Britain’s manufacturing sector has recorded its first month of growth in more than a year, sparking cautious optimism among industrial leaders who say the uptick must be matched with long-term support for the UK’s production base.
The S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI rose to 50.2 in November from 49.7 in October, edging back above the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction. The return to expansion follows 13 consecutive months of decline, driven by improved domestic demand and a slower fall in export orders.
For HT Brigham & Co Ltd — the Coleshill-based metal presswork specialist that supplies precision pressings into automotive, electronics, defence and industrial markets — the shift is welcome.
“A PMI back in growth territory is a positive signal and HT Brigham is playing its part with continued investment in new press capability ” said Doug Allen, Chief Executive of HT Brigham.
HT Brigham, which has operated since 1947, says customers across its automotive and industrial programmes have started placing more consistent call-offs after months of volatility. The company’s core processes — including progression presswork, complex multi-stage transfer pressings, and advanced assembly — rely heavily on predictable demand and tight supply chain coordination.
Allen said the PMI improvement aligns with what HT Brigham is witnessing on the shopfloor.
“We’re seeing more enquiries and firmer schedules. Engineering-led SME manufacturers like ours are extremely resilient, and November’s figures reflect that grit.”
S&P Global noted that investment goods were the only category showing output growth in November, with consumer and intermediate goods still lagging. That trend fits HT Brigham’s own investment-led approach.
This autumn, the firm commissioned a new 250-ton Rhodes progression press, part of a multi-year programme to upgrade its presswork capability and compete for higher-performance, higher-volume components.
“Our latest Rhodes progression press is already opening new doors,” Allen said. “If the UK is entering a recovery phase, manufacturers must be ready with modern assets, automation capability, and the kind of precision pressings that global customers now expect as standard.”
He added that productivity gains from upgraded tooling and progression lines were essential for British SMEs to offset rising labour costs.
Business optimism nevertheless climbed to a nine-month high, boosted by hopes that AI technologies and data-driven manufacturing will enhance competitiveness.
HT Brigham is leaning into these developments, combining modern press automation with digital tooling analytics to maintain consistency across high-volume progression lines.
Allen believes that if businesses stay committed to investment and if policy remains coherent, the next twelve months could look markedly stronger.
