A record number of UK manufacturers have been shortlisted for the year's most rigorous test of excellence in the sector, The Manufacturer MX Awards.
This year, The Manufacturer MX Awards gala dinner and ceremony will be held at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool on 16 November.
An impressive 33% of the 2017 shortlisted companies are new finalists, demonstrating the growing scale and success of the awards programme. Overall, entries are up more than 25% compared with 2016, with some categories witnessing increases of 40 – 70%.
Nick Hussey, CEO of Hennik Research – publisher of The Manufacturer and organiser of The Manufacturer MX Awards ceremony each year in association with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers – explained: “This is a true measure of the real dynamism in UK manufacturing.
“We hear so often that we don’t make things in this country any more. Nothing could be further from the truth. The growing excitement around the The Manufacturer MX Awards shows manufacturers are keen to demonstrate how innovative, dynamic, and in some cases truly revolutionary they really are. ”
The Manufacturer MX Awards are universally acknowledged as the gold standard for bench-marking performance across a range of manufacturing categories, among companies large and small. They involve a detailed investigation of each entrant’s citation by groups of judges, who visit each factory in turn to inspect processes, and interview management and staff.
To view The Manufacturer MX Awards 2017 shortlist, please click here.
The winners of the black tie gala dinner will be announced on 16 November at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool at the biggest celebration in the UK manufacturing calendar.
Last year was a sell out, so book early to avoid disappointment! Book your tickets here.
Companies like McLaren Automotive, which won the Manufacturing in Action Award in 2016, believe it is well worth the considerable effort involved in entering.
McLaren’s operations director, Alan Foster, told The Manufacturer recently: “Nothing in life that is good, is easy. By involving the team in the judging, we took responsibility for reinforcing the credibility of the awards, as evidenced by the scale of last year’s event. These are ‘real’ awards – being judged and recognised by your peers is one of the strongest reinforcements anyone can receive.”
Shortlisted companies now face the rigorous second round judging process. Eight of this year’s categories will have site visits from the judging panel throughout September, while the remaining categories will be judged on 20 September where they will present to a panel of experts.
The Manufacturer Live
The Manufacturer MX Awards is part of The Manufacturer Live, a series of events taking place from 15-16 November , including the launch of The Manufacturer Top 100 2017 report, The Manufacturer Leaders Conference and co-located The Manufacturer Smart Factory Expo.
The Manufacturer MX Awards 2017 are supported by headline sponsor Santander, co-sponsor Meggitt, category sponsors, Autodesk, Columbus and Siemens, and partner Durham University Business School.