Inside the factory as Wellingborough firm KROHNE opens its doors as part of National Manufacturing Day 2024

National Manufacturing Day (NMD) is a country-wide initiative seeing businesses invite the public into factories and sites for a behind-the-scenes look at how they operate, and the work they do.

Led by the industry trade body Make UK, it hopes to showcase the ‘diversity of a truly fascinating sector, and the range of highly skilled jobs on offer.’

KROHNE has taken part in previous years, opening up to local people, as well as students making subject choices, and school leavers pondering a possible career in the trade.

Billy Aitchson, operations director, said: “Taking part in National Manufacturing Day 2024 provides KROHNE a truly fantastic opportunity to celebrate our achievements and to showcase our cutting-edge technology, products and processes to potential customers, partners and local communities whilst demonstrating the reality of modern manufacturing against outdated perceptions of the industry.

“NMD brings KROHNE and future talent together by engaging with students, schools, and job seekers and highlighting how exciting and technically diverse manufacturing can be….as a business we want to inspire the next generation to pursue careers within the industry.

“More widely we hope that NMD builds goodwill in the community, helping local residents understand the importance of manufacturing to both the local economy, the broader UK economy and how vital the manufacturing industry is for innovation, employment, and growth.

“NMD 2023 at KROHNE was a great success but it is clear 2024 has set a new standard.”

On the day, staff gave presentations abut the history and scope of the company, which began in 1921 in Duisburg, Germany, and has a local presence in over 100 countries worldwide.

Following this, KROHNE staff members showed people around the factory, fielding questions and giving insight into the work it does, which often goes unnoticed by those who don’t work in the industry.

The Wellingborough base has been open since 1994, expanding greatly since then as demand has increased. The company specialises in flowmeters, which are used to measure the mass flow rate of a fluid moving through a pipe.