Toyota expertise comes to Ballymena as manufacturing leaders gather for landmark Lean Leadership Summit

Pictured at The Ecos Hub are: (l-r): Dwain Steele of Hampton Conservatories; Paul Blahyj of Toyota Lean Management Centre; David Greer, Operational Excellence Manager at Invest Northern Ireland; Simon McKee, Operational Excellence Coach, Invest NI; Mark Hutchinson, CEO of Hutchinson Engineering; Ryan Black, Director of Growth and Major Projects at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council; David Watson, Chair of the MTF Network and Julian Ball of the Toyota Lean Management Centre.

More than 90 manufacturing leaders from across Northern Ireland gathered in Ballymena this week as global experts from Toyota joined local industry champions for a major summit focused on boosting productivity, innovation and long-term competitiveness.

The inaugural MTF Network Lean Leadership Summit 2026, held at the Ecos Hub on Wednesday, June 17, brought together manufacturers, operational excellence specialists and business leaders to explore how lean principles can help companies improve performance, reduce waste and drive sustainable growth.

The event marked a significant milestone for the Making the Future (MTF) Network and highlighted Mid and East Antrim’s growing reputation as a centre of manufacturing excellence, with delegates hearing directly from experts behind one of the world’s most influential business systems.

Global expertise meets local manufacturing success

Eugenijus Stasiunas from Cranswick Country Foods wins the Minnesota Challenge as part of Paul Blahyj of Toyota Lean Management Centre’s session.

A key attraction of the summit was the involvement of the Toyota Lean Management Centre, with delegates hearing from Julian Ball, who shared insights into how the pioneers of the Toyota Production System continue to maintain a culture of continuous improvement across a global organisation.

Attendees also heard from Mark Hutchinson, Chief Executive of Hutchinson Engineering, who demonstrated how the same lean principles can be successfully applied within a local small-to-medium-sized manufacturing business.

The combination of international expertise and local experience provided manufacturers with practical examples of how lean thinking can deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, productivity and business performance.

Panel discussion explores real-world challenges

Delegates enjoying Ballymena’s First Lean Leadership Summit

The summit also featured a panel discussion chaired by David Greer, Operational Excellence Manager at Invest Northern Ireland.

Joining the discussion were Julian Ball and Paul Blahyj from the Toyota Lean Management Centre, alongside Dwain Steele of Hampton Conservatories and Simon McKee, Operational Excellence Coach at Invest NI.

The panel explored the challenges businesses face when implementing continuous improvement programmes and offered practical advice on securing leadership commitment, embedding lean thinking throughout organisations and creating cultures where improvement becomes part of everyday operations.

Rather than focusing solely on theory, speakers shared lessons learned from real manufacturing environments and discussed how companies can successfully translate lean principles into lasting operational improvements.

Factory-floor learning through Gemba Safari

The summit extended beyond the conference venue through a two-day ‘Gemba Safari’, giving lean specialists the opportunity to visit working manufacturing facilities across the borough.

Participating companies included Apeer Doors, Norbev, demanu, Moore Concrete and Hutchinson Engineering.

The visits enabled manufacturers to share best practice directly from the factory floor, providing practical demonstrations of lean methodologies in action and encouraging peer-to-peer learning among businesses operating in different sectors.

The approach reflected one of the MTF Network’s core principles — that manufacturers often learn most effectively from other manufacturers facing similar challenges and opportunities.

Manufacturing remains vital to Mid and East Antrim

Panel members and delegates at the end of the very engaging panel discussion chaired by David Greer, Operational Excellence Manager at Invest NI.

Speaking at the event, Ryan Black, Director of Growth and Major Projects at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, highlighted the sector’s importance to the local economy.

He said manufacturing remains “the backbone of the Mid and East Antrim economy”, supporting four in every ten jobs across the borough.

Mr Black said the summit demonstrated the strength of collaboration between global organisations such as Toyota and local manufacturers willing to share knowledge and experience.

He also pointed to major investments aimed at supporting future growth, including the £27 million i4C Innovation and Cleantech Centre and the iLab makerspace, both of which are intended to help ensure local businesses remain competitive for decades to come.

Building a stronger manufacturing network

MTF Network members during break

MTF Network Chair David Watson reflected on how the initiative has developed since its creation in 2018.

He said the network was founded on the belief that manufacturers learn best from one another and described the involvement of the Toyota Lean Management Centre and participating local companies as evidence of how far the initiative has progressed.

Mr Watson said the enthusiasm and openness shown throughout the summit highlighted the strength of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector and suggested the region’s lean improvement journey is still in its early stages.

David Greer of Invest NI said improving productivity and competitiveness remains essential for the long-term success of Northern Ireland manufacturing.

He said Invest NI’s Operational Excellence support helps businesses embed lean thinking at every level, while networks such as MTF provide valuable opportunities for companies to learn from one another and apply best practice directly within their operations.

Driving future growth

Established by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in 2018, the Making the Future Network was created to strengthen connections between industry, academia and government while supporting the development of the region’s manufacturing sector.

The network now forms part of a wider strategy aimed at increasing innovation, productivity and competitiveness across local industry.

That ambition is also reflected in the development of the £27 million i4C Innovation and Cleantech Centre at Ballymena’s St Patrick’s regeneration site, a flagship Belfast Region City Deal project that will include the iLab manufacturing makerspace and innovation laboratory.

With manufacturing continuing to account for a substantial share of employment across Mid and East Antrim, organisers believe initiatives such as the Lean Leadership Summit can help equip local businesses with the knowledge, skills and connections needed to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging global marketplace.