The 2017 winners of the Manufacturing Champions Awards have been revealed at a gala ceremony in Manchester hosted by broadcaster, Steph McGovern. Nine winners showcasing innovation and a commitment to add value to customers were recognised across categories including Manufacturing Team, Community & Skills Champion and the Unsung Hero Awards.
“The Manufacturing Champions award winners are all people who have made a real impact on their businesses. The UK’s manufacturing SMEs are very often the home of creativity and innovation and are very much at the heart of the UK’s economy. The teams and individuals continue to demonstrate a real can-do attitude, innovating daily to overcome bottlenecks, defect and capacity constraints,” said Jon Benson, managing director at MA Business, publisher of Manufacturing Management magazine. “All the finalists showcase everything that’s great about British manufacturing and prove that a career in manufacturing is rewarding, inspiring and definitely something worth aspiring to.”
Top talent recognised at the Manufacturing Champions Awards included Rising Star Award winner Kodi Gledhill, from Coca-Cola European Partners, who was recognised for both her engineering skill and for her work encouraging more women into manufacturing. Also, Safe Workplace Champion Award winner Fraser Rankine of Farne Salmon & Trout was acknowledged for his tireless efforts to reduce onsite accidents and mental health at the company’s site in Duns.
New to this year was also a SME Innovators Award, which was scooped up by the OEM Sales & Engineering team at Elfab Ltd, who demonstrated its innovative approach to creating wealth within the business and beat its competitors lead times by seven weeks.
“This year saw the highest quality of entries in the four-year history of the Manufacturing Champions Awards,” said Chris Beck, head judge and editor of Manufacturing Management magazine. “With our winners coming from a range of industries, and everything from multinational corporations to small, family-run organisations, it demonstrates the depth of quality we have in manufacturing in the UK.”
Full Manufacturing Champions Awards 2017 winners
Manufacturing Leader Award
Winner: Kenny Macfarlane, Handrail Creations
Manufacturing Team Award (sponsored by Fujifilm SIS)
Winner: Waste Reduction Team, DEB Ltd
Highly Commended: Coca-Cola PET Lines, Coca-Cola Helenic Bottling Company
Safe Workplace Champion Award (sponsored by Arco)
Winner: Fraser Rankine, Farne Salmon & Trout
Skills & Community Champion Award (sponsored by Brammer and Buck and Hickman)
Winner: Ian Green, Nissan Motor Manufacturing
Highly Commended: Jim Wallace, Arconic Manufacturing (GB) Ltd (Kitts Green location)
Employee-led Innovation Award (sponsored by Sony UK)
Winner: Philip Edwards, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems
Unsung Hero Award
Winner: John Dawson, Fogarty Filled Products
Rising Star Award (sponsored by Swinton Business)
Winner: Kodi Gledhill, Coca-Cola European Partners
Highly Commended: Daniel Blake, TrakRap Limited
Maintenance Award
Winner: Business Unit 2 Maintenance Team, Weetabix Food Company
SME Innovators Award
Winner: OEM Sales & Engineering, Elfab Ltd
