Almost 50 of Britain’s top manufacturing companies have made it through to the finals of the UK’s largest and most rigorous industry awards programme: The Manufacturer MX Awards.
2019 has been a bumper year for The Manufacturer MX Awards entries with a significant number of new companies entering.
These include Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, Weetabix, and commercial printer Bluetree Group, alongside regular participants including Accolade Wines, Domino Printing Group and Tharsus.
All are vying to win 11 category awards and ultimately the coveted title of Manufacturer of the Year.
The shortlist represents the true diversity of UK manufacturing, ranging from smaller companies like filter and capacitator-maker MPE Ltd and Jotun Paints of Scunthorpe, to industrial instrumentation supplier Rototherm Group, and global aerospace manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems in Prestwick, Scotland.
As always competition has been high but this year the People & Skills, and Product Innovation & Design categories have been particularly competitive, with more than 30 entries in each.
Commenting on this year’s finalists, Robin Davies, Head of International and Sector Solutions, Santander UK, official banking partner to TMMX Awards said: “Our commitment to UK manufacturing and the wider sector remains strong in 2019.
“Once again, we’re proud to be supporting these tremendous awards at a time when despite the economic uncertainty, the success of the manufacturing industry is fundamentally important to UK economic growth. It’s incredibly rewarding to see such diversity and innovation in those companies who have made the shortlist. We wish them all good luck and look forward to celebrating with them in November at the awards.”
The finalists go through to the second round of the competition, in which judging teams travel the length and breadth of the UK to visit the factories, to gather first-hand evidence of their entries in action.
More than 50 site visits will take place from 9 – 20 September, with over 35 judges taking part. International Trade and Young Manufacturer of the Year finalists will be attending a judging day on 25 September.
Tune in to the action on social media with #TMMXAwards!
Judges include previous The Manufacturer MX Awards winners, Fellows from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), representatives from each of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centres (HVMC), leading academics and industry experts.
Dick Elsy CBE, Chief Executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, said: “As the go to place for advanced manufacturing in the UK, we are proud to be a judging partner for TMMX Awards. Awards like these recognise the innovation of manufacturers of all sizes and celebrate the boost that innovation brings to our economy. We wish all shortlisted companies the best of luck.”
The Manufacturer MX Awards are organised by The Manufacturer in partnership with IMechE. It is a matter of pride for both organisers that the experience provides real value to participants, above and beyond anything offered by similar awards schemes.
After each round of judging, every entrant is provided with feedback from judges, a particularly valuable feature during the second round, when judges visit entrants onsite.
Their expert assessment of what they discover during this detailed process has been described by previous entrants as a ‘free consultancy’ report, helping them benchmark themselves against the very best in the manufacturing sector.
Entry and judging are at no cost to the participants, and it could not be possible without the support of The Manufacturer MX Awards sponsors: Santander Corporate & Commercial; High Value Manufacturing Catapult; Autodesk; Capgemini; Check-6 International; Dassault Systèmes; RS Components; Sage, and drinks reception sponsor Cordant Engineering.
Commenting on this year’s programme, managing director of The Manufacturer, Grace Gilling said: “TMMX Awards is one of my favourite things we do at The Manufacturer and I am delighted that this year we have a real variety of companies taking part. Against a continued backdrop of uncertainty, it is fantastic to be showcasing excellence in UK manufacturing across many different disciplines and to have the enthusiastic support of our numerous sponsors.”
Dr Jenifer Baxter, Head of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said, “The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is delighted that we are continuing our partnership with TMMX Awards, which recognise excellence across UK manufacturing.
“Manufacturing is one of the major drivers of our economy and a sector where we see rapid innovation and technological advancement that requires engineers to keep up with this pace of change.
“Companies that put themselves forward for TMMX Awards will benefit from free benchmarking and professional advice based on an audit of their business.
“This type of advice will assist them in driving continual improvement within their businesses enabling them to thrive in competitive markets.”
The evening will be the culmination and highlight of Digital Manufacturing Week – attracting more than 800 attendees to celebrate the very best of British industry over a sumptuous three-course dinner with a very special guest speaker!
Book your tickets here
Congratulations to all the finalists!
Achieving Customer Value:
- 2 Sisters Food Group – Gunstones Bakery
- Domino Printing Sciences
- PolyGlobal
- Protolabs
- Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd
- TSP Engineering
International Trade:
- Domino Printing Sciences
- MPE Limited
- Niftylift Ltd
- PolyGlobal
- Protolabs
- Radwell International Ltd
- Rototherm Group
- Silverson Machines Limited
Leadership & Strategy – Sponsored by Capgemini:
- Accolade Wines
- AG Barr
- JJ Churchill Ltd
- Lintott Control Systems Limited
- Renishaw PLC
- Tharsus
Manufacturing in Action:
- Abbey Group
- AG Barr
- Airbus
- AJ & RG Barber
- G&J Distillers
- NP Aerospace
- Siemens Congleton
Operational Excellence – Sponsored by Sage Enterprise Management:
- Adelphi Group of Companies
- BMW (UK) Manufacturing Ltd
- Domino Printing Sciences
- IMI Precision Engineering Poole (Thompson Valves Ltd)
- Renishaw PLC
- Rototherm Group
- Weetabix
People & Skills – Sponsored by Check-6:
[Judges decided to split this category in to two separate awards]
SMEs:
- Bluetree Group
- Lander Automotive Ltd
- Lintott Control Systems Limited
- MPE Limited
- Sewtec
Larger companies:
- Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited
- Coca-Cola European Partners
- Domino Printing Sciences
- Essentra Components Ltd
- Jotun Paints (Europe) Ltd
- Spirit AeroSystems
Product Innovation & Design – Sponsored by Autodesk:
- Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
- BMW (UK) Manufacturing Ltd
- Bytronic Automation Ltd
- Domino Printing Sciences
- Niftylift Ltd
- Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd
Smart Factory – Sponsored by Dassault Systèmes:
- BAE Systems
- BMW (UK) Manufacturing Ltd
- Domino Printing Sciences
- GSK
- StairBox
Supply Chain Excellence – Sponsored by RS Components:
- BMW (UK ) Manufacturing Ltd
- Domino Printing Sciences
- Pitney Bowes
Sustainable Manufacturing:
- Accolade Wines
- BMW (UK) Manufacturing Ltd
- Crystal Doors
- Ibstock Brick Ltd
- Kingspan Insulation and Kingspan Insulated Panels
- pladis
Young Manufacturer of the Year:
- Francisco Neto, Adelphi Group of Companies
- Bharath Karumuri, Associated Dental Products Ltd
- Adam Taylor, First Step Designs
- Corrie Mayne, Honda UK Manufacturing
- Benjamin Briguglio, IMI Precision
- Sagar Depala, Jaguar Land Rover
- Gordon Steele, Spirit AeroSystems
- Calvin Wakeford, Tharsus
Entry and judging are at no cost to the participants, and it could not be possible without the support of The Manufacturer MX Awards sponsors: Santander Corporate & Commercial; High Value Manufacturing Catapult; Autodesk; Capgemini; Check-6 International; Dassault Systèmes; RS Components; Sage, and drinks reception sponsor Cordant Engineering.
The Manufacturer MX Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner is the culminating event and biggest celebration at the heart of Digital Manufacturing Week.
Digital Manufacturing Week is a series of events organised by The Manufacturer, taking place on 12 – 15 November in Liverpool, providing industry leaders with everything they need to drive their business forward in the digital era, and showcase the very best of industry on a public stage.
The four core events are: The Manufacturer MX Awards alongside Manufacturing Leaders’ Summit, Smart Factory Expo, and The Manufacturer Top 100.
There are dozens of additional satellite events taking place including Lean and Skills focused summits, networking breakfasts and dinners, and workshops.