Manufacturing business case studies

Emergency One Group Limited began its Net Zero journey in 2020, driven by a new Board of Directors aiming to enhance competitiveness and innovation. As carbon reduction became a key factor in customer tenders, the company faced challenges due to limited guidance on Net Zero reporting.

A major breakthrough came in 2022 when they joined a 12-month Net Zero business transformation programme led by Net Zero Nation, with support from East Ayrshire Council and Scottish Enterprise. This training helped them understand reporting requirements, Scopes 1, 2, and 3, and develop a certified Carbon Reduction Plan.

Through blended training sessions, they collaborated with businesses of all sizes, discovering shared challenges such as staff retention, skill shortages, and resource limitations—all critical barriers in achieving Net Zero goals. Sharing information with other participants on all topics related to Carbon Reduction assisted in improving everyone’s knowledge.

Emergency One Group Limited achieved several targets and created some unique changes in operations that has helped in their continued effort to reduce carbon emissions included:

• a four day working week introduced into their process – through consultation with the employees:
  • reduce consumption of energy with shorter working week
  • reduction in absenteeism from work
  • improved productivity
• negotiating new utility contracts and complete a transition to “green energy supply” for both electricity and gas
• introducing change in workshop and office light across their site to reduce emissions
• installing a new heating system that was more efficient and effective in an old building (using less power)
• understanding on how their employees to commute to and from work – provided information that can be used to reduce the use of cars for travel to work
• offering customers design changes that improved performance and reduced carbon emissions at the same time
• educating employees in the need to reduce carbon emissions that can be shared in the community

Future state

For the future, we are looking to complete Life Cycle Analysis of our vehicles to be able to demonstrate our commitment to reducing carbon emissions for our company and the end customer to the end of the product life.

Emergency One Group Limited are fully committed to achieving the targets set by both the Scottish and UK Governments whilst being able to satisfy the global customer base we have.

Stewart Gorman, Compliance Manager at Emergency One UK Ltd

Annandale Design (UK) Ltd, established in 1992, has built a solid reputation for manufacturing and installing architectural metalwork and secondary steelwork.

With a team of 28 skilled employees, the company specialises in a range of products including industrial stairs, ladders, walkways, and bespoke fabrications.

Under the leadership of Director Graeme Frew, Annandale Design has consistently delivered high-quality solutions to its clients.

Background

Recognising the need to manage its recovery post-COVID, Annandale Design sought to enhance its strategic framework and build a stronger management team. To achieve these goals, the company turned to East Ayrshire Council's GoStrategy initiative for professional consultancy support.

Initial consultancy engagement

Under the initial GoStrategy consultancy, Annandale Design experienced substantial benefits.

The consultancy focused on a thorough review of the company's financial performance, identifying areas of underperformance, and implementing a robust "Pricing Tool" which significantly improved profit margins.

Regular financial performance review meetings were established, ensuring ongoing monitoring and adjustment of financial strategies.

Director's insight

Graeme Frew, the Director of Annandale Design, reflected on the initial consultancy, stating:

The introduction of the Pricing Tool and regular financial review meetings have been key for us. We've seen a significant increase in our profit performance, and our management team is now more engaged and informed.

Need for continued support

Building on these successes, Annandale Design identified several new initiatives requiring further professional consultancy support through the GoStrategy programme. These initiatives aimed to strengthen the management team, enhance strategic decision-making, and ensure sustainable growth.

The new GoStrategy work encompassed a comprehensive set of objectives including:

• the development of a strategic plan for medium-term succession
• the creation of a new financial model to consider company valuation, tax implications, and funding structures
• a leadership development plan to consider promoting existing management team members to director positions

Strategic outcomes

Over a 12 month period, the consultancy delivered long-term, wide-ranging support focusing on establishing financial and production performance targets, introducing a system to measure productivity and efficiency against pricing and profit contribution, and facilitating regular management meetings to measure performance against targets and share results with the workforce.

Impact on the company

Graeme Frew noted the positive impact of the consultancy:

The strategic support we've received through the GoStrategy initiative has been instrumental in our company's evolution.

From financial modelling to succession planning and enhancing our online presence, we've laid a solid foundation for sustainable growth and future success.

Conclusion

Annandale Design’s collaboration with the GoStrategy consultancy has not only addressed immediate challenges but also positioned the company for long-term success.

Through strategic planning, financial modelling, and leadership development, Annandale Design continues to thrive and adapt in a competitive market, ensuring its legacy and growth for years to come.

Investing in efficiency and growth

Business overview

D C Services, owned by David Cunningham, is a Kilmarnock-based manufacturer specialising in bespoke agricultural machinery.

Employing a team of four and generating annual sales of approximately £0.5 million, the business supplies customers across the UK, including key markets in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With over 35 years of practical farming experience behind its products, D C Services designs and manufactures high-quality mobile sheep dippers and the well-established Scotsqueeze autoclamp – trusted solutions built for real farm work.

The challenge

As demand for its products continued to grow, D C Services faced increasing pressure within its manufacturing process. A critical piece of equipment – a brake press used daily in production – was over 30 years old, inefficient, and heavily reliant on manual operation.

Each piece of steel required manual marking before folding, making the process time-consuming, labour-intensive, and less energy efficient. This limited productivity and restricted the business’s ability to scale and take on additional work.

The project

With support from East Ayrshire Council, D C Services invested in a new CNC brake press.

This modern machine uses Computer Numerical Control (CNC), allowing precise, computerised control of manufacturing processes. The upgrade enables:

• automated and highly accurate steel folding
• stored programmes for repeat jobs
• reduced manual handling and setup time
• improved energy efficiency

The investment represents a significant step forward in modernising the company’s production capabilities.

The impact

The introduction of the CNC brake press has delivered several key benefits:

Increased productivity

Automating previously manual processes has significantly reduced production time, allowing the business to complete jobs more quickly and efficiently.

Improved energy efficiency

The new machine consumes less energy than the older model, helping to reduce operational costs and environmental impact.

Business growth opportunities

With improved efficiency, D C Services is now better positioned to take on additional orders, increasing turnover and strengthening its market presence.

Workforce development

Training staff to operate the new CNC machine has enhanced their skillsets, increased flexibility within the team, and future-proofed the workforce.

Job creation potential

As production capacity increases, the business is well placed to create new employment opportunities.

Products and expertise

D C Services continues to deliver high-quality, bespoke agricultural equipment tailored to individual customer needs:

1. Highland Mobile Sheep Dippers – Built from 16ft to 30ft, with up to 350-gallon capacity, featuring full hydraulic lifting and levelling jacks. Available as tractor-drawn or car-drawn units, each system is customised to suit farm layout and workflow.
2. Scotsqueeze Autoclamp – A proven sheep handling system designed for efficiency and ease of use. It enables tasks such as dagging, tagging, dosing, electronic weighing and footwork without tipping. Its 12v self-contained hydraulic system allows operation anywhere, with no external power required.

Every product is built in Kilmarnock, combining decades of hands-on farming knowledge with practical, durable design.

Owner insight

The support from East Ayrshire Council has allowed us to invest in essential new technology that will transform how we work day to day. The new CNC machine will save us time, reduce energy use, and give us the capacity to take on more work and grow the business.

David Cunningham, Owner, D C Services