Made in Britain, the trade association uniting British manufacturers by their licensed use of the official Made in Britain collective mark, has announced the winners of its 2023 Impact Awards.
Made in Britain CEO John Pearce said: “We’re delighted that the second year of our Impact Awards has attracted such an inspirational number of nominations from across the UK manufacturing sector. Made in Britain is made up of remarkable British companies and it’s an honour to have brought together such an esteemed panel of judges to select those deserving of special recognition this year, across our ten 2023 Impact Award categories.”
Made in Britain 2023 Impact Awards: winners and shortlists by category
RISING STAR
Winner: Hannah White, Naturally Tiwa
Highly Commended: Jordan Hibberd, Apollo Scaffold Services; Emma Roos, Sow Easy
Judged by: Sheron Ravi, Founder and Creative Director, Wellness Interiors
Sheron Ravi: “Hannah White has proven herself to be a real emerging leader. Her product is incredibly innovative and supports dozens of African women, giving them a fair trade. She has excelled at marcoms, even to the extent of selling her brand into Harrods. Her skills, resilience and passion have made a tangible difference to the business and to the lives of many others, across continents.”
SOCIAL VALUE
Winner: Naturally Tiwa
Highly Commended: Yana Activewear, Icon LifeSaver
Judged by Elise Hockley, COO Investor Relations, Earth Capital
Elise Hockley: “What sets Naturally Tiwa apart is its commitment to working with rural African women, sourcing natural ingredients ethically and sustainably, and bringing them to the UK for research, testing, formulation, and manufacturing – resulting in a transparent end-to-end value chain.”
EXPORT EXCELLENCE
Winner: Castrads
Highly Commended: Inciner8, Lockabox
Judged by Edward Askew FCIPS (chartered), CMILTI, Head of Procurement Policy, Governance and Development, Leidos
Edward Askew: “This company demonstrated not only strong sales growth and recruitment of new staff but also a sharp focus on innovation, thought leadership, and sustainability. In addition, they’re now manufacturing these items in the UK for the first time since the 1970s.”
EXCELLENCE IN TENDERING FOR NEW BUSINESS
Winner: Smart Vision Systems
Highly Commended: Environ Group
Judged by Katie Smith-Merritt MCIPS, Supplier Development Manager, NHS Supply
Chain Katie Smith-Merritt: “Smart Vision Systems have in the past year made a step change commitment to tender for new business, by investing in a new team and new processes. Combining relentless focus on customer relationships and product knowledge alongside a new customer tendering toolkit and close supplier relationships, it maximised the potential to win each and every opportunity providing nearly 300% increase in turnover.”
MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Evac+Chair International
Highly Commended: Closomat Phase Packaging, Direct Mail
Judged by Sandy Lindsay MBE, Chair, Tangerine Communications and The Juice Academy
Sandy Lindsay: “Evac+Chair International commissioned a study with 490 SME business decision makers, to understand if organisations were aware of their obligations and were fully prepared and able to evacuate everyone. The findings were used to create a hard-hitting white paper that resulted in more than 200 pieces of media coverage, a 400% growth in their social media channels and, ultimately, a three percent uplift in sales.”
GREEN GROWTH MANUFACTURER
Winner: Punch Flybrid
Highly Commended: Synergy Grill, John Lawrie Tubulars
Judged Mary Keane-Dawson, Non-Exec Director and business mentor, and Dr. Cristiana Pace, Founder and Chief Executive, Enovation Consulting
Mary-Keane Dawson: “PUNCH Flybrid literally blew us away with their superb business that showcases British ingenuity, risk taking, an iterative approach, mixed in with a whole bunch of business pragmatism. PUNCH Flybrid uses flywheel energy storage technology developed for Formula 1 to provide a boost of power and allow users of dynamic equipment to reduce the size of generator they need. In turn this saves fuel and reduces CO2 emissions.”
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING
Winner: Polar Thermal Packaging
Highly Commended: PVA Hygiene, Closomat
Judged by Jon Moss, Customer Engagement Director, Fortnum & Mason
Jon Moss: “Polar Thermal’s Polar DotBox is a versatile solution that can be applied in various environments, from fresh and chilled food to frozen food and pharmaceuticals. It’s compatible with existing equipment, forward-thinking in terms of electric vehicles, and offers recyclable and reusable qualities.”
GREATEST IMPACT WITH THE MADE IN BRITAIN MARK
Winner: British Drum Company
Highly Commended: Polar Thermal Packaging, Naturally Tiwa
Judged by: John Mathers, Chair, British Design Fund
John Mathers: “The Winner of the award literally bangs the drum for manufacturing in Britain. The mark is used on all of their drums but the biggest impact for their business has been on their marching drums. The Royal Marines Drummers perform at expos around the world on behalf of the UK. Once people find out these drums are made in Britain – and not in Taiwan like everyone else’s drums – they want to know more about great British manufacturing. This has had a huge positive impact on sales as well as enhancing Britain’s reputation for quality and reliability.”
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
Winner: Adaptavate
Highly Commended: BMP Europe, Focus SB
Judged by James Fudge, Head of Operations at Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA); John Mathers, Chair, British Design Fund; Robert White, Founder and CEO, White Motorcycle Concepts
Robert White: “Adaptavate is rethinking and redesigning the way building materials are produced, used and disposed of. They innovate and design low-carbon construction products that enhance sustainability whilst providing greater performance than the market leading products. By taking an innovative approach to the design and manufacture of construction products they endeavour to disrupt this traditionally conservative sector, producing progressive materials at the scale needed to have a significant positive impact on public health and the planet.”
LEADER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Professor Professor Maurizio Gragagni OBE, Tratos UK
Highly Commended: Thomas Robinson, Adaptavate; Louise Price, Price of Bath
Judged by Minnie Moll, Chief Executive, Design Council
Minnie Moll: “Professor Bragagni’s visionary leadership has been the driving force that has propelled Tratos to unparalleled growth and resounding success, reinvigorating the cable manufacturing sector. The organisation has significantly expanded its presence across Europe and won the 2019 Queen’s Award for Innovation.” The Made in Britain 2023 Impact Award winners were presented with glass bowl trophies created for the event by iconic British brand and Made in Britain member Dartington Crystal.
The Impact Awards were launched in 2022 to recognise and celebrate achievements in UK manufacturing. All Made in Britain members are eligible to be nominated for the awards.
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