A leading British manufacturer producing many household brands such as Imperial Leather, Carex, Original Source, St. Tropez, and Childs Farm. JTE will tour its Agecroft site in Salford, which operates as a key UK factory and R&D centre, focusing on product design, development, and production for the UK market.

The visit will focus on the development of their people and culture and will tour the six production lines that run 24/5 and can produce around 200 million units annually. Founded in 1884, PZ Cussons has an annual turnover of £1/2 billion and employs over 2,500 people.

If you think Lean and Operational Excellence are only for massive automotive plants with huge budgets, think again.  ROSS Pneumatrol is an award-finalist, Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer of engineered pneumatic valve solutions. This site is a prime example of how a smaller UK manufacturer can embrace continuous improvement—starting right from their high-level strategy down to a relentless focus on developing their people.  The visit will include:

• How operational excellence is built through many practical improvements rather than a single initiative.
• How they balance standard products with bespoke customer requirements.
• Quality management and documentation in regulated and safety-conscious industrial markets.
• Manufacturing planning systems that coordinate customer orders, materials and production activity.

Expert Technologies Group is a leader in intelligent industrial automation and robotics solutions. With a workforce of 250 employees and an annual turnover of £80 million, the company integrates advanced robotics, automation, material logistics, and smart technologies. This tour will highlight best practices in AI and automation and provide valuable guidance on how manufacturers can begin their journey toward automation excellence, from initial preparation through to a successful implementation.

See why Siemens Congleton won The Manufacturer of the Year 2025. As the oldest Siemens site in the UK, it delivers one of the highest productivity rates per square meter in the entire group—producing over a million drives and control units a year across 20,000 variants.

On this tour, you’ll see how practical Industry 4.0 tools—like virtual reality, digital twins, and robotics—are used on a daily basis to boost productivity, improve shop-floor transparency, and keep complex lines running smoothly.

The Toyota factory in Deeside, Wales, employs over 600 workers, making it a cornerstone of the local economy. Spanning 115 acres, the plant produces hybrid engines for Toyota’s vehicles, contributing to the brand’s renowned reliability and performance. Its strategic location facilitates exports to various destinations worldwide, including Europe and even Japan, playing a pivotal role in global automotive supply chains, ensuring quality products reach diverse markets efficiently. The visit is hosted by Toyota’s Lean Management Centre team.

Halewood Operations is home to the Land Rover Discovery Sport and the Range Rover Evoque. Located in the North West of England, the Halewood plant employs almost 5,000 people. The plant has a reputation for excellent manufacturing quality and is recognised throughout the industry as a centre of excellence for Lean manufacturing. This is a full guided tour of the Halewood Operations from press shop to final assembly and despatch. Although there will be no formal presentations, you will witness the full process, automation and assembly of the UK’s biggest automotive manufacturer