Midland Steel, the leading Irish force in steel reinforcement innovation, headquartered in Portlaoise, recently hosted over 150 business leaders and industry representatives for a landmark event, Driving Productivity and Efficiency – The Toyota Way, held at the company’s headquarters in Portlaoise.
In partnership with the Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing (ATIM) Cluster, the event brought global experts Paul Blahyj of Toyota Lean Management Centre; and Oliver Conger of British Rototherm Group to Portlaoise to share practical lessons in operational excellence. The Midland Steel facility was one of a number they visited.
The event was designed to guide organisations across a range of sectors in the adoption of proven lean strategies, as pioneered by Toyota. Central themes included empowering people, improving efficiency, and embedding continuous improvement practices.
Participants took part in Toyota-style GEMBA walks, an immersive experience where the cluster experts observed operations directly on the shop floor, engaged with teams, and identified best practice in real time. These sessions offered participants tangible insights into tackling rising costs, global pressures, and productivity challenges.
“The GEMBA walks and hands-on discussions are the type of practical, collaborative learning that manufacturing businesses need to stay competitive in today’s climate,” said Jonathan Jennings, Chief Commercial Officer, Midland Steel. “By bringing global expertise to local production, with the collaborative sharing of knowledge, we can accelerate our continuous improvement journey together.”
The event forms part of the ATIM Cluster’s wider commitment to supporting Irish industry by fostering collaboration, sharing expertise, and delivering innovative solutions to help companies adapt and thrive.
Founded in Mountmellick, Co. Laois, Midland Steel has grown into a leading international provider of steel reinforcement solutions, with operations across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. It is renowned for its commitment to innovation, quality and sustainability and continues to shape the future of construction by delivering smarter, safer and more efficient reinforcements systems.
Midland Steel recently announced the launch of its newest breakthrough product, FasterFix Ready Mesh, a pre-engineered, site ready, reinforcement system designed specifically to speed up housing completions in line with the Government’s Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) initiative. FasterFix Ready Mesh is poised to play a vital role in delivering faster and more efficient builds.