Hartlepool Brewery Outlines Plans for Success

A major Hartlepool employer says developing and training staff is the key to staying competitive in a tough trading environment. Camerons Brewery is aiming to continue and expand on its work as a contract brewer with major drinks brands after investing over £4m in the infrastructure of the historic Lion Brewery, home to Camerons since 1865.

A major Hartlepool employer says developing and training staff is the key to staying competitive in a tough trading environment. Camerons Brewery is aiming to continue and expand on its work as a contract brewer with major drinks brands after investing over £4m in the infrastructure of the historic Lion Brewery, home to Camerons since 1865. But it says the development of its workforce is as important as updating its machinery and has been working with Business Impact, a national training specialist, to make the most of the skilled workers it has at its disposal.

With Business Impact, Camerons Brewery has so far trained 50 of its 100 employees in Lean Manufacturing techniques – aimed at ensuring the manufacturing process is as efficient as possible.

The next phase of the training, involving the remaining 50 staff, has now started. To celebrate the success of the training, Camerons and Business Impact hosted a factory tour and open day at the brewery this week to demonstrate the impact the work has had. Billy McKee, Camerons Commercial Director, said he was delighted with the changes he’d seen at Camerons since the training programme began.

"The brewing industry is consolidating at the moment – a lot of brewers have been forced to close because of the economic downturn," he said.

"It is vital to stay one step ahead of the game and to ensure that not only is the quality of your products as high as ever, but that you are constantly assessing your procedures and ways of working to keep processes as efficient as possible.

"Many of our workers have not studied for many years, so sending them back to the classroom for workshops was bound to be a culture shock. However, the standards of tuition and expertise in nurturing students along have been incredibly high.

"We are now a leaner, more competitive company and it is really paying dividends for us as a business – we have had glowing reviews from customers, admiring our more organised and structured approach."

With its head office in the North East, Business Impact UK delivers training initiatives to companies across the UK designed to increase productivity, reduce waste, improve quality and maximise efficiency whilst increasing skills and knowledge.

Business Impact’s Commercial Director, Jeff Thompson said: "We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Camerons and it was great to be able to see the working practices which we have addressed being put into motion so successfully.

"This isn’t just management talk – the work that we have done with Camerons has achieved incredible results at every level of the business.

"The impact can be seen, felt and proven – and will provide an excellent foundation for Camerons as they carry on doing what they do best for many years to come."