He says that management teams are reacting to economic pressures, such as rising costs and Trump tariffs, by adopting a survival approach.
Innovation and Strategic Investment in Manufacturing
Hague believes the focus is on product innovation to counteract price pressures, and moderate investment into new areas of opportunities has replaced diversification.
Supply Chain Collaboration as a Key Strategy
Supply chain collaboration has been another focus with the West Midlands-based firm has seen this firsthand with enquiries soaring for outsourcing that delivers flexible scale-up and scale down of production.
Value-Added Partnerships in Outsourcing Services
“No matter the challenge or strategic direction, collaboration can be the unifying force behind bold results. A force that can both accelerate progress and mitigate risks,” explained Tony, who has been at PP Control & Automation for more than 25 years.
“At PP Control & Automation, a robust supply chain is non-negotiable. Its importance is driven by the fact that our customer’s supply and stock risk is mitigated when we inherit, manage and optimise their supply chain. It’s central to the value we add as an outsourcing provider, so over the years, it has meant turning suppliers into value-add partners and technical guides, rather than simple transactional relationships.”
Building Resilience and Reducing Risk for Global Clients
He continued: “2025 has seen demand for the services we offer increase massively, as potential customers seek to build supply chain resilience and try to achieve growth without significant investment. There’s also a definite move towards shortening supply chains in the wake of global trade wars.”
PP Control & Automation already works with twenty of the world’s largest machine builders, providing speed to market, flexible production and access to new technology and capabilities for firms involved in food and drink, renewables, medical and machine tools.
