
Chief Executive Officer’s review
continued
Through an unwavering commitment to operational excellence and
a customer-centric approach, we are dedicated to achieving
sustained profitability and creating long-term value. These principles
guide our actions as we strive to exceed customer expectations,
drive efficiency and optimise our performance. By aligning our
operations with customer needs and consistently delivering
exceptional products and services, we aim to re-establish Carclo as
a trusted industry leader and maximise value for our stakeholders.
Design & Engineering ("D&E")
In 2022/23, our Design & Engineering ("D&E") business
demonstrated robust revenue performance, generating total
revenues of £20.1 million. While sales were lower compared to last
year's exceptional figures, they remained significantly higher than
the average of the previous three years. This reflects the strength
of our ongoing focus on the life sciences sector and strategic
partnerships with existing customers.
By maintaining this strategic direction, we built a strong order book
by the end of the year, positioning us favourably for continued
success in the future. This is a testament to our ability to deliver
value-added solutions and meet the evolving demands of
our clients.
To further augment our capabilities and support our technical talent,
we are establishing a state-of-the-art training facility at our
Roseytown location in Pennsylvania. This facility serves as a
dedicated space not only for validation purposes but, more
importantly, for in-house training on manufacturing lines, mould
technology and material behaviour. It enables our team to
continually refine their skills and expertise, empowering them to
consistently deliver best-in-class solutions to our valued clients.
This investment in our team's development reinforces our
commitment to excellence and ensures that we stay at the forefront
of innovation in the industry.
Our team forms the heart of Carclo, their growth being a
cornerstone of our strategy. We're prioritising investments in their
professional enhancement, creating dedicated Educational and
Excellence Centres regionally. This initiative empowers our
engineers with robust training and skills development programmes,
propelling process enhancements, automation advancements and
innovative product line creation. We believe that nurturing their
talents and fostering a culture of innovation will be pivotal to our
collective success.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we've launched our
worldwide initiative, "Zelda". Its primary objectives are to reduce
waste sent to recycling by 50% within two years and decrease
energy consumption per unit of production by 15% over three years
through energy optimisation. Moreover, we are devoted to creating
a positive societal ripple effect via local community involvement.
We believe in being candid about our sustainability journey, and will
consistently share updates on our achievements, challenges and
milestones.
Divisional performance
CTP division
We have divided our CTP division into two separate businesses.
Our Design & Engineering business is responsible for handling global
customer development projects, while our Manufacturing Solutions
business comprises our worldwide network of facilities, specialising
in a comprehensive range of manufacturing services, encompassing
injection moulding, assembly and supply chain solutions. Our CTP
division has undertaken a substantial restructuring effort in the
EMEA region to better align with customer needs and successfully
navigate challenges such as rising input costs and labour shortages.
The execution of our strategy, which includes standardising
machines, processes and global quality standards, coupled with
clear factory specialisation, has revitalised our operational results in
the region. We are now focused on implementing these strategies in
the US region to further strengthen our position.
Strategy
continued
Our new direction includes a keen focus on product and factory
specialisation, allowing each of our facilities to hone in on their
unique strengths and minimise the cost of complexity. This
approach sharpens our focus, ramps up efficiency and elevates
performance, thereby ensuring we deliver seamlessly to our global
clientele across the entire gamut of our offerings – Design &
Engineering and Manufacturing Solutions.
Our long-run facilities are 100% geared towards process
optimisation and integrating advanced back-end automation,
thereby enhancing throughput and quality. On the other hand,
our medium-run facilities are tasked with increasing their agility,
efficiently managing changeovers between runs and developing
flexible automation systems to ensure continuity and productivity.
The first region where we have completed the factory specialisation
is EMEA, where the strategy is delivering the expected results.
The next region we are addressing is the USA, albeit with different
dynamics, where the focus will allow us to build a winning model.
We are keen to shape Carclo into an engaging organisation with high
energy drive, committed to high-quality execution, when precision
matters. To be ready to meet the evolving demands of our
customers and the marketplace, our strategy includes diversifying
our portfolio whilst aiming for steady top-line growth.
We are committed to fortifying our balance sheet and decreasing
our debt, with an emphasis on cash generation, prudent
management of working capital and enhancing equipment
utilisation. We are channelling our capital investments towards
measures that improve safety, efficiency, yield, and quality.
Through enhanced project flexibility, leveraging on our well invested
but underutilised machine park we will deliver growth.
When it comes to pricing, we are not racing to the bottom. Instead,
we are committed to delivering exceptional value, underpinned by
the high-quality and comprehensive support we offer.
Corporate governance
Financial statements
Additional information
Strategic report
10
Carclo plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2023