A round-up of the winners and reactions from all those who won big at The Manufacturer MX Awards 2018 - the only peer-reviewed and judged programme of its kind.
The Manufacturer MX Awards – The Manufacturer of the Year 2018: Accolade Wines (sponsored by Santander)
“If you were to come to Accolade Park, you would see a smile on the faces of everyone following the big win – the pride behind that smile is huge. When you look at the scale of the awards The Manufacturer runs and the competition we faced, we are honoured as a business to take the top award.
“We were quite literally a muddy field 10 years ago. Therefore, to take that muddy field to being a facility at the centre of our supply chain that is recognised as the best of the best in the UK is something that just gives us a huge amount of satisfaction,”
Richard Lloyd, General Manager of European Operations and Supply, Accolade Wines
Lifetime Achievement Award: Bernard Molloy (Unipart Logistics)
What does winning a Lifetime Achievement Award mean to you?
It is a very significant point in my life; I started as an apprentice and ended up running some of Britain’s biggest companies.
What does the future hold for you?
Working in manufacturing has given me the opportunity to help create more apprenticeships and give boys and girls the same opportunities I had. My wish is to see more skills development of people regardless of their age to help re-balance our economy.
Have you got any advice for manufacturers following in your footsteps?
Life is a bit like a bank account. You should put back more than you take! I didn’t ask for this award; just work hard and be noticed.
Do you have what it takes to follow in Accolade Wines’ footsteps and become an award winner?
Maybe even become The Manufacturer of the Year?
Maybe even become The Manufacturer of the Year? You won’t know unless you enter. It is a rigorous process, but it wouldn’t be worth doing if it wasn’t.
Test yourself against the best by entering The Manufacturer MX Awards 2019.
Keep an eye out for entry details – coming soon.
TheManufacturerMXAwards.com
Achieving Customer Value: Accolade Wines (sponsored by LCR4.0)
What does winning the Achieving Customer Value Award mean to your business?
Our customers were delighted, and it has opened doors to a number of further opportunities. It meant exposure to exemplars in other manufacturing businesses across a number of sectors that we would otherwise not have had access to. It was a major opportunity to not only share our ideas, but also to collaborate on best practice, especially with other category winners.
How has The Manufacturer and Digital Manufacturing Week helped your business?
We have been able to use our contacts at The Manufacturer and ones we made at the conference to talk to the right movers and shakers, and also to talk to other manufacturers about what they have deployed and to understand their enablers and barriers.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
Actually writing down what you do and what you have achieved in the application process was a great way to get the team together and to appreciate what everyone does – it gives you a different lens to view your business.
Alison Beard-Gunter, Continuous Improvement Manager, Accolade Wines
Export: A-SAFE (sponsored by UK Export Finance)
What does winning this award mean to your business?
We were delighted to win this award and we are proud of our whole team. We use award nominations and wins to support our message that we use a robust business model that is continually pushing boundaries. Independent recognition of the quality of our business practices further cements our position.
What does the future hold for your business?
We are actively investigating new markets. For over five years A-SAFE has grown 40% year-on-year and we’re on track to keep on this path. The technology in our polymer safety barrier is unique and we have some new developments close to launch that are really exciting. 2019 and beyond will be exciting and we cannot wait to get going.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
The more you put in to your entry, the more you will get out of it. The process is far more than answering a few questions on a nomination form; if you get shortlisted there are the judging panel visits to consider. These visits really test you; you need to be confident in your skills, your successes, and be ready to be challenged from all angles.
Janet Webster, Marketing Communications Manager, A-SAFE
Innovation & Design: McLaren Automotive (sponsored by Autodesk)
What does winning this award mean to your business?
It is a fantastic achievement to have won the Design & Innovation award for the second year in a row. It is of great value to our employees and demonstrates how far we have come in a relatively short period of time – and to win a prestigious award on the way. Everyone feels real motivation.
What does the future hold for your business?
We are right in the middle of our Track 25 plan, where we are releasing 18 new vehicles/derivatives by 2024 and at the same time expanding volume from around 4,700 cars per year to 6,000 from 2024.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
Don’t be put off entering; you do not need to be the most established/biggest manufacturer in your field to be recognised for innovation. Your teams will get a great sense of achievement and feel real pride in their work. However, we will be entering again ourselves next year, so your challenge will be to beat us!
Adam Lowe, Head of Series Development, McLaren Automotive
Leadership & Strategy: Lander Automotive (sponsored by IfM University of Cambridge)
What does winning this award mean to your business?
Winning the award is recognition for all employees at Lander – their commitment and track record of achieving our strategic objectives through the adoption of the ‘Excellence Model’ within all areas of the business. It underlines the achievement of critical success factors and the continued growth of the company.
What does the future hold for your business?
Continued growth and flexibility in supporting our customers. Our agility as a privately owned business means we are able to adopt ‘best in class’ practices quickly without a long debate at the corporate level. We want to continue ‘growing our own’ through the strong apprentice and development programmes we have integrated into our business.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
It is a great exercise to benchmark your organisation against some really big players in manufacturing, but also to recognise how much as a company you have achieved. It’s great to take stock and obtain recognition for the things your organisation is or may be doing, because sometimes you don’t take enough time to reflect on the good things.
Peter Tack, Managing Director, Lander Automotive Limited
Manufacturing in Action: Renishaw (presented by IMechE)
What does winning an award mean to your business?
Since acquiring the Miskin facility in 2011 we have built a strong team which has successfully applied the manufacturing strategies in use at our other UK sites, with strong support from staff at those sites, especially during the early years.
To win this prestigious award is a real compliment to the wider team in Renishaw’s manufacturing services operation, particularly when we consider the achievements of the other excellent shortlisted companies.
Gareth Hankins, Group Manufacturing Services Director, Renishaw
Operational Excellence: Domino Printing Services (sponsored by Cranfield University)
What does winning an award mean to your business?
Winning the TMMX Operational Excellence award is a great tribute to the team’s hard work, not just in the last twelve months but over the last few years. We are incredibly proud to gain such recognition in the company of some fantastic UK manufacturers.
What does the future hold for your business?
We continue to focus on developing our people, processes and systems to support our new products. The TMMX self-assessment, judges’ visits, and feedback play a key role in achieving this.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
If you are looking to benchmark against the very best in the UK and gain feedback from industry experts to help steer your improvement programme, then the TMMX awards is for you.
Chris Blake, Continuous Improvement Manager, Domino Printing
People & Skills: Gripple Limited (sponsored by boyden)
What does winning the People & Skills Award mean to your business?
It’s proof that our unique approach to developing and nurturing talent is working! Our employee ownership business model means we take quite a different approach to developing people. This award was a great measure of how much we’ve developed this side of the business in recent years.
What does the future hold for your business?
We have ambitious growth plans; we aim to be a £100m business by 2021, and our people will drive that growth. As we grow, it’s absolutely vital for us to harness our unique culture. Values-driven recruitment ensures we develop the right people in the business.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
The TMMX awards judging process is probably one of the most thorough and stringent we’ve experienced. In that sense, you’ve got to be really on the ball in terms of articulating the key features of your business on judging day and making sure every box is ticked with regards to the judging criteria.
Michael Hodgson, Communications Manager, Gripple
Progressive SME: Agrimech (sponsored by Innovate UK)
What does winning an award mean to your business?
It enhances our reputation for professionalism and trustworthiness in the eyes of our customers. That, above all, is what we pride ourselves on at Agrimech.
What does the future hold for your business?
We have high hopes for the future at Agrimech, and this award gives them a real boost. Demand for our products has really gone up this year, and 2019 marks our 10th birthday as a company. We’ll be starting the new year with our first export order to the US, which is hugely exciting and a real milestone for us.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
What have you got to lose? For us, taking part has been an entirely positive experience, and it would have been so, regardless of the outcome. The fact we won an award is just a lovely bonus. It’s been nothing but good, and I would thoroughly recommend anyone else who is interested to get involved. They won’t regret it.
Belinda Smith, Finance Director, Agrimech
Progressive SME: Heald (sponsored by Innovate UK)
What does winning a Progressive SME Award mean to your business?
I’m really proud that Heald have been recognised as a progressive business within the manufacturing sector. This award is testament to the hard work put in by all the team. Winning the TMMX Award further enhances our credibility as one of the UK’s leading manufacturing businesses.
What does the future hold for your business?
2018 has been a fantastic year for Heald. We’ve seen turnover grow by over 60% and our export sales have also dramatically increased. Our main aim is to continue innovating in product development and building upon our success in international markets.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition? The Manufacturer TMMX Awards is highly regarded within the industry; it offers companies who excel in their field a chance to showcase their products and services with other like-minded businesses. We would definitely recommend entering the awards – it is a fantastic way to promote excellence within our industry.
Philippa Platten, Marketing Executive, Heald
Progressive SME: Tharsus (sponsored by Innovate UK)
What does winning an award mean to your business?
It’s hugely rewarding to see our unique business model recognised in this way and exciting to see how we are quickly becoming the go-to collaborator for partners seeking ‘Advanced Machine and Robotic’ (AMR) solutions to transform their businesses.
What does the future hold for your business?
We feel that the award confirms we are taking the right steps as we grow and develop. The current mid-term objective for the future is to grow Tharsus to a £100m turnover business, with the long-term vision being to establish the firm as a globally recognised world leader in the robotics market.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
While entering the MX awards is a challenging process it is a worthwhile learning exercise for any manufacturing firm and we would highly recommend it. By their very nature, the assessment processes enable a business to carefully and critically evaluate itself as much as the judges do.
Paula Sainthouse, Marketing Officer, Tharsus Group
Smart Factory: BMW Group MINI Plant Oxford Assembly (sponsored by Dell Technologies)
What does winning an award mean to your business?
Winning an award is a perfect confirmation from an external view that we are working on the right things and have already achieved a very good level. The pride of being seen as a leader in the specific area motivates everybody involved to continue our journey. Winning such an important award also strengthens the reputation of a company.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
Give it a go – all you can do is win! And in this case, I am not just talking about the trophy, I am talking about being externally assessed and receiving valuable feedback.
Martin Koch, General Manager Assembly, BMW Group Mini Plant Oxford
Sustainable Manufacturing: Accolade Wines (sponsored by EDGE Digital Manufacturing)
What does winning the Sustainable Manufacturing Award mean to your business?
We have had the most incredible response. Everyone is really proud and it was a great way to recognise our people and the wider teams in the business using the external perspective of such a prestigious award.
What does the future hold for your business?
We have a very exciting and optimistic view of the future – we are embracing digital and technology, looking at a number of IoT projects and using this to enable our people.
What can competitors expect to gain from the competition?
It’s a great experience to meet industry specialists, and receive constructive feedback. It’s an opportunity to showcase what you do to people who are genuinely interested and passionate. It’s a two-way process and they do want you to shine.
Alison Beard-Gunter, Continuous Improvement Manager, Accolade Wines
Supply Chain Excellence: Joint Winners – ZE Lemforder Solihull Plant (sponsored by HVM Catapult)
What does winning the Supply Chain Excellence award mean to your business?
It is amazing. Absolutely fantastic! We have worked really hard this year and it has been a tough year. This is excellent recognition for the efforts of the team. It is not just great for the plant, but also for the automotive industry and supply chain.
What does the future hold for your business?
In terms of new business, the future is positive. The results of our acquisition work will see sales double by 2022. However, there are a number of headwinds facing the automotive industry. We are supporting our customers to navigate carefully through the current economic and environmental challenges.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
We are strong believers in the philosophy of, ‘What gets measured, gets done!” The TMMX process is an excellent method of measuring and benchmarking your business against proven industry standards. So, our advice is; give it a go! You won’t be disappointed.
Steve Shinton, Quality Manager, ZF Lemforder
Supply Chain Excellence: Joint Winners – Jaguar Land Rover Solihull Plant (sponsored by HVM Catapult)
What does winning the Supply Chain Excellence Award mean to your business?
It was an absolute delight to win the Supply Chain Excellence award. Having been part of the prior year process for Ops Excellence, we knew we were up against some extremely strong competition, so we really value this acknowledgement. This is testament to our great team, processes and partner suppliers who manage our complex logistics operations at Solihull.
How is the business planning for the future?
The growth in demand for our vehicles has driven us to review our supply chain strategy. We also recognise the need for greater collaborative work with our suppliers to improve the communication flow between plant and suppliers to ensure that the 13 million parts that arrive each day are on time. The transformation of our logistics system presents the greatest opportunity for Solihull. An efficient logistics system is pivotal to realising JLR’s potential.
Wayne Killick, Business Excellence Manager, Jaguar Land Rover
Young Manufacturer of the Year: Morven Burden (pladis Global) (sponsored by sage)
What does winning an award mean to you?
To me, it feels great to have some external recognition of the professional journey I have taken so far. I love to share my story and passion for manufacturing, and the award gives a great lead into networks of curious people. I feel part of a wider manufacturing community and I can’t wait to make the most of that.
What does the future hold for you?
I am really passionate to share what a great career manufacturing can give people. I hope I can support people through their journey while I continue my own. There are so many exciting opportunities within the industry that I like to keep my options open and can’t wait to see what my future looks like.
Have you got any advice for people thinking of entering the competition?
Go for it – you have nothing to lose! Entering the award makes you reflect and recognise your own achievements, and you get to meet some fascinating people and businesses along the way.
Morven Burden, Factory Manager, pladis Global
