘Inside Track’ events will provide an opportunity for businesses from a variety of sectors to learn from their peers what is being done to adapt, survive and in some cases thrive during the current climate. The events will be facilitated by high profile speakers such as the Evening Standard’s financial editor, Anthony Hilton and leading business analyst and futurologist James Bellini; and chaired by a panel of industry leaders, as well as Barclays industry experts, who will examine industry best-practice and the opportunities that exist in the current climate. David Marks, Barclays Commercial Bank managing director, said Turning the Corner was a natural step towards improving the way the bank supported businesses, particularly when combined with increased business lending and support of government initiatives such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG). In addition to the ‘Inside Track’ events, a series of regional ‘Connect’ events will include seminars from a range of business experts including renowned business mentor RenéCarayol, as well as the opportunity to participate in trade fairs to widen networks and develop new business leads. The programme also includes a website with recession-specific content to help aid decision-making in areas such as human resources, supply chain management, foreign exchange and other finance and management disciplines. The website will include third party guidance from a range of industry experts as well as a Barclays perspective on market conditions and developments. (www.barclayscommercial.com/turningthecorner). Critically, this initiative will also involve the sharing of skills from dedicated turnaround professionals. Barclays Commercial Bank Business Support teams work with the management of struggling organisations to turn their companies around by offering specialist financial and operational advice and creating lending arrangements more suited to the long term needs of the company. More than three quarters of the companies that worked with Barclays Business Support on a turnaround strategy were successful in returning to health in 2008.