A delegation from Norwegian business group Lean Forum Nordvest has toured Essity Prudhoe Mill on a fact-finding mission, exploring sustainable lean manufacturing principles.

The visit was part of a broader exploration of major players in the North East manufacturing sector, co-ordinated by change management consultants, Access2Growth.

After spending time at Essity, the group visited Paragon in Sunderland and Ebac in County Durham.

Lean Forum Nordvest champion lean manufacturing strategies and seized this opportunity to delve into groundbreaking initiatives and operational priorities underpinning success in the tissue manufacturing industry.

At Essity, the group was led by Tony Richards, operations director for UK manufacturing and site manager at Prudhoe Mill.

The delegation got up close and personal with production facilities, where they observed the technical processes involved in tissue manufacturing and communicated with the operational teams.

Tony shared with the group the company's manufacturing and maintenance strategy, which is grounded in three principles: equipment ownership, skills development, and the 5S methodology - crucial for enhancing overall efficiency and product quality.

"We are honoured to host the Lean Forum Nordvest delegation," said Tony Richards, Essity operations director for UK manufacturing. "Their interest in lean manufacturing aligns with our commitment to operational excellence and continuous improvement."

This trip concluded with an insightful exchange between Essity's leadership team and the Norwegian delegation, which included representatives from petrochemical giant Shell, Jets Group, and specialists in digitalisation and sustainability, NCE Ikuben.

Gabriele Hofinger Jünge, R&D manager at NCE Ikuben, said: “Essity is taking an innovative approach to driving excellence in tissue production, placing great emphasis on skills development, putting people at the heart of the process and developing their own talent.

"This visit provided an excellent insight into their dedication to advancing industry best practices against a challenging back drop of rising operational costs and a shortage of manufacturing and engineering skills.”

Joe Booth, director of Access2Growth, who organised the visit on behalf of Lean Forum Nordvest, added “The strength of manufacturing in North East England is truly worldclass, therefore bringing industry representatives together to collaborate in this way helps to fill knowledge gaps and learn from lived experience to improve efficiency, drive productivity and increase innovation.”