Last month. we had the great opportunity to conduct an in-depth interview with Dave Dalton, Chief Executive of the British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation on a range of topics from the importance of his organisation to the Glass Industry, market trends, innovation and sustainability through to importance celebrating talent and achievements within the Glass industry, as well as relationships with Government, other organisations, the Glass Sellers and
City of London Livery movement.
We are publishing the interview in two parts given the depth of insight and opinion Dave shared with us. Within Part 1 of the interview, we explore the purpose and importance of British Glass organisation to the UK Glass Industry, its relationships with members, political and other trade bodies, as well as Dave’s thoughts on industry and market trends.
Profile
Dave is a research chemist with 44 years of experience in the glass industry. He led research at the British Glass Industries Research Association in Sheffield from the 1980’s before taking the political lead at BGMC 15 years ago. He is a passionate advocate of glass technology and supporter of research & development and most recently has chaired the EIUG, the political body representing energy-intensive industries in front of the government in the UK. He leads on guiding like-minded sectors including steel, chemicals, paper, ceramics and cement, alongside glass in guiding policy development in government to support carbon reduction and innovation investments to help position the UK at the vanguard of future global manufacturing. Dave is also a Liveryman with the Glass Sellers Livery
Company.
As CEO of British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation, how do you describe its aims and benefits for its members, the Glass Industry and UK economy?
The main aim of BGMC is to provide an environment under which the UK glass manufacturing sector ad its supply chain are able to operate and trade in a supportive structure, listen to by government and not adversely legislated against, particularly by unintentional measures aimed at problems founded outside of glass, , but where glass can
become collateral damage. By successfully highlight the benefits to the economy derived from a successfully productive sector, we service our members, the wider supply-chain and sustain jobs and a healthy contribution to UK GDP.
How would you summarise the strategic objectives of British Glass?
Sustain and grow current and future glass manufacture in the UK, promoting the benefits of glass in all of its uses, demonstrating its contribution to health, society, technology, medicine, construction, transport, research and all whilst contributing to innovation and the economy.
To defend glass manufacture and use against burgeoning legislation, particular in transition to fossil-fuel free production, ensuring we survive and thrive through and beyond to provide the fundamental material at the centre of a future circular economy.
Make sure glass competes on an level playing-field with other material and succeeds in the marketplace: particular continuing in the UK where carbon-leakage of such industries has been, and still is under threat from less than well-reason policy events
Why are Trade Associations such as British Glass still relevant today especially for the Glass Industry in the UK?
With the almost exponent growth of rules and regulations, broad-based policy evolution, the inevitable siloed provision of legislation designed for other materials and products inadvertently capturing glass in its wake, never has it been more important that sectors have knowledgeable bodies suitable equipped to argue their case and reshape policy to allow their continued success here in the UK.
British Glass membership represents multiple areas across supply chain, how beneficial is it to have such a wide range of perspectives from glass industry representatives?
This can be both a blessing and a curse. The ‘weight’ of lobby is obviously great improved by mobilizing larger elements of the supply-chain, but often legislation is more focused and this results in those that benefit and those that suffer. With member interests often compromised by these more specific problems it can be very difficult to find consensus. It is usually possible to determine a position from which we can lobby, but sometimes this is lacking the ferocity it might have for a smaller element of the sector and so is less effective than it could have been.
The very nature of a full-range supply chain representation determines that compromise is quite often the outcome of our plenary meetings, and yet we always find a way to hold our adversaries’ feet to the fire.
With multi-national ownership of glass manufacturing companies and global supply chains, how important are the relationships and presence British Glass has established with legislative and trade bodies in Europe and around the globe?
Post Brexit this is a very different environment with constant and dynamic tension which can be very difficult to navigate. For instance, I sit on the Executive of Glass Alliance Europe, and most of my members have plant in both UK and mainland Europe. I do however have to contribute to emerging position in EU around trade and trade defence, where the UK in essential a potential competitor and though sharing similar views and technical positions, we do have to be careful not to compromise UK positions when contributing to EU policy- making. Conversely we also have to be cognisant of exposing EU elements of UK members as they are also cited as potential threat when navigating our own positions with UK government. – Sometime a minefield
Considering British Glass’ relationships with other UK glass bodies such as Glass Futures, Glass & Glazing Federation and the Society of Glass Technology, how important is collaboration to the UK glass sector achieving its goals?
In an ideal world each of these entities has a clear and well-bounded position to play and the overlap should be minimal. In practice that is not always an easy situation to establish, and by default entities like GGF and BG have a natural level of overlap. Historical with less well developed relationships this has been problematical from time to time, but much has been done in resent years to improve both relationships and communications so that we now
ostensibly collaborate and usual share the load quite effectively support each other as far as we are able.
In the realms of technical development and innovation, obviously GFL was a product of BG desires to have a large-scale and very visible outlet to demonstrate our will to decarbonise, grow our technical capabilities in manufacture, further our competitiveness with other materials and technologies and to provide training and development of the next generation of, engineers, technicians, technologists and managers to service our sector appropriately into the future. This has always been easy as investment is tight and the sector is limited in budget. The hope is that a balance can be determined to best fit the needs of the sector whilst sustain the range of providers currently servicing it.
How would you describe the current prevailing market conditions for the UK glass industry and how do you anticipate it to evolve over the next years? How does this compare to Europe and globally?
The current market situation for glass manufacture in the UK is very similar to other foundation industry players and similarly in the wider EU. In essence we are significant down on previous years and the desired norm, and with a supressed economy and global factors beyond our control, the immediate outlook is not great. Construction projects are behind the desired curve as investment is down and speculation is not as high as we would like in investment new projects. Container glass is fighting both competing materials and imports brought on by relaxing boarder tariffs and further burdening packaging with taxation along the journey to decarbonise. This against a backdrop of failed government investment in infrastructure to enable transitioning.
The immediate future remains difficult and so BG’s job is harder still fighting on numerous simultaneous fronts to shape a future from which we can regrow and strengthen our objective to be that material at the centre of a future circular economy.
What are the main challenges British Glass members and the UK Glass Sector are facing into today and how is British Glass supporting them?
With a new government finding its feet, fighting hard to get residual legislation currently in transit from the previous administration off the stock and into statute, new inexperienced MPs. Ministers and SoS’s all growing against a backdrop of global macro-politics with Russia/Ukraine, Isreal/Palestine and a global lobby from the concern citizen from climate action now, it is really difficult as a single voice amongst so many ailing from similar problems, to be heard. The idea of a properly joined-up Industrial Strategy, currently in debate could be the make or make moment and BG is engrossed in the process of educating and supporting a new body of parliamentarian in the skill and ct=raft they will need to emerge from this stronger and better placed to grow the economy and all of the new green business and technology dream with the fundamental building block such as glass manufacture.
Over the next 5 years. what are the main disruptive opportunities you believe your members and the Glass Sector need to embrace to survive and thrive?
Driving the revolution very quickly in installation and adoption of new melting technologies with green credential and economic validity. Managing the transition to our future ambitions very closely and very carefully and keeping the visibility and profile of glass very high in front of policy-makers.
In the long term, how important will British Glass’ contribution be to ensure the UK continues to represent a cost-effective hub for glass production?
Crucial. No member has the resource or profile to defend this alone. Only BG has the experience, connectivity, technical knowhow, exposure and visibility to those developing the future environment to interface effectively and share the comprehensive understanding we have developed to shape a positive and progressive future for UK manufacturing.
-o0o-
Trust you have enjoyed reading Part 1 of the interview with Dave and the insights he shared as to the purpose of British Glass, his view on industry trends and importance industry and political collaborations on the future of the British Glass Industry.
In Part 2 of the interview with Dave, we will explore Innovation, Sustainability, Glass Focus Awards and the continuing association with the City of London and Glass Sellers Livery Company.
Again many thanks to Dave for taking the time to share his opinion and insights with us. The Glass Sellers will be arranging further Clearly Connected Interviews with leading figures in the UK Glass Industry and Artisan community.
Authors: Glass Committee Chair Liveryman Brian Scott-Picton and Glass Committee Member & Liveryman Dave Fordham
