Leyland Trucks scoops two awards at IMechE’s MX Awards, becoming the first company to win Best Manufacturer in consecutive years, while other regular MX finalists were among the winners.
Leyland Trucks made history by winning the Manufacturing — Overall Winner award at the Manufacturing Excellence (MX) Awards for the second year running.
The Preston-based truck manufacturer, part of the US-owned Paccar Group, also took top honours at MX in 2009. Leyland Trucks also collected the award for Business Development and Change Management, sponsored by the IMechE, at the award ceremony in London last night. The MX awards scheme is run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and is in its 26th year.
The Manufacturing Excellence Overall Winner award is sponsored by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS). Newly appointed business and enterprise minister, Mark Prisk, was on hand last night to present the main award. He also gave a short speech on the importance of engineering and manufacturing in the new future economy.
MX is regarded as one of the most prestigious manufacturing award scheme in the UK. Congratulating Leyland, Mr Prisk, said: “In the UK we do not recognise our engineers and manufacturers enough. The UK is renowned for its high-value, advanced manufacturing products and solutions and we must ensure that companies, like those recognised by the MX Awards, are given the support they require to exploit their competitive advantage and thrive in an increasingly competitive world.”
“One way we are helping companies to achieve this is through MAS which is working with thousands of manufacturers to streamline their processes and reduce waste,” he said. MAS has helped 14 out of the 18 companies in MX this year, Leyland being one.
Andrea Paver, managing director of Leyland Trucks, said it was the efforts of the whole company that meant they retained their crown this year. They also won the IMechE’s Award for Business Development and Change Management.
“Everybody at Leyland Trucks is once again delighted to be among the winners of the MX Awards. There is no doubt that the MX awards schemes bring with them considerable prestige and they serve as a hallmark for the levels of excellence that we strive constantly to achieve in our company.”
There were 12 categories of awards presented last night at the event, and the whole list of winners and specially commended finalists is shown below. Leyland Trucks was a finalist in eight out of 12 awards.
Several companies were back in the awards this year. Car components specialists ZF Lemforder picked up two awards for financial management, and logistics and resource efficiency, having collected the MX award for IT management in 2009, and ContiTech Beattie, which makes tubing and connector systems for transferring oil and gas, won the award for people effectiveness having won at MX last year.
Mr Prisk took the opportunity to defend his Government’s taxation policy delivered by Chancellor Osborne on Tuesday. A reduction in the rate of corporation tax, by 1% per year for four years, is being partly funded by a reduction in capital allowances for the majority of plant and machinery capital from 20% to 18%. He said: “Figures show that over four to five years, the reduction in corporation tax will be of greater net benefit to companies including SME manufacturers than the consequent cut in capital allowances.”
MX Award Winners:
BIS Manufacturing Advisory Service Award for Manufacturing Excellence – Overall Winner
Winner – Leyland Trucks
National Skills Academy for Manufacturing Award for Manufacturing Excellence – Best SME
Winner – Pipex Ltd
PricewaterhouseCoopers Award for Customer Focus
Winner – AESSEAL plc
Highly Commended – Lambert Engineering
Autodesk Award for Product Innovation
Winner – Siemens Magnet Technology
Highly Commended – P&G Gillette
Technology Strategy Board Award for Process Innovation
Winner – Draeger Safety UK Ltd
Highly Commended – BAE Systems Submarine Solutions
WMG Award for Logistics and Resource Efficiency
Winner – ZF Lemforder UK Ltd
Institution of Mechanical Engineers Award for Business Development and Change Management
Winner – Leyland Trucks
Professional Engineering Award for People Effectiveness
Winner – Contitech Beattie Ltd
Highly Commended – Michelin Tyre plc
Barclays Corporate Award for Financial Management
Winner – ZF Lemforder UK Ltd
Arup Award for Sustainable Manufacturing
Winner – Brother Industries UK
Institution of Mechanical Engineers Award for Integrated e-Business
Winner – Proto Labs
ERA Foundation Award for Best Partnership between Business and Education
Winner – MBDA UK
Highly Commended – Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery
