A record-breaking crowd of almost 1,000 people witnessed F1 motorsports manufacturer, Xtrac, crowned as The Manufacturer of the Year 2014 at the annual awards in Birmingham last Thursday.
Xtrac, which this year celebrated its 30th anniversary, employs approximately 280 staff at its 88,000 sq ft factory in Thatcham, Berkshire and is recognised as a world leader in the design and manufacture of transmission systems for motorsport, transportation, defence and marine.
“What a fantastic night,” said Peter Digby, Managing Director of Xtrac. “To win one award is special, to win two awards is great but to win the overall award has just been wonderful.
“It’s great tribute to our 280 employees and the shareholders back at Xtrac and our operation in America as well. Very excited. It’s been a wonderful night.
“Yes, we will be ambassadors for manufacturing. We make things, we export things and we’re very proud of that.”
The prestigious top prize is given to a category winner which the judging panel believed to be the best all-round ambassador for competitive manufacturing in the UK and a role model for peers in the industry.
The runner up for The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2014 was Coty Inc, which produces beauty products and is based in Ashford.
The awards ceremony, organised by The Manufacturer magazine and hosted at The ICC in Birmingham, attracted almost 1,000 guests from manufacturing companies and supporting organisations, a record crowd for the event.
In addition to the winner and runner up of the overall award, 14 other category winners were also decided on the night from an extensive shortlist that showcased the best in British industry.
Category winners for The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2014 were:
Leadership and Strategy: Xtrac
Sustainable Manufacturing: Vaillant Group
People and Skills: Ginsters (a division of Samworth Brothers)
Exporter of the Year: Rayovac MicroPower Division, Spectrum Brands (UK)
Innovation and Design: Pryor Marking Technology
Manufacturing in Action: Grainger and Worrall (winner), Worcester Bosch (highly commended)
World Class Manufacturing: Philips AVENT
Through-life Engineering Services: ENER-G Combined Power
Supply Chain Excellence: Selex ES
ICT in Manufacturing: Burts Potato Chips
Small Sized Enterprise of the Year: Burts Potato Chips
Medium Sized Enterprise of the Year: Xtrac
Young Manufacturer of the Year: Campbell Ferguson, Spirit AeroSystems (Europe) (winner), Austin Cook, BAE Systems (highly commended)
Apprentice of the Year: Rebecca Davies, MBDA UK
Richard Hill, Head of Automotive and Manufacturing at RBS, the headline sponsor for the event, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our support for The Manufacturer of The Year Awards and congratulate Xtrac on its success.
“The awards ceremony is an incredible reflection of the diversity, innovation and expertise that British manufacturing has to show.
“RBS has long been involved in the manufacturing industry, with teams across the UK dedicated to supporting our manufacturing businesses.
“I’d like to congratulate all the winners for their achievements in the awards and also for their contribution to the sector as a whole.”
The Manufacturer extends its thanks to the sponsors of The Manufacturer of the Year Awards for making the event possible. In particular, our thanks goes to the event’s headline sponsor for eight years running, The Royal Bank of Scotland.
About The Manufacturer
The Manufacturer is the premier UK industry publication providing manufacturing news, articles and insights while promoting best practice in the manufacturing industry.
Covering all manufacturing sectors The Manufacturer, is an essential resource for every manufacturing boardroom and for senior management, delivering thought leadership articles, regulatory updates and best practice case studies on a monthly basis.
Far from simply a print magazine, The Manufacturer has a strong web presence and offers tailored weekly newsletters. An active events schedule also attracts an engaged readership community and supports understanding between manufacturers and those providing services to them. Events range from intimate dinners through to our annual flagship conference and awards scheme, The Manufacturer Directors’ Conference and The Manufacturer of the Year Awards.
For further information, contact The Manufacturer Editor, Callum Bentley, [email protected] or phone +44(0)20 7401 6033.
