Despite plenty of challenges along the way, 2020 was (for the most part) a good year for EC Electronics.
We were able to retain all our customers throughout the pandemic — even doubling our business with one long-standing customer — and we also managed to gain some new ones! We also did very well in supporting the medical industry, particularly during the first lockdown.
At the start of 2020, there was a general sense of panic in the business world — and, indeed, the manufacturing industry due to global supply chain disruptions. But now that businesses have adapted to new ways of working and adjusted their offerings, it seems we have all got into a more promising rhythm for the year ahead.
So, what’s to come in 2021?
Things are looking positive for EC Electronics. We are currently recruiting new team members in supply chain, logistics, quality and engineering positions — both in the UK and Europe.
We also have a healthy budget for capital expenditure, which will allow us to continue investing in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. Automation will be a core focus for our investments in 2021, and the benefits of this new machinery will be two-fold: not only will it improve quality, but it will also improve efficiency.
Similarly, we are continually investing in our IT systems. We have just completed an extensive server upgrade, which makes our remote access much more reliable — key for this ‘new way of working’ which is likely to become a more permanent fixture across many business models this year. As well as this, we are also continuing to work on focused process improvements, introducing automation to systems and processes wherever we can.
Over the past few months, we have also secured new partnerships with several high-profile ‘blue-chip’ companies. So, we are excited to kick off these partnerships and start working on projects for these customers, as well as many exciting, quality projects for our long-standing customers. There is a lot of innovation and technological advancement in the world of electronics manufacturing at the moment — especially in relation to the pandemic!
Of course, we will also be pushing on with our sustainability initiatives this year, constantly looking for changes — no matter how big or small — we can make to improve our environmental efforts at EC Electronics.
In other news…
We cannot talk about 2021 without touching on Brexit. Whilst it was not a perfect outcome, the signing of the trade deal on Christmas Eve was a very positive thing for us and the country — bringing much-needed clarity and closure. As an electronics contract manufacturer, there will undoubtedly be more admin involved, but we now have a line to work to at least.
There are many opportunities to be found in Europe, and our strong presence there and well-established EU supply chain mean we are primed and ready to tap into them.
January figures also indicate that the PMI (Purchasing Manager’s Index) for eurozone manufacturing is at just over 55.2, whilst UK manufacturing is 57.5. Anything above 50 suggests the manufacturing industry is expanding, so these figures show underlying strength in our economy and set a positive tone for the year ahead.
We look forward to seeing where 2021 takes us!
If you would like to discuss any of your upcoming electronics manufacturing projects, please get in touch with our team today.
