EAMA

EAMA is the Engineering and Machinery Alliance. This alliance comprises nine associations including MTA, representing firms operating in value added engineering, mostly as SMEs. They originally came together in 2001 to create greater critical mass when representing the views of their members to Government and the media. More recently, as Government has given RDAs increased responsibility for economic development, EAMA's remit has been extended to link in with the RDAs.

The nine member associations are: the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA), the British Paper Machinery Suppliers Association (BPMSA), the British Turned Part Manufacturers Association (BTMA), the British Plastics Federation (BFP), the Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM), the Gauge and Toolmakers Association (GTMA), the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), the Printing, Papermaking and Converting Suppliers Association (PICON) and the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA).

Visit the EAMA website at http://www.eama.info/

New EAMA Handbook

EAMA has launched its 2008 handbook in partnership with Close Asset Finance. The book is a practical guide designed to help companies 'make it in the UK'.

Download your copy here.

EAMA Budget representation Feb 2008

The MTA has as usual contributed to the Budget representations made by both EAMA and the EEF’s Joint Budget Group. Both representations state that the sector has done well recently but that we cannot afford to be complacent about the investment climate. We are also looking for a more competitive taxation environment especially for SMEs. Skills, training, exporting and a low carbon economy are also covered.

For full details click here

Investment Survey - May 2007

According to a new Engineering and Machinery Alliance (EAMA) survey, which had a significant contribution from MTA members, of over 100 SME manufacturers, investment in UK mechanical engineering is now on the rise.  After eight years of decline, during which the sector’s spend halved, 83% of firms in the EAMA survey said that they were investing as much or more than in 2005.  Further, 66% of them were confident about business going into 2007, and fully 78% said that they expect to maintain or raise their investment levels again this year.

The most popular areas for investment are training (84%), plant and machinery (82%) and IT (77%) followed by vehicles (68%), R&D (56%) and lastly buildings (43%).  Based on the survey, firms are clearly spending more on IT in particular, but also on R&D, albeit from a lower base.

Overall, the main reasons for investing are to improve productivity (53%), new technology (50%) and product development (36%).  But amongst the top 20 exporting businesses in the survey (68% of them SMEs), all selling more than 60% of their goods overseas, the order was reversed with product development first followed by new technology and productivity last. 

To achieve these goals, the majority of firms including nearly all the big businesses were investing at up to 9% of turnover.  However, in their efforts to raise productivity, nearly a quarter (24%) of micro and small businesses said they were investing at rates in excess of 20% of sales.

Over 60% of companies agreed that there’s increasing overseas interest in their products. 

Download the Survey results here

Download the document containing issues raised and proposed solutions

SURVEY ON INVESTMENT – October 2006
MTA is launching a new survey on members’ investment intentions. This survey is to be held in conjunction with EAMA. The idea is to get a full picture of the investment situation across eight different Associations dealing with different types of engineering. The results will be crucial in our forthcoming lobbying work such as meeting the Minister for Industry, Margaret Hodge MP. It will also be invaluable in our Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) representations next year. We need your help to make this survey fully representative of MTA’s view.  Please make sure you return your answers before Friday 27 October.  1 return per company please.

Download Investment Survey - October 2006

EAMA Budget Letter - February 2006
The February 2006 EAMA budget letter covers 6 specific topics:

1.  Manufacturing investment performance

2.  Encouraging a sustained performance

3.  Reducing tax burdens for SMEs

4.  Training credits

5.  Regulatory simplification

6.  Targeted grants

Download EAMA Budget Letter

EAMA Grant Availability Survey - December 2005
EAMA has been asked by Alun Michael MP, Minister for Industry and the Regions to survey its members on the performance of RDAS and Business Links in delivering grants, which are crucial to the competitiveness of manufacturing industry.  It is essential that EAMA through its member Association gets a large sample to provide the evidence to the Minister, as we suspect the responses will show a deficiency in the delivery of business support.  Please click here to fill a very quick 2-page survey and send it back to EAMA.   We need your views by no later that 16 December.   We hope you will help us as this will be of crucial importance in our lobbying of both the DTI and the Treasury.

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