Thornaby, Thursday 5th June 2025: Power Plastics was proud to host a Teesside Defence Roundtable today in partnership with Make UK Defence, bringing together local defence manufacturers for a high-level discussion with James Cartlidge MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and Lord Dominic Johnson CBE the Co-Chair of The Conservative Party.
The wide-ranging and engaging discussion focused on the real-world challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the defence sector – particularly in securing government defence contracts. Attendees also raised concerns about the potential impact of proposed changes to Business Property Relief (BPR), a pressing concern for many family run businesses across the industry.
SMEs form the backbone of the UK’s defence supply chain: innovative, agile, and highly adaptable. A clear consensus emerged from the discussion: more direct engagement from government is needed to reduce the barriers that prevent SMEs from competing on a level playing field, with large Prime Contractors and overseas competition.
Participants also toured Power Plastics’ newest factory, gaining first-hand insight into a modern and innovative manufacturing operation located in Teesside, a region that is home to so many such businesses!
You can view a video of the event on Lord Johnson’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7336517185474883584/
