Rising energy costs is the greatest cause for concern amongst the manufacturers attending today’s Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Manufacturers’ Forum, chaired by The HEX Group CEO Martin Smith. Representing the region’s manufacturing community, of the 14 firms that attended the event, over half (53%) of firms cited rising energy costs as the number one concern, followed by raw material costs (27%) as the second worry for 2022.

Attendees at the event represent the diversity of manufacturing in Staffordshire and today’s poll is a strong indicator of the current sentiment amongst manufacturers. Martin Smith, comments: “The members attending today’s event represent every corner of manufacturing in Staffordshire, from large manufacturers employing several hundred people to small, niche manufacturers – all playing a vital role in the prosperity of our region. As the 2022 kick-off meeting, today’s discussion focused on the year-ahead and the challenges we face as one community. The Manufacturers’ Forum is a great opportunity to set aside individual business challenges and share opinions and ideas on issues that affect us all.

“There’s no question 2022 will not be without its challenges. In one form or another we are all dealing with the repercussions of the pandemic and over the next 12 months the Manufacturers’ Forum will be an important opportunity to share ideas, debate the changing economic conditions we all face and join our voices as one community.”