The Manufacturer MX Awards 2015 have been officially launched on Wednesday 4 March, at a special event held at the House of Commons and attended by Business Minister Matthew Hancock.
Almost 200 senior business leaders turned out for the launch, which was sponsored by Margot James MP.
UK manufacturing was well represented with internationally-recognised brands the likes of Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Caparo, JCB, Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Steel; who were joined by leading industry players including MBDA, Xtrac, The Royal Mint, Coty Manufacturing UK and many more.
The launch demonstrated the increasing level of support UK government is providing to industry and the improved level of engagement the sector now has with the Department for Business.
Speaking at the event, Business Minister Matthew Hancock described the awards as being “all about recognising what’s great about UK manufacturing, and raising its profile and celebrating successes.”
Margot James MP commented: “Too many fascinating developments and inventions go unsung in Britain and that’s where I think this fantastic new award is so important.”
The event, organised by The Manufacturer magazine and in association with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, marked the official joining of the UK’s two leading manufacturing awards – The Manufacturer of the Year Awards, run by The Manufacturer, and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Manufacturing Excellence (MX) Awards – to form The Manufacturer MX Awards (TMMX).
With a combined heritage spanning four decades, the new awards will continue to provide manufacturers with free feedback from top experts, based on a self-assessment audit as well as celebrating the outstanding achievements of this hugely important UK industry.
Attracting manufacturing businesses of all sizes engaged in a diverse range of activities, TMMX categories include Sustainable Manufacturing; Partnership with Education; Logistics & Supply Chain; Leadership & Strategy; World Class Manufacturing, and Customer Focus.
Last year’s overall winner, Peter Digby, Managing Director of Xtrac commented at the launch: “I would encourage all of you to apply for these awards. For us, beating the likes of Rolls-Royce, BAE and Babcock was a fantastic achievement and is a clear acknowledgement of the whole teams’ hard work and dedication.”
CEO of The Manufacturer, Nick Hussey said: “There are too many awards that lack gravitas and rigour and do nothing to help UK manufacturing. By combining with the Institution today we have established the ultimate benchmark for all UK manufacturers to aspire to.
“By uniting our strength and experience, we are raising the bar for all manufacturers in the UK, offering them the platform and confidence to stand tall on the international stage.
“This is not a one-off. It is an annual programme that includes an online diagnostic tool, benchmarking reports and site inspections from some the UK’s best and most experienced industry experts which feed into the nominees’ continuous improvement activities.”
Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ President Group Captain Mark Hunt OBE said: “We are delighted to be able to combine forces with The Manufacturer. Manufacturing is at the heart of a healthy UK economy and these awards will not only recognise outstanding achievements in this sector, but will also help drive improvements in business practices of all the companies involved.
“Taking part gives companies the opportunity to receive valuable advice, free of charge, from world class experts and in a time of fierce competition in business, the feedback provided could make the difference between a company’s success and failure.”
Entries for this year’s awards are now open. For more information on nominating your business in 2015, visit: www.themanufacturer.com/awards
