Northumberland-headquartered Merit, the UK’s leading industrialised construction and digital manufacturing specialist, has appointed Steve Smith to the role of Manufacturing Director. The news comes after the offsite pioneer recently completed its 44,000sqft Cramlington-based factory expansion.
Merit’s strategic aim is to deliver a disruptive step change in construction productivity. Focusing on driving forward innovation, encouraging new ideas and further optimising its way of working, Merit aims to deliver groundbreaking solutions that better serve and meet the needs of its customers. As Manufacturing Director, Steve will play an integral role in this journey.
Having been with the business for 20 years, Steve has held senior roles spanning project management, commercial, tenders and will progress from his current role of Estimating and Technical Procurement Director. Now overseeing Merit’s manufacturing strategy, Steve will be responsible for integrating automation initiatives into daily processes and will continue to drive productivity and efficiency within the business.
Tony Wells, CEO at Merit, commented: “I am delighted to appoint Steve into his new role as Manufacturing Director – this role is testament to Merit’s commitment to being a pioneer in its field, delivering high-quality offsite manufactured solutions that cannot be matched elsewhere.
“As we look to the future, Merit will further integrate industry 4.0 technologies and automation at pace and scale, Steve will play a key part in implementing this change.”
Steve Smith, Manufacturing Director, said: “Embracing innovation and driving the future of construction is not just a vision; it’s our commitment. As Manufacturing Director at Merit, I am honoured to lead a team dedicated to revolutionising the industry. Together, we will build a brighter, more efficient tomorrow for our customers and the world of construction.”
A well respected and trusted expert in its field, Merit delivers high-quality, zero Scope 1 Carbon enabled facilities for the healthcare, biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. Merit’s specialised offsite solutions deliver enormous advantages in terms of speed, and cost-time savings, promising to deliver in a third of a time when compared to traditional methods of construction.
Recent contract wins include Moderna’s new clinical biomarker laboratory project in Harwell, Oxfordshire, the construction of the new £35m Berwick Hospital with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust, and Solihull Hospital’s state-of-the-art Elective Hub (Operating Theatre Block).