M-Hub

For Manufacturing & Engineering Businesses

What is M-Hub?  

  • A Yeovil Chamber initiative run exclusively by, and for, manufacturing and engineering businesses across Yeovil and the South Somerset and West Dorset area.
  • A close network of manufacturing and engineering businesses; sharing best practice, facilitating shared learnings, and creating supply-chain and business support opportunities for all participants.

M-Hub's Mission Statement 

"Bringing together local engineering and manufacturing businesses for shared learning, supply chain opportunities, and business support. With the purposes to increase standards and grow the industry in and around the Yeovil area."

How can Yeovil Chamber help?

Yeovil Chamber will act as oversight for the group.  The benefits of M-Hub:

  • Open dialogue and networking amongst your sector colleagues;
  • Share and promote best practice;
  • Share and assist with sector operational challenges;
  • Deliver supply-chain development and other work and wider business support opportunities.

How will membership of M-Hub deliver benefits?

  • Regular round-table meetings to discuss sector-specific issues for action;
  • Regular communications to all participating members;
  • Support from Yeovil Chamber via extensive working relationships with local government officers and other key stakeholders in the wider business sector;
  • In-group expert advice from the participating members.
  • Invited guest speakers from business support groups (e.g local authority, legals, finance, funding and training)

Do I need to join Yeovil Chamber?

Whilst there is currently no charge to be part of M-Hub, nor is there any compulsion to become a member of Yeovil Chamber, there are several additional benefits from membership of Yeovil Chamber.  Yeovil Chamber delivers access to the big-picture and wider business support, via an unrivalled network of like-minded business people from businesses of all sizes and sectors.

  • Real-time, tailored business support, via insight from our unrivalled and unique network of working relationships with local government and strategic stakeholders extending out from Yeovil into South Somerset and North Dorset;
  • Regular networking events allow you to meet and discuss wider business issues with other like-minded people from across the business, professional and commercial sector;
  • Broadcast your good news stories and promote your events and workshops, to over 2,000 other local and regional businesses, via web and social media channels;
  • Regular communications and bulletins keep members informed and give you a big say on economic developments, planning, and issues which affect all businesses across the Yeovil area.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS OF THE NEXT M-HUB MEETING

CLICK HERE TO JOIN YEOVIL CHAMBER

The M-Hub Story 

Yeovil is the hub of a 200+ year manufacturing legacy of 'making things'; from gloves to garage doors, and from helicopters to sports cars.  Most of the manufacturing and engineering business are located on the edge of town on four business parks, busily creating their own successes.  This is the manufacturing backbone of Yeovil; employing 12,000 people, and making up nearly 20% of the Yeovil workforce.  Yeovil Chamber recently became aware that many of the businesses were unaware of the wider economic story.  We want all businesses who make their home in Yeovil to feel part of a bigger family, to be in the loop as to the wider economic picture and to have a say in economic development plans, both in the private sector and the public sector.  In short; to give businesses good commercial reasons to stay in Yeovil.

In June 2019, Neil Discombe, MD at Garador, asked Yeovil Chamber: "Garador is looking to network with local manufacturing plants for best practice sharing, would you be able to help?” From this, Yeovil Chamber put together a working party comprising South Somerset District Council, Garador, Leonardo Helicopters and Porter Dodson Solicitors to address Neil's question, and to create supply chain opportunities for all.  The appetite for action was clearly demonstrated at the 14th November 2019 launch meeting at Leonardo Helicopters (pictured), which saw twenty manufacturing leaders & decision-makers from across Yeovil, Crewkerne and Chard around the table, discussing the way forward.  Also involved at the launch were South Somerset District Council economic regeneration managers, Yeovil College employer engagement officers, and Inspire Biz, a HOTSW LEP-contractor promoting funding streams to scale-up businesses.  This wider representation is offering further support to Chamber and M-Hub.

The mood in the room at the 14th November launch, was to create tangible, long-term benefit to the manufacturing sector as soon as possible, and a clear two-point aim emerged: (a), to create a network of manufacturing businesses from across the Yeovil area of influence, sharing best practices and experiences, on an open agenda of cooperation, and (b), to create and develop supply-chain opportunities for all.  The initiative will be sector-specific; run by those who engage, for those who engage, but will be open to all businesses who ‘make things’, and form part of Yeovil Chamber’s business support package.

M-Hub Inaugural Meeting