In December, Mark Allen – Sales Director at Mechatherm, was appointed President of the Aluminium Federation (ALFED). Here, Mark explains why cohesivity and collaboration across the industry is the key to protecting the future of UK aluminium.
Tell us a little more about your career to date – where did it start, what have the highlights been?
I joined Mechatherm in 1998 as a software graduate and, apart from a year out in 2011, I have worked with the company ever since.
Two major career highlights really stick out to me. The first came in 2015 when I implemented Mechatherm’s Service Division, designed to bring the conversation directly to customers. Initially, the division was given a revenue target of £250,000 which we were able to meet, and as the division continued to grow, so did our targets, yet we continued to exceed expectations. Today, the Division now brings in around £5 million per year.
The second highlight for me is joining the Mechatherm board in 2018. During the last three years or so, my team and I have worked collectively to implement a new direction for the business, focusing on the importance of differentiation from the rest of the market, rather than competing on price points and quality. This directive has proven instrumental in brand reputation and we’ve since seen four consecutive years of hitting sales targets, breaking some records along the way.
How have you seen the aluminium industry change over your career, and what are your predictions for 2024?
Perhaps one of the most notable and important changes we’ve seen is the increase in the number of domestic plants being forced to reduce workforce and capacity or even shut down entirely, alongside major talent shortages with fewer people entering the industry.
While the global outlook for aluminium is certainly optimistic on the whole – primarily because the industry will play such a crucial role in the world’s transition towards net zero – domestic aluminium is in fact at a critical juncture as it faces a new set of challenges brought on by global economic crises, but made worse by the domestic policy environment. In times of economic slowdown and political inertia, we are likely to see the smaller plants and businesses within the supply chain more vulnerable to risk and unable to compete with larger organisations on staffing or capacity.
The apparent lack of government interest in protecting, building and supporting production domestically only makes this worse because in many cases the UK cannot compete with international players like China or the heavily government supported, tax incentivised USA aluminium industry.
Why did you decide to take up the president role at ALFED, and what are you biggest takeaways so far?
It was during my time in Mechatherm’s Service division that I became actively involved in ALFED conferences and events. These meetings not only enabled myself and other members to foster valuable connections but also allowed me to learn about ALFED as an organisation and its work across the wider industry.
When I was presented the opportunity to become ALFED President, the prospect of shaking a few trees and building on outgoing President Mike Dines’ mission to make a positive impact across the industry made for an easy decision. ALFED has become a significant brand and has a great reputation across the wider industry to boot. However, we’re about to enter a period of change with new European legislation on carbon imports (CBAM), and with an increasingly international focus on carbon neutrality, ALFED needs to be willing to make bold decisions and stay at the forefront of this rapid global change. Myself and my team’s experience with Mechatherm, which is globally active in 36 countries is why I’d like to think I was asked to be president. ALFED hasn’t just taken on me alone, but with me comes a whole team of internationally experienced, growth-driven industry professionals with a singular goal to drive positive change .
Now with a full team deployed, we’re knocking on doors, asking the right questions and making noise. All this to ensure that as an organisation we’re doing everything we can to bolster our position as a common voice for the industry.
Can you give us an insight into ALFED’s key focuses for the year? Any initiatives/events that are helping to drive change?
Our overall aim is to bring our members together as a stronger, more united force. Despite the huge variety of business requirements across ALFED’s member base, the need for alignment is critical in securing the very best collective outcomes for all. To do this, we’ll continue to place the highest importance on listening to the concerns and needs of all our members, and we’ll be looking to both maximise the existing channels of communication and create a dedicated team to strengthen our collaboration.
Externally, one of our key focuses will be to use ALFED’s strong connections and reputation to lobby for bolstered support from the government. It’s critically important for us to use the resources available and make the most of what the team already has in place, but also to take it one step further – growing the member base, widening increasing revenue streams, maximising partnerships and most importantly driving the UK’s international competitiveness in an increasingly carbon emissions-driven global marketplace.
For more information about ALFED or to become a member, visit www.alfed.org.uk.
