Bristol-based Antifriction Components Ltd, which is owned by Italian industrial giant Bianchi Mondial, has outlined an ambitious scheme to increase their turnover to £26million by 2016.

As part of the UBBS’s Practice Weeks programme, which enables students to gain experience working on real projects with experienced practitioners, a team of MBA students were tasked with working up ideas to aid Antifriction in reaching their turnover target.

“By working with the University of Bedfordshire Business School, I was able to see how their students’ ideas could help grow Antifriction,” said Alan Horn, who serves on Antifriction’s Board of Directors.

“Antifriction was unsure of the direction to go in, with a lot of people within the company having good – but vastly different ideas.

“Following extensive market and competitor research the students provided Antifriction with original thoughts through analysis and outcomes developed without preconceived thoughts acquired through working in the business.

“One solution that stood out was to move our Bolton branch to Manchester, which has greater transport links to major cities such as Leeds through the M62.”

Mr Horn was speaking to an audience at the UBBS’s Real Business, Real Practice evening at the Postgraduate Centre at the Luton campus last week, where local and national businesses and organisations could find out how they could benefit from the work UBBS students already undertake with existing partners.

Team member Thomas Ojuderi, added: “To have been given the chance to apply the theory I have learnt at the University of Bedfordshire into practice, with a big national company like Antifriction, was a tremendous experience.

“The team featured students from different countries, cultures and backgrounds – and it was challenging at first to overcome such communications barriers and work as one.

“I was proud of the way the group grew in confidence and came up with innovative ideas to help expand Antifriction. The company seemed impressed.”

UBBS’s Executive Dean, Dr Gordon Mellor (pictured), concluded: “The audience were treated to an excellent video of UBBS’s work with Antifriction.

“It epitomised the work we do to ensure that Practice in all its expressions is central to every student’s experience at the Business school. We are committed to creating graduates fit for the future workforce – ready to make an impact in the organisations they join.”

Founded in 1976, Antifriction supplies bearings, gearboxes, lubricants and other components to manufacturers.

Photo (top, left to right): Alan Horn, Elizabeth Parkin (Head of Management and Business Department, UBBS), Tim Priestman (Projects Executive, UBBS) and Thomas Ojuderi taking part in Real Business, Real Practice Q&A session