Finalists announced for updated The Manufacturer MX Awards 2026

The 2026 finalists for The Manufacturer MX (TMMX) Awards – UK manufacturing’s most rigorous awards programme – have been announced. Representing the full breadth of the sector – from automotive to food and drink, and from ambitious SMEs to iconic global brands – the awards programme highlights the innovation, expertise, leadership and resilience at the heart of modern British industry, which continues to thrive despite a number of challenging headwinds. 

Delivered by The Manufacturer, in partnership with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), this year’s awards are the biggest and most comprehensive yet, as the programme has joined forces with The Manufacturer Top 100, bringing together individual and organisational recognition within one expanded and more powerful platform.  

This marks the creation of a truly comprehensive celebration of excellence in UK manufacturing, delivering a total of 15 different awards, including the coveted Manufacturer of the Year. By uniting the legacy of the Top 100 with the depth and rigour of TMMX Awards, The Manufacturer is creating a flagship programme that recognises not only world-class businesses, but also the exceptional people driving transformation within them.

The 57 finalists across the 15 categories will now progress through to the second round of the competition, when they will have the chance to impress the independent judging panels during an in-depth Q&A presentation. 

Full list of categories and finalists can be viewed at the bottom of this article. 

Speaking on the importance of the awards, Grace Gilling, Managing Director at The Manufacturer said: “A huge congratulations to all the finalists who have successfully progressed through the first round of judging. The calibre of entries this year demonstrates that manufacturing excellence isn’t standing still. Across the UK, we’re seeing businesses investing in people, technology and operational excellence, while continually raising the bar for what good looks like. TMMX Awards exist to recognise that progress and provide an independent benchmark for those striving to improve.

“We are incredibly grateful to every company that entered this year’s programme and proud of the role TMMX Awards plays in benchmarking, recognising and celebrating manufacturing excellence. Our mission is to help industry become more efficient, more sustainable and more competitive. The awards provide an important platform to showcase outstanding achievements, facilitate networking and knowledge sharing across the sector, and offer participants valuable, independent feedback through our robust peer-reviewed judging process.

“It is particularly encouraging to see returning organisations using the awards as part of their continuous improvement journey, alongside ambitious new entrants challenging themselves against the very best in the industry.

“A sincere thank you to our judging panel, sponsors and The Manufacturer team whose expertise and support make the programme possible. We wish all finalists the very best as they move into the next stage of the process and look forward to celebrating their achievements in the months ahead.”

It’s a real privilege to be part of this year’s panel. I judged the Commercial Team of the Year category – a big responsibility, given the calibre of the companies, the level of commercial performance and the strength of the entries. Reading these entries was inspiring. It’s a great reminder of the talent and drive across our sector. I can’t wait to meet the finalists in September, and hear more about the people behind these achievements.
Neo Chatyoka, CEO, Uhuru Botanicals – 2026 judge

Serving as a judge for the first time was a genuinely rewarding experience. The quality of entries far exceeded my expectations, and the open, honest scoring from all applicants was refreshing and real progress only comes from confronting the facts and presenting clean, data-driven answers. I’m looking forward to the finals round, where the judging panel can discuss applicant scoring in more detail. Huge thanks to all the companies who entered, and to The Manufacturer for the opportunity to be part of this great event – the experience I’ve gained so far has been brilliant.
Carl Milbourne, Group Operations Director, Sertec – 2026 judge

What an evening celebrating all things manufacturing. Thank you for holding the torch for UK manufacturing and making events like this happen.
David Reynolds, Head of Engineering Services, 2025 Manufacturer of the Year Enterprise Overall Winner, Siemens

There are very few platforms that truly celebrate the intricacies of production: the details, discipline and innovation that happen on the factory floor. The Manufacturer MX Awards does exactly that, shining a spotlight on where ideas are transformed into real products.  

It’s not just about recognition from the outside world; it’s about celebrating your team’s achievements. Entering these awards is a powerful way to acknowledge the resilience, creativity, and problem-solving that go into overcoming production challenges every single day. For us, it has been as much about giving our team a morale boost as it has been about benchmarking ourselves against the best in the industry.
Sid Sethi, Founder of Specscart, 2025 Smart Factory category finalist

The Manufacturer MX Awards Finalists 2026 

Business Awards – Headline Sponsor, Autodesk 

International Trade 

• Centriforce 
• Inciner8 
• LEDSnaps 
• LISI AEROSPACE (Blanc Aero Industries UK) 
• Siderise 
• Stead McAlpin 
• Tornado Wire 

Leadership & Strategy – Sponsor, Weightmans 

• Avire  
• Kendamil  
• Siderise  
• Siemens Congleton  
• Tornado Wire  
• WAGO 

Operational Excellence – Enterprise – Sponsor, Infor 

• Bacardi 
• Carlsberg-Britvic 
• Leyland Trucks 
• Pilgrim’s Europe Craigavon 
• Sertec 

Operational Excellence – SME 

• Dura Composites 
• Hyde Aero Products 
• LISI AEROSPACE (Blanc Aero Industries UK) 
• Optimal Manufacturing & Xometry 
• Pukka Pies 
• ROSS Pneumatrol 
• Tornado Wire 

People & Skills 

• Gestamp West Midlands 
• LISI AEROSPACE (Blanc Aero Industries UK) 
• Tornado Wire 

Product Innovation & Design 

• Built by Basil 
• Kendamil 
• Kingspan Insulated Products 
• Paralloy Group 
• Protolabs 
• Sensio Lighting 
• Spinks 

Smart Factory 

• Amtico  
• Bacardi  
• LISI AEROSPACE (Blanc Aero Industries UK)  
• Prime Sash Windows powered by Joinery Core  
• Pukka Pies 

Sustainable Manufacturing 

• AstraZeneca  
• Encirc  
• Tornado Wire  
• Warburtons 

People Awards 

Commercial Team of the Year 

• Evtec Automotive  
• LISI AEROSPACE (Blanc Aero Industries UK) 
• Tornado Wire  
• LTi Metaltech 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Champion 

• GirlsGoneSTEM  
• Jane Billson, Evtec Automotive  
• Kirstie Kennedy, LISI AEROSPACE (Blanc Aero Industries UK)  
• Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, AviateHer 

Inspiring Leader 

• Kevin Hubbard, Evtec Automotive  
• Mark Capell, LISI AEROSPACE (Blanc Aero Industries UK)  
• Nigel Paine, Carlsberg Britvic  
• Rebecca Galley, Tornado Wire  
• Richard Hodson, Costa Coffee 

Sustainability Champion 

• David Oriazowan, Convatec  
• Fiacre O’Donnell, Encirc  
• Steve Sadler, Sertec 

Technology Champion 

• Michael White, Amtico  
• Tom Stonier, ROSS Pneumatrol  
• Vaikunth Guruswamy, ZOT Engineering 

Young Manufacturer of the Year – Sponsor, ERA Foundation 

• Antonio Graziano, Carlsberg Britvic  
• John Mackey, WAGO  
• Khaled Bibi, ThermoFisher Scientific  
• Lucy Yelland, Siemens  
• Matthew Hulme, Vaillant  
• Robert (Bobby) Langford, Encirc  
• Seyed-Khashayar Shahidan, Vaillant 

Thank you to our Headline Sponsor Autodesk, and our Category Sponsors ERA Foundation, Infor and Weightmans.