Members from across the Made in Group network gathered at Greene Tweed's Ruddington facility for a morning of networking, knowledge sharing and behind-the-scenes access to a global advanced materials manufacturer.
Following refreshments and introductions, attendees had the opportunity to connect with fellow manufacturers before hearing from Greene Tweed's leadership team and exploring the factory floor.
With roots in the United States dating back to 1863, Greene Tweed operates globally across aerospace, semiconductor, energy and industrial markets, developing advanced materials and high-performance engineered components for some of the world's most demanding applications.
The Ruddington facility, established in 1982 and operating from its current 68,000 sq ft site since 2000, forms part of the company's wider global manufacturing network, serving customers across aerospace, semiconductor, energy and industrial markets.
Through a combination of presentations and a guided factory tour, visitors gained insight into the systems, people and processes that support Greene Tweed's approach to operational excellence.
A Practical Approach to Continuous Improvement
Welcoming attendees, Tony Baldassarra, UK Site Operations Leader, provided an overview of Greene Tweed's global footprint and the role of the Ruddington site within the wider organisation.
The presentations that followed offered insight into several areas of the business, with each member of the team sharing practical examples of how systems, processes and improvement activity are managed on site.
A common theme throughout the morning was the importance of structured improvement - reviewing performance, identifying opportunities and building on existing capability over time.
Tony also emphasised the role of leadership accountability in creating the conditions for sustainable improvement across the site.
"The managers on this site are accountable for everything."
Safety, Quality and Environmental Responsibility
Senior Site Safety Coordinator Ian Hooton opened by discussing Greene Tweed's approach to health, safety and environmental management.
Since Made in Group's previous visit in 2024, the site has continued to build on its strong safety performance, supported by employee involvement in hazard reporting, behavioural observations and ongoing safety engagement. Ian explained how Greene Tweed's behavioural safety programme generates around 900 safety observations each year, helping identify potential hazards before they become incidents.
"There is no fear in reporting anything. Everybody gets feedback on the things they put in and we do something about it."
Ian also shared an overview of Greene Tweed UK's ISO 14001 journey. The Ruddington facility became the first site within the wider Greene Tweed organisation to achieve the environmental management standard and has recently completed recertification.
The presentation highlighted the practical work behind the standard, including energy monitoring, waste reduction, machine shutdown programmes and employee engagement initiatives designed to reduce environmental impact over time. Attendees also heard how the site is using energy baselining to support a 5% reduction target, alongside wider initiatives focused on waste segregation, recycling and employee awareness.
The theme of structured improvement continued with Darral Beresford, European Quality Manager, who outlined how quality performance is monitored and reviewed across the business.
Attendees heard how Greene Tweed tracks quality concerns across the full process, from suppliers and warehouse activity through to manufacturing and customer outcomes, with improvement activity supported by communication across the wider team.
"It's not just quality driving improvement."
Darral explained that many quality concerns originate outside the manufacturing process itself, reinforcing the importance of working closely with suppliers and other functions across the value chain to support continuous improvement.
Investing in People and Future Capability
The discussion then turned to one of the most important challenges facing UK manufacturing: attracting and developing skilled people.
Senior Human Resources Generalist Amanda Williams explained how Greene Tweed has responded by creating its own trainee CNC machinist programme, helping bring new talent into the business while building capability for the future.
Launched in 2023, the programme was developed in response to an increasingly limited pool of experienced CNC machinists. Rather than focusing solely on previous experience, the programme places emphasis on attitude, commitment and potential.
Amanda also highlighted continued growth across the site, with headcount increasing by more than 8% during 2026 across manufacturing, engineering and support functions.
Attendees also heard about Greene Tweed's wider approach to employee development, recruitment, retention and succession planning, ensuring skills are nurtured internally as well as recruited externally.
Future capability was also a focus of the morning, with Site Engineering Manager Ralph Yorke providing an overview of ongoing investment across the facility and how the site continues to strengthen its advanced machining capabilities in support of future growth opportunities.
From the Mould Shop to the Cobot Cells
Following the presentations, attendees headed onto the shop floor to see many of the themes discussed during the morning in action.
The tour began with an overview of the facility before moving through a number of key manufacturing areas, giving visitors the opportunity to see production processes, automation and continuous improvement initiatives in action.
One of the highlights for many visitors was the opportunity to see the new mould shop, where powdered resin is transformed into billets before being precision-machined into high-performance components used in demanding applications around the world. The process provided a practical example of the control and discipline required when manufacturing advanced polymer products.
The tour also demonstrated how automation is being used throughout the facility to support consistency, safety and productivity.
Senior Process Improvement and Automation Engineer Dave Fox shared examples of practical automation and process improvement projects developed on site, from bespoke tooling solutions to improvements designed to remove risk and improve repeatability.
"Keep it very simple and work up."
Visitors also heard how the engineering team has developed hundreds of bespoke 3D-printed fixtures to support manufacturing operations, allowing tooling to be produced quickly and adapted to new products with minimal lead time.
That philosophy was reflected across the tour, where automation and process improvement were shown as practical tools for solving specific challenges, supporting operators and improving consistency.
A Joined-Up View of Manufacturing Performance
What made the visit valuable was not one single process, investment or initiative, but the way each part of the operation connected.
From the mould shop to automation, from safety observations to skills development, attendees saw a site focused on steady, practical improvement.
For Made in Group members, the morning offered a clear reminder that operational excellence is rarely built through one major change. More often, it is shaped through everyday discipline, shared responsibility and the willingness to keep refining how work gets done.
Made in Group factory tours give members direct access to the people, processes and ideas shaping UK manufacturing. To explore upcoming events, visit our events page or get in touch with the team.
