Big Bear Plastic Products Limited

Big Bear presents Josh Dobson from the University of Warwick with the nose cone for their exciting Submarine project.

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 21/04/2016

For the third year running, a team of Masters-level students from a wide variety of engineering disciplines have taken on the challenge of designing and building a human powered submarine to compete in the 2016 International Submarine Race. Teams will be judged on the merit of their design, manufacture and lessons learned as well as awards for outright speed, agility and innovation. 2016 marks the third year that Warwick Sub have entered the race, and the second year running that Big Bear have sponsored and manufactured the nose cone, which last year achieved special mention thanks to the clarity of the moulding.

Both nose cones were moulded on one of Big Bears rotary vacuum-forming machines using clear 8mm polycarbonate sheet.

Big Bear Plastic Products stays open to support customers

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 14/04/2020

Worcestershire based company Big Bear Plastic Products has decided to keep their doors open to support customers who require their supply of components. They are also supporting the fight against COVID-19.

Big Bear specialises in the design, development, prototyping and production of large and medium-sized thermoformed parts in single-sheet, twin-sheet and compression moulding technology.

Due to the current virus pandemic, many manufacturing firms have been forced to close. However, others have decided to stay open as key counterparts in the supply chain and to help support the sectors at the front line dealing with COVID-19.

Emma Hockley, Sales Director at Big Bear, said:

“Many of our customers have unfortunately been forced to shut down temporarily, and like so many other businesses, we have therefore needed to furlough an appropriate level of our office staff and manufacturing operatives.

Despite this, we remain very much operational with a core team who are working hard to provide a continuous service to those customers who still need our support. Parts continue to be manufactured, assembled and dispatched in line with customer requirements. The remaining team on site are adhering to current social distancing guidelines to ensure they can work safely.”

As well as supplying customers who remain open, the manufacturing firm is supporting organisations at the frontline of dealing with COVID-19. Alongside fast-tracking new, lightweight components for supermarket delivery vehicles, which are in high demand now, the company are working to provide components for temporary body storage solutions – sadly a requirement which has also rapidly increased in recent weeks.

Big Bear is exploring further opportunities to assist with a development project underway for key PPE. The company is also pleased to be partnering with RDM Group, another important Midlands company, in developing a new, cost-effective ventilator to meet the COVID-19 challenge.

Get in touch with Big Bear today by heading to their microsite: https://bigbearplastics.madeinthemidlands.com/

Big Bear Plastics appoint Emma Hockley as new Sales Manager

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 11/07/2016

Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd is pleased to announce the appointment of Emma Hockley to the position of Sales Manager.

Emma takes over the role from Jeremy Marshall, who has left Big Bear to pursue his own business activities.

Emma has been with Big Bear for over two years, and will head up the Commercial Team, working alongside Joe Foster, Technical Sales and Richard Reilly, Sales Executive.

Big Bears Director Mark Lingwood said We are delighted to promote Emma to the position of Sales Manager and we are confident that she is the right person to move the business forward.

Download Press Release

Big Bear help hair stylists get back to work with a Handy Screen

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 28/05/2020

Big Bear Plastic Products has designed and manufactured a protective screen especially for use in hair salons, to assist with a safe return to work for both customers and stylists.

Representing 11,000 salons across the UK, The Hair and Barber Council says politicians are taking too long to give salons permission to open. Salons have been closed since 24th March and many are now ready to open for 15th June.

However, with social distancing measures still very prominent, salons are having to implement these measures in the workplace.

Big Bear Plastics stepped up to the challenge when a client required a divider they could move around easily, something they could sweep under, and that looked good enough for a retail environment.

The screen, consisting of a lightweight, powder-coated steel frame, with a transparent plastic panel on wheels, creates a partition between the clients whilst they are seated at the individual styling stations.

The base of the screen has been specifically designed to minimise any potential trip hazard to the client or stylist, with a wider base at the front for stability and a narrow base at the back.

This effective partition screen can be used as the customer requires, with bespoke sizes available. The screens can also be customised with a logo or image and used in any venue where screening is required, such as cafes and gyms.

Find out more about this product by contacting Big Bear Plastic Products Limited https://bigbearplastics.madeinthemidlands.com/ or please contact Emma Hockley emmah@big-bear.co.uk 0771 279 2124 or visit www.handyscreen.co.uk

Time for a New Nose

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 22/03/2016

Big Bear is delighted to be supporting the senior engineering students from the University of Warwick again this year with their exciting project to design and manufacture a submarine for an international race in the USA.

Following the success of last years submarine team, Big Bear has been invited to manufacture the nose cone of the vessel for a second year running.

The final touches are being made to the design and the submarine should be ready to race in a few weeks! We look forward to sharing photos of the finished submarine.

Good luck to the team!

THERMOFORMING EXPERTS HELP STUDENTS SINK TO NEW DEPTHS

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 01/06/2015

Droitwich-based thermoformed parts manufacturers Big Bear Plastics Products ltd have used their expertise to help a team of students in the 2015 International Submarine Race.

Big Bear was approached by the Warwick Sub team to manufacture the nose cone of their Submarine, which will be entered into the international race in America in June 2015.

A team of 8 Masters-level students from a wide variety of engineering disciplines have taken on the challenge of designing and building a human powered submarine to compete in the 2015 International Submarine Race (ISR).

The ISR will take place in Maryland, USA from 22nd - 26th June 2015, with teams entering from across Europe, Asia and America. Teams will be judged on the merit of their design, manufacture and lessons learned as well as awards for outright speed, agility & innovation.

2015 marks the second year that Warwick Sub have entered the race, with last year's competition entry coming fourth in the world and second in the UK, attributable to the robustness of their design.

The nose cone, sponsored and manufactured by Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd, was moulded on one of Big Bears rotary vacuum-forming machines using clear polycarbonate sheet.

Big Bears General Manager, Mark Lingwood, said: We are delighted to be supporting these talented young engineers. Big Bear felt it was important to encourage the students and lend our advice and expertise to this very exciting project.

Warwick Sub Project Leader, Richard Freeman, said: On behalf of the Warwick Sub team I would like to thank Big Bear ever so much for all the work that you have done in manufacturing the nosecones for us. We are extremely happy with the final result (especially the transparency) and we can't thank you enough for orchestrating things in order to get them done in advance of our shipping date.

For further enquiries regarding Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd, please email Emma Hockley: emmah@big-bear.co.uk.

For further enquiries regarding Warwick Sub please email: warwicksub@eng.warwick.ac.uk or contact project leader Richard Freeman directly at r.a.freeman@warwick.ac.uk

Big Bear supply lightweight taxi parts for Penso

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 20/06/2016

Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd are delighted to manufacture the majority of interior trim parts on the new Mercedes-Benz Euro 6 Vito Taxi.

Launched at the Private Hire and Taxi Show in Milton Keynes, the new Euro 6 is set to revolutionise the performance and efficiency of the black cab.

Big Bear are one of the largest suppliers of interior components to the UK taxi market, and have been deeply involved with the design and development of parts for the next generation of hybrid taxis using lightweight materials.

Based in Droitwich, Worcestershire, Big Bear have a large, modern factory and employ around 90 people. They have an excellent reputation for supplying high quality parts on time.

With regards to the Euro 6, Big Bear supplied a variety of the parts, including: Taxi meter moulding and glazing header, front division panel, central console, luggage floor and document tray. Big Bear also supplied the centre console bin insert, rear division panel, occasional seat backs, heel board and the rear quarter panels and seat belt adjuster blanks.

The manufacturers of the Euro 6, Penso have developed into one of the UKs fastest growing manufacturers, employing more than 200 people at the start of 2015.

Focusing on British design and engineering capabilities, Penso invest significantly in creating new lightweight solutions for the automotive, aerospace, defence and rail sectors.

Penso have an impressive track record of working with some of the biggest names in industry, such as BAE Systems in Defence, Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley, Spyker, Ford and Mercedes Benz in the automotive sector.

BIG BEAR APPOINTS NEW SALES MANAGER

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 13/01/2021

Big Bear is delighted to announce the appointment of Andy Hinsley to the position of Sales Manager.

Andy brings a wealth of experience, with over twenty years in Technical and Engineering Sales within the plastics moulding industry. His last role was with Kydex materials, where he was responsible for the sales growth of 14 European countries.

Andy also previously worked for Big Bear 12 years ago, so he is familiar with Big Bear systems, processes and capabilities, although he was pleased to discover that there have been a lot of developments since then!

Emma Hockley, Managing Director, Big Bear said “We are so pleased to welcome Andy back to the Big Bear team. It is great having him back with so much more experience and contacts – we are really looking forward to working together and for him to promote our new materials and technologies.”

Andy said, “I’m really excited at how the manufacturing facility has evolved to include, amongst other things, Compression Moulding, Water Jet Cutting and our own Assembly Studio. I’d like to thank everyone at Big Bear for making me feel like I’ve come home.”

For further information, please contact Emma Hockley, emmah@big-bear.co.uk or Andy Hinsley, andyh@big-bear.co.uk

New Era for Big Bear as Emma Hockley is Appointed Managing Director

Big Bear Plastic Products Limited — 05/02/2021

Plastics moulding specialist Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd has recently announced the appointment of former Sales and Marketing Director, Emma Hockley, as Managing Director.

Emma Hockley was officially announced as Managing Director of Big Bear in September 2020, as part of a company-wide restructure. Since taking on the role, Emma has been developing a new strategy to shape the future of the business. A key focus of this is internal communications, designed to reassure staff and give them more insight into how the company is performing on a day to day basis, and to this end Emma has launched a new company monthly newsletter, and hosted the first of what will be will a quarterly business update to the entire staff.

“It’s important that our employees know how the business is performing, and where our successes and our challenges lie, so they have more visibility of what their contribution means to the business as a whole. I think that the feeling of being part of a wider team is good for morale and drives you to want the company to succeed.”

Big Bear is owned by Emma’s father, Gerald Bloom, and her appointment as Managing Director has shown a path for the long-term future of the company and given a clear succession plan.

“Becoming head of the business in 2020 was definitely a good learning experience!” says Emma. “We managed to remain open throughout all of the lockdown periods and overall we ended the year with a positive result. We are now looking forward to all of the new projects and developments we have planned for 2021.”

The opportunity for Emma to become Managing Director came about after being Sales and Marketing Manager, and then Sales Director, at the business for over 5 years. Although not from a manufacturing background herself (previously she headed up Buying & Marketing for Perfumery & Cosmetics at Harrods), Emma had the opportunity to work and interact with all functions of the business to understand how departments work together to achieve the company’s goals. For Emma, this is what drove her passion for the business and helped to grow the sales side.

In terms of what Emma has learned since working in the manufacturing industry and what advice she would offer to others looking to progress in their roles, Emma said:

“In manufacturing there is always something unexpected to deal with but ultimately you have to get good quality parts out of the door on time. Your success depends on your customer’s success, and strong partnerships with both customers and suppliers are critical. I have also learned to push that little bit harder when I get a “no” – because quite often you can turn it into a “yes”.

“As for advice, I will share what my boss used to say to me which was “…make your boss look good!” Having a strong team around you means that you can do your own job to the absolute best of your ability. So bring lots of energy, smile, and enjoy the challenge of what you are doing.”