The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Jointine Products (Lincoln) Ltd is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.
Jointine Products (Lincoln) Ltd
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
42 | JOINTINE PRODUCTS (LINCOLN) LTD
Managing Director Jane Smith
FLEXOID gasket paper is internationally recognised
as the leading product on the market
Lincolnshire-based Jointine Products manufactures and
distributes a variety of quality paper gasket materials in
rolls. According to Managing Director Jane Smith, Jointine
is the only firm of its kind in the UK – and one of just a handful
across the entire planet. Jointine’s highly-specialised products,
however, are used across a variety of sectors, including the
automotive, railway, manufacturing and oil and gas industries.
Jane tells
TheParliamentary Review
that Jointine is an export-
driven firm, and elaborates on the difficulty of sending
productsoverseas.
We are a UK-based manufacturer creating highly specialised products. We
manufacture gasket paper materials, which we supply to various business areas.
We are global in our approach and are very much export driven, as more than 95
per cent of our output is destined for overseas markets.
Our manufacturing process
Our gasket products are made from raw materials which are mostly organic
in nature. We are classed as a paper converter as we transform kraft paper by
saturating it in a glue glycerine mix before drying it in a special manner. The
finished paper resembles leather, taking on a spongy texture which will compress,
then recover, and is resistant to fluids.
FACTS ABOUT
JOINTINE PRODUCTS
(LINCOLN) LTD
»Managing Director: Jane Smith
»Established in 1928
»Based in North Hykeham,
Lincolnshire
»Services: Manufacture of
gasket paper materials
»No. of employees: 15
Jointine Products
(Lincoln) Ltd
BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
42 | JOINTINE PRODUCTS (LINCOLN) LTD
Managing Director Jane Smith
FLEXOID gasket paper is internationally recognised
as the leading product on the market
Lincolnshire-based Jointine Products manufactures and
distributes a variety of quality paper gasket materials in
rolls. According to Managing Director Jane Smith, Jointine
is the only firm of its kind in the UK – and one of just a handful
across the entire planet. Jointine’s highly-specialised products,
however, are used across a variety of sectors, including the
automotive, railway, manufacturing and oil and gas industries.
Jane tells
TheParliamentary Review
that Jointine is an export-
driven firm, and elaborates on the difficulty of sending
productsoverseas.
We are a UK-based manufacturer creating highly specialised products. We
manufacture gasket paper materials, which we supply to various business areas.
We are global in our approach and are very much export driven, as more than 95
per cent of our output is destined for overseas markets.
Our manufacturing process
Our gasket products are made from raw materials which are mostly organic
in nature. We are classed as a paper converter as we transform kraft paper by
saturating it in a glue glycerine mix before drying it in a special manner. The
finished paper resembles leather, taking on a spongy texture which will compress,
then recover, and is resistant to fluids.
FACTS ABOUT
JOINTINE PRODUCTS
(LINCOLN) LTD
»Managing Director: Jane Smith
»Established in 1928
»Based in North Hykeham,
Lincolnshire
»Services: Manufacture of
gasket paper materials
»No. of employees: 15
Jointine Products
(Lincoln) Ltd
43JOINTINE PRODUCTS (LINCOLN) LTD |
INDUSTRY & PRODUCTION
At the end of their life, our paper gaskets
are biodegradable when removed so
our products have an advantage over
silicone and rubberised materials. Our
paper provides an ideal solution for
low-temperature applications, making
an excellent seal between parts which,
when bolted together, would otherwise
see liquids seep through.
As well as the manufacturing process,
we are involved in packing and
exporting, including raising our own
export documentation. We aim to
manage as much of the logistics
ourselves but stop short at having our
own fleet because our geographical
supply range is too diverse. Instead,
we partner with quality carriers who
we know will deliver on time, damage
free, and who will supply the right
proof of export.
A global reach
We are a very small, family-run business
with just 15 staff and we aim to delight
our customers with a quality product
and service. In spite of our size, we
send our material to more than 50
countries and ship more than 1,100
tonnes per year. There is competition
from manufacturers overseas, so
excellence is our driving factor and is
something that we instil in our staff
and suppliers. I am a graduate member
of the Institute of Export, having
achieved the highest overall grade
in the degree programme, while our
owner, Terry Coffey, is a chartered
chemist and Fellow of the Royal Society
of Chemistry. We strive to provide an
outstanding product and service that
will encourage the customer to come
back to us again and again. With
99.97 per cent of our turnover coming
from repeat orders, we consider quality
of product, processes and people to
beparamount.
We were first established in 1928 and
this means we operate in a very mature
market. Paper gasketing material
provides a very low-cost solution
compared to more complex products,
and this has contributed enormously
to our longevity. We continue to
explore new opportunities outside of
the automotive industry, including
promoting our products as a base for
water jet cutting, and for blanking off
areas during spray painting. We are also
mindful of our environmental impact
and we continue to look for ways to
save energy in the production process,
further our use of disposable packaging
materials, reduce waste, and undertake
production line modernisation. We are
always exploring new opportunities
forgrowth.
Jointine Products were
highly commended
for manufacturing
excellence in the recent
2019 Midlands Family
Business Awards
Work in progress in the
factory
We send our
material to more
than 50
countries and
ship more than
1,100 tonnes
per year
“
“
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
44 | JOINTINE PRODUCTS (LINCOLN) LTD
The difficulties of
international trade
International trade presents occasional
challenges such as language
differences, time zones, more
documentation and regulation, but it
brings about enormous opportunities
including economies of scale, especially
as a decline in one market is generally
offset by growth in another. Our UK
client base is small and had followed
the trend of outsourcing to cheaper
labour markets. Our business would
not exist without a successful export
strategy and, of course, you cannot
talk about exporting without talking
about Brexit.
Brexit presents an enormous challenge
to small businesses like ours, who must
dedicate the same amount of attention
and resources to keeping on top of the
changes as any large corporation does.
The process is hugely time consuming
and we are inundated with Export
Guidance, which is often out of date
before we have even had chance to
digest the meaning of it.
We have been successfully
manufacturing and exporting for
almost a century, and in doing so, we
have supported the local economy
and provided jobs and income for
three generations of families. We
would implore institutions such as
the Chamber of Commerce and the
Queen’s Awards to recognise the
contribution that businesses like ours
make to the economy. Sustained
growth in export is valuable of course,
but it would be great to recognise
longevity and stability as well.
We believe our future lies in leaner
manufacturing. We will continue
to explore new markets and look
for new opportunities and uses for
our products, but we must also
turn towards increased automation
and make use of new technologies,
such as the internet of things, which
will transform stock management,
production and the traceability of our
product all the way through to its
finaldestination.
Excellence is
our driving
factor, and
something
that we instil
in our staff
and suppliers
“
“
Managing Director Jane
Smith discusses Brexit
with Dr Liam Fox