Standing up for women in engineering

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This weekend the world celebrated International Women’s Day and what better opportunity to discuss how far the world has come in its views of women.

As the famous song goes, ‘It’s a man’s world!’ but almost five decades later, is this still the default thinking?

Statistically, sectors like engineering and infrastructure are still largely male dominated and sadly there also still seems to be the slightly lazy assumption that women are not as well suited as men when it comes to working in engineering or construction.

By 2020, it has been predicted that 2.79 million jobs will become available within UK engineering companies, 1.86 million of which will require engineering skills, but how many of these will be occupied by women?

Currently at higher education, a tiny fifth of students who take physics at A-Level are girls, a story that has been repeated for the past 25 years or more. The sad reality is that many youngsters think gender is a barrier when it comes to careers in construction and engineering. A worrisome fact considering these sectors are in fact in high demand.

It’s clear to see that more needs to be done to highlight the benefits of working in engineering and construction most especially to young women. Thankfully initiatives like the WISE campaign are doing their bit to help the gender divide in previously male dominated sectors. By encouraging women and young girls to study STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the hope is that the female presence in such sectors will increase from the current 13% to 30% within the next five years.

Looking at the female-sparse engineering sector as it stands today, it’s hard to believe that after the Great War, women were fighting to keep these same engineering roles that many women are discounting today. During World War I, many women worked in engineering while their brothers, partners and spouses were fighting in the war. Doesn’t it seem a shame that the efforts and talents of these women have largely been lost?

Educating young people about the benefits of STEM subjects and the engineering sector should be a top priority for all especially following the UK’s current skill crisis.

With initiatives such as International Women’s Day, it is still apparent that we all need reminding of the importance of equality. For me, there is no difference in ability across genders. At Texane two of our three owners are women as well as 50% of our middle managers and isn’t it about time we employers started to walk the talk and show this sector that it is not gender specific. If a man can do it, a woman can do it too.

Diverse teams have been proven to get better results and we’re proud to say we have the proof where that’s concerned. Let’s step up the drive to get more women into engineering as a nation and here’s hoping that 2015 will be the year more women take a chance on a sector they might have previously overlooked!

Network Rail to accelerate digital-enablement of Britain’s railway

The digitisation of the railway is essential if we are to manage the year on year growth in rail freight and passengers, says Arnab Dutt. 

Better time tabling from the “digital railway “– will improve efficiency across the UK where signalling is outdated and insufficient to cope with increasing demand.

Being part the corporate governance of NR gives me a hands on opportunity to scrutinize the Board as they lay out their plans for the future.

The simple fact is, if we don’t invest in new technology and regular maintenance, our network grinds to a halt in 2030. There will simply not be enough capacity for the huge growth in passengers and rail freight. Passenger growth numbers are double what were predicted 10 years ago.

Presently we are operating a Victorian legacy railway network with 21st century demands placed upon it. Without thinking 50 years ahead and taking action, our transport infrastructure becomes a slow motion national train disaster. We want to encourage more freight to disappear off our congested roads and switch to the greener alternative of rail. We need to believe in progress and a legacy that future generations can be proud of. We need to understand and plan for huge demographic change and population increase.

Despite much uninformed criticism, we should note the UK rail network is not only one of the busiest in the world, it’s just about the safest. Something to be proud of, and worth bearing in mind.

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Leicester Mercury | Time to tap into this county's diverse talent

When it comes to awarding contracts, businesses take all manner of things into consideration, including price, quality of the product, and customer relations. But what about ethnicity?

There is a target set by Government for 25 per cent of all public sector contracts to go out to small and medium-sized firms such as Texane, but there is currently no emphasis on ensuring these targets are inclusive to black and minority ethnic (BME) firms. I believe there should be.

BME businesses are successful drivers for our economy. The Government should be making sure they get a fair slice of the public sector pie.

While many start-ups fail, 70 per cent of BME businesses are still here after five years, and they grow 20 per cent faster than other small firms.

Read the full article on the Leicester Mercury online here.

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Finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Arnab Dutt, managing director of manufacturing firm Texane, is a finalist in this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

These awards recognise the innovations of British entrepreneurs and celebrate their successes. Now recognised by many as the new benchmark for entrepreneurial success, Arnab’s finalist status is a fantastic achievement for both him and Texane.

Arnab is a finalist in two categories, International Trade Entrepreneur of the Year and Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year. It is hoped that his commitment to improving the industry sectors he works in will give him the upper hand when it comes to judging.

The award ceremony will take place on 19 November in London’s prestigious Old Billingsgate.

Best of luck to Arnab and the other finalists!

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#LBE14

Earlier this month, Texane spent some time at the annual Leicestershire Business event at the Leicester Tigers ground.

This event has been a major trade show for eight years now, attracting over 800 visitors.

Texane joined 113 other exhibitors at the event, which is a fantastic networking opportunity. The stand was a hive of activity all day, and it was great to get to know some of the faces behind Leicestershire’s brightest businesses.

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Rallying for diversity in business

The managing director of a Leicestershire firm is heading to the House of Lords today to promote diversity in business.

Arnab Dutt, managing director of Texane, will speak at a summit imploring key figures from Government to be more inclusive of minority ethnic firms in procurement in both the public and private sector.

“70 per cent of ethnic minority businesses are still here after five years,” explains Arnab Dutt, “and they grow 20 per cent faster than other small firms. Tapping into that entrepreneurial energy and success mindset is not just paying lip service to Corporate Social Responsibility. It’s adding value to your business.”

The summit is organised by Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK) and will offer policy recommendations to make public sector procurement more diverse across the country.

Despite an aspirational target set by Government for 25% of all public sector contracts to go out to SMEs like Texane, there is currently no emphasis on ensuring these targets are inclusive.

Texane, which manufactures super tough polyurethane wheels found on many of the escalators and travelators across the world, was bought by Arnab Dutt and was brought back from the brink of administration.

Based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Texane now supplies its super tough wheels to iconic subways and metros around the world, including New York, Washington and London.

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Tall, terrifying and spectacular

 

People have been flocking in their thousands to famous Coney Island in Brooklyn to scare themselves silly on the tallest rollercoaster in New York City.

With more than 2,000 feet of track including a terrifying 90 degree drop, the new Thunderbolt ride is a guaranteed adrenaline rush. For the ride’s manufacturers, the brief was to offer the most spectacular attraction possible with first-class product quality to ensure the safety of thrill seekers.

Texane’s super tough polyurethane wheels give customers a smooth ride as they wind up to the ride’s dizzying 115-foot-high peak and hurtle down at speeds of up to 55 mph.

We worked with KettenWulf Chains to create a high-strength, corrosion-resistant chain and wheel system that ensures the excitement rolls on and on.

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#ibacksmallbusiness

Four Federation of Small Business members tell us why they want a new Government to back small business ahead of the 2015 UK General Election. You can join the debate #ibacksmallbusiness.

"I want to break into new markets.

"We need a long term strategy for SMEs in the UK, structured and permanent, that will help us reach our potential. For my business to grow, I need better support to help me export more effectively."

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Safe and sound | Rail Technology Magazine

Arnab Dutt, managing director of Texane Ltd, is a public member of Network Rail - one of the people holding the board to account for its leadership and management under the company's unique governance structure. Safety is one of the key factors he has to take into account.

"Britain's railways are getting busier. While networks continue to grow to keep up with the population and their demands, safety remains as important as ever.

"When we talk about keeping safe on our rails, we're not just talking about the rail workforce, but passengers and pedestrians too. We need to address safety in different ways to suit the needs of everyone who works, uses, lives near or even passes by our railways."

Read the full article on Railway Technology Magazine online here

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Gearing up for growth

SMEs are ready to push on after years in survival mode. Insider's round table discussed the challenges facing them as they progress and poses the question 'What can help SMEs grow?'

Arnab Dutt, managing director of Texane, said his business used innovation in the last few years to protect margins. Growing turnover was not a priority for the polyurethane components manufacturer and it instead targeted work with the highest growth margins.

"It meant a lot of investment in new technology and development which is difficult because sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't," said Dutt.

Read the full article by buying a copy of Midlands Business Insider here.

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UK Internet Speeds Inadequate For Business

According to a recent study, as many as 45,000 UK firms are still using dial-up Internet connections.

That’s shocking, but the truth is the majority of firms with broadband access are still lagging behind competitors in better connected places.

Broadband speeds and coverage across our country are woefully inadequate. It’s about time the government saw sense and started taking notice of the importance of the “need for speed” for all businesses, especially smaller firms.

How big business bullies its suppliers into lending

Late payment is a major problem for freelancers and small firms and it seems to be getting worse. Big businesses are effectively banking with their suppliers’ money - so will government step in?

Arnab Dutt, owner of manufacturing company Texane, is scathing of government measures to date. "So far, nothing the government has done in terms of legislation has seriously impacted this disgraceful scenario."

Read the full article on Contributoria here.

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Manufacturing Innovation Roundtable

It's easy to say we need creative cultures in businesses - producing them is a far harder task. Midlands Business Insider East Midlands brought together experts and entrepreneurs to find out how to incite innovation.

Arnab Dutt, Texane - "The past few years for us have been about developing new products for new markets and, rather than just being industry-facing, looking at consumer sectors, anywhere where we can develop our core competency.

"That's meant investing in new machines, developing new polyurethanes where we seee high margins and values. To do this we've had to innovate and look for where demand is, and be imaginative. We do not want to do the same as everyone else because you just end up fighting a lot of people on price alone."

Buy the September issue to read the full article.

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Zero hours contracts: 'Bad for morale – bad for business'

Business owner Arnab Dutt says zero hours contracts are harming the economy and should be scrapped.

It has been claimed that zero hours contracts make the UK more competitive by providing labour market flexibility.

The evidence challenges this. In reality, the widespread abuse of these contracts has harmed the economy and the fabric of our society.

Read the full article on the Leicester Mercury here

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Money for something | The Manufacturer

“The reaction of banks to the financial crisis was to cut back on lending and to rebuild their balance sheets,” Arnab Dutt observed, but he is not convinced that things have moved on – at least, not sufficiently. 

“Their lending criteria does not appear to have changed. It isn’t nuanced and they still don’t understand business. Five years on from the crisis in the UK, the system for small businesses hardly seems to have changed at all.” 

He has not seen evidence that the high street banks have the same level of commitment as in “the old days”, the time that he describes as ‘proper banking’. It would appear that the main banks have a challenge on their hands, in convincing people like him that they really do mean business. But he sees positives from the situation.

“It has led to a huge growth in asset finance,” Dutt said. “The thing about it is – with asset finance, they have security: the finance company owns the machine till they have received the last payment. The lenders may not want to commit less than £150,000 but businesses can borrow at rates that are historically rather good. It makes sense and it is a good way of making capital investment.” He went on to say thay he is seeing lots of smaller companies going for asset finance and readily agrees that it is, in effect, hire purchase. But where do companies go for less than £150,000?

Read the full article on The Manufacturer here

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Business is booming in the East Midlands

Business is booming in the East Midlands, and Texane can feel it. 

We’ve felt the impact of the East Midlands’ confluence of great business clusters that are receiving capital investment. New transport infrastructure investment means the Bombardier and Rolls Royce are receiving large orders that are spreading through the local supply chain, a domino effect of positive business growth.

We have new companies and product development with SMEs working alongside our excellent universities, including Cambridge. We also have a technology cluster for Formula 1 and motorsport which is a crucible of innovation and engineering excellence.

Finally, it’s thanks to the close proximity to London, and the transport networks that make the East Midlands easily accessible to all parts of the UK, and of course Europe. Texane is exporting more than ever as products manufactured by British firms are the preferred by customers across the globe.

Read the full article on East Midlands Business Link here.

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Busting Myths | Future Rail

The strength of feeling amongst the British public about HS2 is palpable but Texane managing director Arnab Dutt believes people are missing key information about the project.

"As a public member of Network Rail, a group of around 40 people who oversee the organisation's secondary governance scrutinising the effectiveness of the board, it's fair to say I'm more up to speed on the rail investment programme than the average traveller.

But if you ask anyone on a train today what they think of the HS2 project, you should expect to hear some very ill-informed opinions."

To read the article in full, check out the digital edition here.

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Rail Technology | What people don’t know about HS2

Arnab Dutt, managing director of British manufacturer Texane and a public member of Network Rail, argues against the all-too-common belief that investing in both HS2 and the existing infrastructure are not mutually compatible. 

As a public member of Network Rail, a group of around 40 people who oversee the organisation’s secondary governance scrutinising the effectiveness of the Board, it’s fair to say that I’m more up to speed on the rail investment programme than the average traveller. But if you ask anyone on a train today what they think of the HS2 project, you should expect to hear some very ill-informed opinions.

Read the full article on Rail Technology Magazine here

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Small businesses need more competitive banks

I was recently invited along with a number of other small business owners to the Office of Fair Trading, which is writing a report on competition in the banking sector. The OFT wanted to consult with smaller firms about the banks. 

Had we seen their behaviour change since the crisis of 2008? Were they providing the small business sector with the service they needed?

This is not the first time there has been an investigation into competition in the banking sector. Back in 2000, the Cruickshank report identified a lack of it, and the truth is there has been little progress since then. The way the UK banking industry is structured impacts on the ability of small and medium firms to get the very best service compared with their international competitors. That is of great concern.

The financial crisis and the subsequent banking scandals have demonstrated that we are a long way from an effective system. The old problems that work against a competitive environment remain, such as the inability for businesses to switch bank accounts quickly and easily.

Should Britain build more runways? | Director

YES. 

Britain is losing business to Germany, France, and Holland – all countries that have planned ahead and invested in airports big enough to accommodate traffic. 

Lack of airport capacity is having a detrimental effect on the UK economy, so we have some urgent catching up to do. For one thing, we do not offer enough flights to emerging economies, which is ridiculous because the need for those flights was foreseen 20 years ago.

Runways are a start, but we need to expand Gatwick, Stansted and Birmingham immediately too. We need a big vision, such as a new airport in the Midlands or further south.

Read the full article on Director Magazine online here

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