The last three years have been problematic for many reasons. Brexit and the Global Pandemic figured heavily in this period, but nobody forecast the resulting supply chain issues we all faced to some degree in 2022.
Staff turnover was at an all-time high. The U.K. was advertising 1.8 million job vacancies at one point. Paper and Board were in short supply. Unusually long lead times from the mills starved supply, and converters were left with several problems to solve, and customers were left without goods for an unreasonable length of time.
At Slater Harrison, we were not exempt from these trading conditions and worked tirelessly to mitigate the impact of these somewhat unprecedented circumstances, but ultimately were unable to meet the demands in Education, which remains a crucial sector, with an unusually compact peak period for demand.
Manufacturing is certain to throw challenges at us in future years, but our promise to our customers is to take control where we can, and lay down finished and intermediate stock and optimise our own capacity. Investment in further equipment is already underway. We opened up a third paper coater in Quarter Three of 2022, and a second scalloping machine for corrugated border rolls in quarter four. We have also invested in a new re-reeling machine for ten and fifty metre rolls, this was installed mid-March and is now fully operational.
At Slater Harrison our portfolio of educational products is increasing along with demand. As a result we’re stacking these high in the off season, preparing for a superb service level as we approach our busy periods. Rest assured, excellent service remains the key driver in this commitment, as we look forward to a stable 2023.