Stannah Opens its Doors in Support of Local Manufacturing Community

Businesses from across the region were recently invited to have a behind-the-scenes tour at lift and stairlift company Stannah, as part of a pioneering Test Valley Borough Council initiative.

Representatives from across industry and government were invited to visit three of Stannah’s sites in Andover, to learn more about the company and its operations. The day included a talk by the process engineering team on improvement and sustainability; a guided tour of the factory floor; and a visit to Stannah’s special expo hub, for a look at the company’s latest innovations and developments.

The event was arranged by ‘Manufactured in Andover’, an initiative supported by Test Valley Borough Council and EM3 Growth Hub that aims to bring local companies together, to share best practice and boost performance.

David Drew, economic development & tourism portfolio holder at the council, explains: “When it comes to manufacturing, Andover and the Test Valley area boasts a rich and diverse mix of organisations. Through the Manufactured in Andover group, we are aiming to bring this community together, in a way that will help further enhance their achievements.”

He added: “The group is free to join, and members come together regularly to share best practice, learnings and insights. By asking questions, discussing challenges and sharing ideas, we’re creating a valuable network that will not only benefit the organisations themselves, but has the potential to boost the local economy and employment.”

As well as a representative from the Department for Trade & Industry, companies attending the event included EEF, MRT Castings, Vitacress, Shenton Group, Haworth Castings, BP Rolls and Custom Interconnect.

Colin Jones, fulfilment manager at Stannah, commented: “Business and industry face many challenges and peer-to-peer collaboration such as this can be very valuable. With a 150-year heritage behind us, we know how important innovation and continuous improvement is, and we hope that by sharing our experiences we may be able to help other ambitious organisations.”

He added: “It was our pleasure to give visitors a unique insight into Stannah and our process engineering. One of the things we’re most proud of is how engaged our employees are, in coming up with ideas and taking ownership of their implementation, to better what we do and how we do it, across every level.”

Stannah is one of Britain’s leading engineering companies. It remains an independent, family owned and run firm today. From its base in Andover, the company designs, manufactures and installs lifts and stairlifts, with customers based across the world.

For more details about Manufactured in Andover, please contact David Gleave, Economic Development Officer, Test Valley Borough Council, dgleave@testvalley.gov.uk