MANUFACTURERS across Kent will soon be able to tap into a new dedicated service to help them become world-class.

The government-funded Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) will provide a direct route for manufacturing companies to best practice, help them get in touch with new sources of finance and business improvement initiatives and deliver services to increase productivity and boost profits.

EEF South, the regional engineering employers' association, has won the contract to run the MAS in the South East in its role as the Regional Centre for Manufacturing Excellence. The MAS(South East) is being supported by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) as a practical means of helping a key sector to the regional economy become world class. Currently, manufacturing contributes more than £17billion to the regional economy.

Mark Eaton, Head of the Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, estimates that up to three-quarters of the region's 21,000 manufacturing companies could do with some help.He claims that too many managers still focus on technology at the expense of the vital systems, processes and staff training that could make all the difference to the bottom line.

The MAS(South East) will place specialist advisors in Business Link offices across the region. A wide range of dedicated services will be provided, including hands-on advice, on-site, from experienced manufacturing professionals, telephone and e-mail inquiry service, help with bidding for finance and managing projects, free training materials to download from the web, a 'knowledge pool' to share regional and national expertise, events, and best practice research.

"The MAS(South East) will boast an experienced team of manufacturing advisors - people who believe in manufacturing industry, who are impartial and who can offer hands-on advice, not remote theory," said Mr Eaton.