Stone Executive specialises in the recruitment of executive, senior and middle management roles within the manufacturing and engineering sector, specifically within aerospace & defence, the automotive industry, building products, electronics & precision engineering, and the process & chemical industries. Our extensive experience of recruiting high quality candidates for a wide range of public and private sector organisations, combined with our extensive network of contacts within these industries, ensures we are uniquely placed to identify, approach and recruit the brightest talent around.

Manufacturing & Engineering - an industry in flux 

The manufacturing & engineering industry is once again facing a period of significant change. Today’s challenges go far beyond the global recession and include factors such as the rise of low-cost production centres around the world. Yet not all sectors within manufacturing & engineering are suffering. While aerospace, automotive and building products have been hard hit, the UK’s reputation for innovation and technical excellence has ensured that the electronics & precision engineering sector has remained relatively healthy. Many smaller, regional engineering companies are also in good shape, having benefited from large-scale outsourcing by larger organisations.

The green agenda - threat or opportunity?

Issues of sustainability certainly present many challenges for the industry, as manufacturers are forced to find ever greener production processes. Yet it’s an area that offers perhaps the greatest opportunities for manufacturing and engineering firms. A new focus on environmentallyfriendly practices and greener supply chains means there is great potential for firms with the right skills - or those with the ability to adapt and acquire the right skills - to lead the way in the development of clean technologies and renewable energies. It’s a big challenge, but the companies that are able to evolve and exploit these changes in both the domestic and global marketplaces will not only survive, but thrive. Key to achieving this is the ability to source the right people.

Prepare for a new future

As some manufacturing & engineering firms continue to cut costs to help manage their way through the downturn, there is increasing evidence that many firms are already planning for the upturn, and this can be seen in the lengths to which they have gone to retain skilled staff at all levels. Forward-thinking companies know that when the upturn comes, it is those firms with the right people in place that will be able to take full advantage of it.

Recruiting for success

Effective recruitment is now a critical success factor both at an operational level and at senior management and board level. Firms need board level execs with the strategic vision to lead them into a new era. And at a local level, they need senior and mid-level managers with the expertise to ensure UK-based facilities are run efficiently. Yet finding managers and executives with the right skills and experience is no easy task, and that’s where Stone Executive can help - because we have an outstanding track-record of helping companies recruit the kind of talent that can make the difference between success and failure.