RMweb Premium 33212 Posted June 27, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 27, 2014 Cut and paste from BBC Kent website Margate toy firm Hornby to bring some production back to UK The Kent-based toy company Hornby is bringing some production back to Britain in a bid to return to profit. The firm, based in Margate, lost £4.6m in the last financial year, and £3.4m the year before. The company, whose brands include Airfix, Scalextric and Corgi, said supply chain issues in China had caused major problems. It has now moved its UK warehousing and logistics operations to a new site 11 miles (18km) outside of Margate. Production ceased at the firm's Kent base in 2000, with the toys subsequently being manufactured in China. Richard Ames, the company's new chief executive, set out his plans for getting the firm back on track. As well as moving its warehousing and logistics operations, the firm has cut ties with a major model railway manufacturer in China. Mr Ames, a former Ladbrokes and Dixons director, said that on top of the poor financial performance, the problems the firm had experienced jeopardised its relationship with its customers. "This is an extremely important issue, as these are the true fans of the brands," he said. "It is key that we do not take these fans for granted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 27, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 27, 2014 I see nothing there, or in Hornby's Annual report, about moving any more production back to the UK beyond what they've already contracted out in the UK. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 33212 Posted June 27, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 27, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-28059354 The Guardian bit says that the warehouse used to be where the factory was - so by moving the warehouse out, does that make room for machines? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted June 27, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 27, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-28059354 The Guardian bit says that the warehouse used to be where the factory was - so by moving the warehouse out, does that make room for machines? No....but it does make room for a plot of saleable development land,which might make a slight reduction in Hornby's strained finances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
black and decker boy Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 You need to bear in mind that the Airfix production brought back to the UK (or more correctly, never exported given it was new models), is not produced in house. It's simply bought in from a, already established, plastics moulding & manufacturer. Hornby have long since lost the physical and human infrastructure to manufacture complex models such as trains in the UK. The company is basically now just a marketing operation with some R&D to commission and vet models that are designed and built by external contractors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 The title of this thread sounds more hopeful than factual. I don't see anything new in this thread that isn't in the other two threads on Hornby's 2014 financials and the decision to outsource their warehousing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenman Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 ... Hornby ... is basically now just a marketing operation with some R&D to commission and vet models that are designed and built by external contractors. So that would be just like Apple, then, the world's biggest company... (Although Apple and Hornby both actually have design capacity in-house.) Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Odd isn't it. After I spent a day at Hornby's 'meet the team' meeting, two weeks ago, I got the news of the warehouse move as a 'hot rumour' from the taxi driver on my way back to the station! He also told me B&Q has its eye on the Margate site. That may be old news, as it was certainly mooted about 10 years ago and the art deco front office building was listed Grade 2 to reduce the risk of it being demolished. The warehouse/former factory at the back has a steel and glass roof which is said to be in poor condition. There was no indication that Hornby intends to bring any railway production back to the UK, so why this thread, I don't know. In fact quite the reverse. What is being made in the UK is Quickbuild Airfix kits, and some paint, that's all. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpion Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 and, having tried the uk produced enamel paint, its not very good, a bit thick and gloopy on first opening and totally useless after two weeks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 33212 Posted June 28, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 28, 2014 There was no indication that Hornby intends to bring any railway production back to the UK, so why this thread, I don't know. CHRIS LEIGH Just reporting the news posted at 1512hours to the front page of the BBC Kent news website, thats the point of this thread..I assumed some might find it useful or interesting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakydoke Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 The Guardian bit says that the warehouse used to be where the factory was - so by moving the warehouse out, does that make room for machines? ...The warehouse/former factory at the back has a steel and glass roof which is said to be in poor condition. Hornby have said that the poor state of the former factory and cost of maintenance is one of the drivers behind the relocation and subcontracting out of warehousing and distribution. Demolition and redevelopment looks more likely than any attempt to reinstate production facilities. Just reporting the news posted at 1512hours to the front page of the BBC Kent news website, thats the point of this thread..I assumed some might find it useful or interesting. More than half of what is written in the press is any or a combination of..... misreported, misrepresented, out of context, out of date, inaccurate, incorrect, false, fabricated or just plain lies. It's bad enough with national media, but local newspapers and radio stations have their own brand of incompetence too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted June 28, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2014 To be fair to 33212 he's just highlighted what the BBC has (mis)informed us. Do we have an original link to the story? Edit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-28059354 Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pebbles Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 The Hornby Margate site is very close to the Westwood shopping complex, in addition the immediate area has housing development. Whilst the spiritual home of Triang is/was Margate there is no reason to use potentially valuable land for distribution/storage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 28, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2014 To be fair to 33212 he's just highlighted what the BBC has (mis)informed us. Do we have an original link to the story? Edit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-28059354 Neil So as Oakydoke said - typical poor reporting (and sub-editing) but then what else do you expect from a 'news' organisation which keeps referring to 'train stations'. The answers lie in this thread which are in reality doing no more than repeating old, genuine, news in an effort to try and put right the BBC's stupidity. And as Hornby's Annual Report is linked and discussed elsewhere on the forum there is really no need to go down an avenue which in reality has nothing whatsoever to do with what is said in the Report. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 And as Hornby's Annual Report is linked and discussed elsewhere on the forum there is really no need to go down an avenue which in reality has nothing whatsoever to do with what is said in the Report. And I think that's a fair point at which to close this topic to avoid duplication. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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