What does a successful transatlantic joint venture really take? For Mark Hyde and his team, it meant navigating red tape, bridging cultural gaps and unlocking real growth.
Brown & Holmes has spent nearly a century serving OEMs and Tier 1s like Rolls-Royce, JCB, Jaguar Land Rover and Mazak with bespoke workholding and subcontract machining services. Jergens Inc, based in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading US manufacturer of workholding, lifting and speciality fastener products shipped worldwide.
When the two firms connected, both saw a way to expand capability without overstretching resources. For Jergens, it meant creating a central hub to serve the UK and European markets with local manufacturing support rather than relying on remote resellers. For Brown & Holmes, it meant integrating a proven catalogue of standardised products into their bespoke service model.
The result was Manufacturing Productivity Solutions (MPS), a joint venture based at Brown & Homes’ Tamworth site. Speaking at Made in Group’s latest Monthly Meet-Up, Mark Hyde – Managing Director at MPS – shared what it took to get there.
Bureaucracy Moves at Its Own Pace
What stood out early on was how much of the real integration work had nothing to do with legal paperwork. “You can agree the legal terms on paper, but the real work is building trust and aligning how you operate day to day,” Mark said.
From shared engineering methods to how customer queries are handled, the early phase focused on functional alignment – ensuring the two companies could collaborate just as well on the shop floor as the top floor.
One of Mark’s clearest messages to others considering a joint venture is to expect bureaucracy and plan accordingly. Despite being ready to launch on October 1st, MPS didn’t receive its VAT number until mid-February due to delays in receiving a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR).
“Jergens ship everything via DHL. The moment something hits the UK border, customs ask for your VAT number, EORI, postponed VAT status – none of which you can get without the UTR,” Mark explained.
The team spent weeks chasing HRMC with little traction. Mark credits their accounting firm for pushing things forward but the lesson was clear: “However long you think these processes will take, double it. Engage local experts early and build administrative contingencies into your timeline.”
System Clash
One early operational issue was the clash between Imperial and metric systems. While most of the world operates in metric, Jergens, like most US firms, uses Imperial measurements.
“We all understand the conversions,” Mark explained. “But in high tolerance engineering, you’re not just swapping inches for millimetres, you’re potentially affecting fit, function and integrity.”
Jergens had to go back to the drawing board, literally, and develop metric-specific versions of components. This kind of operational friction isn’t rarely visible at boardroom level but it adds real complexity when you’re integrating teams, tooling and processes across borders.
It also reinforces the need to check assumptions – not just in strategy or culture, but in the fine details of systems and standards that shape day-to-day operations.
However, it also created opportunities to optimise. In some cases, both sides were over-tolerancing parts – not out of necessity, but habit. By re-evaluating each drawing collaboratively, the teams aligned tolerances to actual needs, reducing costs and improving efficiency.
What Success Looks Like
MPS is now fully operational, manufacturing Jergen’s components under licence and serving customers across the UK and Europe. The partnership has unlocked several tangible wins:
- Faster Lead Times: Local production and stockholding reduce dependency on overseas shipping.
- Product Development Gains: Legacy parts have been re-engineered with input from both teams, resulting in lower-cost and more manufacturable parts.
- Stronger Market Offer: Offering both standardised and bespoke solutions appeals to a wider customer base.
- High-Value Traction: Demand has come quickly – notably from Formula One manufacturers seeking high-spec workholding without transatlantic lead tines.
For those considering a joint venture, MPS shows what’s possible when you combine complimentary capabilities, commit to operational alignment and focus on delivering practical outcomes.
Six Tips for a Successful Joint Venture
- Build trust early – Contracts matter, but mutual understanding and shared goals are what drive real-world results.
- Map the operational workflow – Identify where systems differ before issues arise.
- Expect – and plan for – bureaucracy – Government processes will move slower than your business does. Start applications early and bring in experts.
- Question everything – Legacy processes and systems can all benefit from a second look.
- Invest in joint problem-solving – Use technical challenges to bring teams closer. Shared wins foster long-term collaboration.
- Think beyond the launch – Keep your focus on continuous improvement and long-term value.
“A joint venture can be a powerful growth strategy,” Mark concluded. “But it's not just about the legal structure, it's more about the people, the trust, and the shared vision to make the relationship work – on the ground, in day-to-day decisions.”
Lessons From the Discussion Group
Following Mark’s talk, fellow Made Members joined a roundtable discussion that dug deeper into the cultural and strategic dynamics behind the joint venture. Several key takeaways emerged for business leaders weighing JV models against other forms of collaboration.
Why not just subcontract?
Why go through the effort of a joint venture at all? For Brown & Holmes, the answer came down to product ownership and long-term capability. By partnering with Jergens, they gained access to a proven IP-protected product range.
The JV allowed Brown & Holmes to accelerate time-to-market, expand their portfolio with standard products, and deepen relationships with clients already using Jergens components – all without reinventing the wheel.
Cultural alignment over control
Instead of integrating software systems or monitoring workflows across borders, the two partners settled on a simple operating model: trust and deliver.
“They don’t want to micromanage,” Mark said. “They tell us what they need, when they need it, and we get it done.”
Don’t let legacy processes drive future cost
What begins as a one-off decision can easily become standard practice. In one case, parts were still being machined from round stock because that’s how it had always been done. Once challenged, the teams realised that switching to square would cut both material waste and machining time. A joint venture offers a rare opportunity to re-evaluate and improve legacy thinking on both sides.
A springboard for conversation
Has the JV delivered more than just incremental sales? Absolutely. MPS has become a new entry point for conservations the company might never have had – often beginning with standard products and leading to custom projects.
Internal alignment was equally important. Designers, engineers and sales teams had to understand how the new standard components could integrate into their workflows.
“People will keep doing what they’ve always done, unless you give them a reason to think differently,” Mark noted.
Join our Next Industry Meetup!
The opportunity to openly discuss challenges, opportunities and solutions is what makes the Made in Group’s Industry Meetups so invaluable.
During these captivating virtual events, industry experts, thought leaders, and professionals gather to share knowledge, insights and best practices.
The goal is to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and drive growth within the manufacturing community.
Each meetup, we feature three engaging talks from Made Members, focusing on best practices around key themes that shape the future of manufacturing, including Global Trade, People & Skills, Future Factories, and Sustainability.
Presentations are followed by interactive Discussion Groups. These virtual roundtables enable Members to exchange ideas and gain further insights on their chosen topic.
We look forward to seeing you at the next one:
Midlands SIGN UP
Yorkshire SIGN UP
*Header image courtesy of MPS & Jergens Inc