New BPF President Elected

Mike Boswell, the Managing Director of Plastribution Ltd, has been elected as the new President of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) at the organisation's AGM held today. He succeeds Philip Watkins who has held the post since 2011. 

A BPF veteran, Mike has been a longstanding Chairman of the BPF's Polymer Distributors and Compounders Group and has served both on the BPF's Council and Strategy and Finance Committee. He has a broadly based experience of the industry and the Federation. He joined Plastribution as a Technical Sales Representative in 1988 and progressed up the ladder to his current position, becoming Managing Director in 2000.
 
He said 'I am both delighted and honoured to be elected to the Presidency of such a vital organisation for the UK plastics industry. The BPF has an extremely strong reputation nationally and internationally and I will be striving to ensure that plastics manufacturing in the UK will have an even more effective voice in the future and that the BPF's work continues to be of direct benefit to its rapidly growing membership'.
 
At its AGM the BPF also published a 'Progress Report' on the discussions and actions arising from President Watkins's strategic paper ,'The UK Plastics Industry: A Strategic Manufacturing Sector'. Paying tribute to Philip Watkins's initiative , Mike Boswell added  'We are immensely grateful to Philip for establishing a solid strategic platform for the industry. The Discussion Paper was unique in stating the case for plastics materials and products and the wider UK plastics industry itself '.
 
The BPF reported that the Paper had been used by BPF Members to invite some 20 MPs to their plants to see the industry first-hand. Headline meetings had been held with Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osbourne, Shadow Business Minister, Ian Wright, the Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Malcolm Harbour MEP, and CBI Director-General, John Cridland. Discussions were also held with financial institutions including RBS and Barclays.
 
The Progress Report documents the status of the key 'Messages for Government' laid out in the original Discussion document, essentially problems holding back the industry's development which government could help fix.
 
The results have been impressive.
 
The skills issue has now been fully embraced by the BPF with Philip Watkins being appointed to the COGENT Board.
 
On overseas business development, the BPF praised the changes underway in the organisation and presentation of UKTI and reported that the Federation has become a 'UKTI Trade Challenge Partner'.
 
To assist in securing stable supplies of essential raw materials the BPF is calling for the creation of an Office for Resource Management.
 
It says that experience during the year has reinforced the need for a light and rational approach towards legislation based on real experience. Exaggerated packaging recycling targets and the burdensome REACH Regulation were highlighted to support this point.
 
On Energy the BPF has been both prescient and aggressive in urging the Government to act with more rapid despatch to install replacement power generation capacity.
 
The uniqueness of the UK plastics industry has been recognised by an invitation to the BPF to mount an exhibition in the foyer of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills in the week commencing 22nd July which will be visited by Minister Michael Fallon.
 
On the industry's image and the effect this can have on buying behaviour and attitudes to employment in the sector, the BPF said it welcomed the messages of support from Ministers. A personal message from Secretary of State Vince Cable on the occasion of the BPF's 80th Anniversary , in DVD format, had been received by the Federation and was played to the AGM. In this it is clear that the Secretary of State fully appreciates the role of plastics in the manufacturing economy.
 
Innovation is to the fore in the BPF's thinking and it is taking initiatives to increase collaboration between UK Universities involved in polymers and related R&D.
 
Whilst access to finance is not raised as a major issue of concern within the BPF, the Federation is welcoming the creation of a 'one stop shop' for all governmental financial aid but is asking the Government to clarify in much starker terms the precise role of the Business Bank which is at an advanced planning stage
 
ENDS
 
For further information please contact: Philip Law on 0207 457 5000
 
Philip Law | Public & Industrial Affairs Director| British Plastics Federation
Phone: +44 (0)20 7457 5000 | Fax: +44 (0)20 7457 5045 | BPF House, 6 Bath Place, Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3JE
Email: [email protected] | Web: http://www.bpf.co.uk
 
Company Registration No. 282883
 
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