Gooch & Housego Hosts M-Hub Factory Tour
Released On 1st Mar 2022
Mars rover camera components; laser beam deflectors; photonics. Science-fiction? No! Just a selection of the specialist applications from a precision engineering company based in South Somerset. On 17th February, M-Hub members visited Gooch & Housego, makers of these applications, at their facility at Ilminster. COVID protocols and cases reduced the numbers, but the visit was no less insightful for the attendees, representing M-Hub member businesses, and there was a great selection of cakes!
Out of humble beginnings in 1948 from a loft in Ilminster, G&H are now at the cutting edge of lens and mirror manufacture. Investing for the future in Ilminster, and from their purpose-built facility, Gooch & Housego is a global photonics technology business: Research, design and manufacture of photonic components and applications across the aerospace, defence, industrial, life sciences and scientific research sectors. G&H’s expertise spans a broad and complementary range of technologies. G&H also has locations in the US, plus two other sites in the UK, with sales offices in France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.
G&H Operations Manager Barry Luke and Manufacturing Manager Josh Fade briefed everyone, and accompanied delegates around the facility. The tour was full of impressive statistics, with plenty of evidence of lean practice and continuous improvement, and engagement with their employees. G&H are investors in cobots and net zero, encouraging staff to cycle to work, and solar panels to reduce electricity bills.
The post-tour open forum discussion today focused on transferable skills and the challenge of altering perceptions, to inspire young people to pursue a career in a factory. Today’s tour was more evidence that working in a factory can be a career choice. These seeds are being sown here in South Somerset, home to a growing hub of businesses which make things, with a focus on innovation, healthcare and aerospace. M-Hub and Yeovil Chamber, in partnership with Yeovil College are educating, networking and delivering opportunity, and professional careers being delivered by Yeovil College, aligned to local employment requirements. Although upskilling and transferable skills are a useful resource, M-Hub will continue to network and spread the word about what is happening here in South Somerset, to bring further investment in the area, and to nurture local talent
M-Hub @YeovilChamber is run by, and for manufacturers based across South Somerset. Networking, sharing best practice, successes and challenges; delivering training and supply-chain opportunities. M-Hub is "people who make and process things" in a 40km long corridor across South Somerset; from Thales in Templecombe, to Brecknell Willis and Numatic in Chard, including other key employers such as G&H, Leonardo Helicopters, Garador, Branston and Singletons, with growing engagement from other businesses, all of which feed into local, regional and UK supply-chains. M-Hub is currently funded by South Somerset District Council, who already recognise the potential for M-Hub as a key economic driver across the region.
. . .and South Somerset is a great place to do business! If your business makes or processes things and is interested in attending a factory tour, hosting a factory tour, or you would like to get involved with one of South Somerset's fastest-growing manufacturer support groups, please contact mhub@yeovilchamber.org or call 01935 385912.
