With crisis plans and cuts, British bosses brace for Brexit

Above a factory floor of machines carving metal to within a millionth of a meter, Stephen Cheetham is preparing his company for the unknown: a British exit from the European Union. Since the government announced a referendum on Britain's future in Europe, Cheetham has deferred investment decisions, put off expensive hiring and even bought equipment with his own money to avoid straining the balance sheet. The aim is to prepare his company, which makes parts for first-class airline seats and intri