The Retford-based Icon Polymer Group is a remarkable success story in the world of manufacturing and is now enjoying strong growth and healthy operating profits Group Financial Director Shaun Finn said: “Our financial performance is a great accomplishment when we are benchmarked against any manufacturing company, especially when it is reported that more than 50 per cent of companies in the rubber industry operate at or near a loss.”

Managing Director Tim Pryce puts the group’s success down to a “passion for performance, listening to our customers and delivering on their needs”. He said: “Every day we bring about change to improve our performance in all functions of the business – sales to customer payment and production to enhancing the use of business systems.”

Icon Polymer boasts some of the oldest brands in the industry, including the Northern Rubber Company and Silentbloc, both of which are recognised across the globe. Over the last 18 months, following the acquisition of Silvertown, the company has implemented a range of changes that have brought about major productivity gains throughout operations and has spent a tremendous amount of time with its customers and suppliers. “As a result we have understood and brought value to our customers where and when they needed it,” said Pryce. “Icon has a strong commitment to listening to customers, to understand their current and future requirements.”

The key to the Group’s growth has been the discipline of execution of plans, of holding individuals accountable, of meeting its commitments and the expectation that poor performance is unacceptable. “That especially includes my performance and that of my colleagues”, said Pryce, whose team have relished the challenge of leading an organisation with a long pedigree to world class performance levels.

Group Operations Director Mick Tolliday said: “As well as being passionate about performance, we also have a passion for allowing people to develop their own part of the business. If someone has an idea for how we can do something better, or faster, or more efficiently or just differently, we take their suggestion seriously. We openly encourage our people to challenge the norm to help us to drive the business forward.”

Plans for the future include continuing to develop customer relationships still further by providing fast and innovation solutions and strengthening the already-strong export and import links with Asia.

“There are a lot of opportunities for us,” said Tim Pryce. “We have still got many challenges ahead but we see them as opportunities.”