Twenty of the UK’s most efficient and innovative manufacturing companies will compete for the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2009, held in London this week.
Twenty of the UK’s most efficient and innovative manufacturing companies will compete for the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2009, held in London this week.
Organised and hosted by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the awards — now in their 27th year — recognise companies that have pioneered successful business improvement methods, demonstrated innovation in their manufacturing processes and dedication to clients, and remain highly prized by UK manufacturers.
This year’s shortlisted ‘Best British Businesses’ include ContiTech Beattie, Elster Metering, Hozelock, Leyland Trucks, JSC Rotational, Texecom, Gripple, 3M Health Care, SELEX GALILEO, ZF Lemforder UK, Agfa Graphics, Balcas Timber, Boss Design, Aquamarine Power, Greenbank Group, Randox Laboratories and Converteam.
The shortlisted candidates are competing for ten awards, including Best Product Innovation, Best Process Innovation, Best Financial Management, Best Customer Focus and Best Sustainable Manufacturing, among others.
Two further ‘premier’ awards are up for grabs, namely Best Overall Winner and Best SME, sponsored by The Manufacturing Advisory Service and the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing, respectively.
The awards, supported by a who’s who of global manufacturing and non-manufacturing corporations (including Arup, Autodesk, BP, ERIKS and Pricewaterhouse Coopers), are seen as being important in highlighting the success of British manufacturing advances, in spite of the economic downturn.
Of the awards’ recognition of innovation, Amina West, sales director for Autodesk, Northern Europe, said: ‘‘Innovation is today more than ever a key differentiator within UK manufacturing. Industry estimates suggest that the manufactured products that generate 70% of revenues today will be obsolete in three years.
‘‘This clearly demonstrates how critically important it is that manufacturing companies are able to design and engineer new and innovative products to replace existing systems and solutions’’.
The MX2009 Awards take place on Thursday June 25 at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
