Manufacturing Excellence awards shortlist announced

This year 13 companies making products as varied as potato boxes and batteries have come up on top

Companies making products as varied as seats, potato boxes and batteries are among those shortlisted for this year’s Manufacturing Excellence contest – the most successful industry awards programme in the UK.

The 13 companies have come up on top in the initial part of the process which entails an analysis of their in-depth self-assessments. In the next stage, assessors and moderators will be travelling around the country visiting the shortlisted companies. They will offer the firms practical advice, before deciding on the winners of each of the nine categories, as well as the best small firm and the overall award winner. 

The winning companies will receive their awards at a ceremony at the Dorchester in London in November. This year’s shortlisted companies are: 

1. Northampton-based vehicle seat manufacturer KAB Seating, shortlisted for the Lombard Award for Innovation in Products and Processes
2. Northumberland’s Draeger Safety UK, which makes life-saving equipment for a range of industry sectors, shortlisted in all nine categories
3. ScotAsh, of Fife, which makes sustainable construction products using by-products from power stations, shortlisted for the WMG Award for People Effectiveness
4. Luton’s SKF which makes rolling bearings and seals, shortlisted for the WMG Award for People Effectiveness, the Arup Award for Sustainable Manufacturing, and the ERA Foundation Award for Best Partnership with Education
5. Gainsborough-based potato and vegetable box maker H K Timbers, shortlisted for the Financial Management and Most Improved Company Awards
6. Southampton’s G & H Precision Engineering, shortlisted for the Customer Focus Award
7. Hertfordshire’s FFEI which makes inkjet products, printing software and 3D printing simulation, shortlisted for the Logistics and Operational Efficiency Award, the Business Development and Change Management Award, and the Financial Management Award
8. Toner cartridge and printer manufacturer Brother Industries, of Wrexham, shortlisted for the WMG People Effectiveness Award
9. Flooring manufacturer Altro, based in Letchworth, shortlisted for the Customer Focus Award and the Arup Award for Sustainable Manufacturing
10. Torquay’s Hymid Multi-Shot which provides injection-moulding solutions, shortlisted for the Business Development and Change Management Award
11. Accutronics, based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, specialising in developing technologies for “smart batteries,” shortlisted for the Customer Focus Award, the Lombard Award for Innovation in Products and Processes and the Financial Management Award
12. Stoke-on-Trent’s Building Adhesives provides a range of products for all tiling applications, shortlisted for the Arup Award for Sustainable Manufacturing
13. Bolton-based missile and defence systems maker MBDA, shortlisted for Customer Focus, Logistics and Operational Efficiency, the WMG Award for People Effectiveness, and the Arup Award for Sustainable Manufacturing.

The institution’s Manufacturing Excellence (MX) programme works with businesses, whatever their size or area of expertise, to help improve their processes and showcase their achievements. The full consultancy service received by firms that take part is worth as much as £20,000.

MX 2012 is run in partnership with the ERA Foundation, Lombard and WMG, sponsored by Arup and supported by the CBI.

• For more information, see: www.imeche.org/manufacturingexcellence