Awards showcase forward thinking

Nov 23 2009 By The Journal

THE region's most forward-thinking manufacturers have been recognised at a ceremony hosted by industry body EEF.

The winners of the first EEF Future Manufacturing Awards for the North East & Yorkshire Region were announced at a presentation ceremony held at Magna Science and Adventure Centre at Rotherham, attended by more than 90 people.

The awards are designed to recognise excellence in four categories – innovation, enterprise, environmental responsibility and skills development. They aim to reward world class performance and celebrate the excellence which exists across the region and throughout manufacturing.

The winners were chosen from entries across the North East & Yorkshire and had to pass an exhaustive judging process led by Professor Steve Evans Of Cranfield University.

The skills award went to County Durham firm Geka Manufacturing while Wearside’s Nissan plant landed the Innovative People Practices award. South Shields-based company SAFT Ltd was recognised for its green credentials in the Environment Achievement Award as Yorkshire group Paton Plant won the Climate Change title.

All the winners will now represent the North East & Yorkshire regions in the national finals to be held in London in February next year.

Chair of the judging panel, Professor Steve Evans, professor of life cycle engineering at Cranfield University said there had been a high standard of entries and proved there were numerous success stories across the region that should be celebrated.

He said: "We obviously congratulate all the winners and thank those that entered. The quality of entrants proved once and for all that manufacturers in the UK have a story worth celebrating and many in this region successfully compete on the world stage."

EEF regional director Alan Hall said: "These awards give important recognition to the value that innovative manufacturing businesses contribute to region’s economy.

"Too many people have a negative view of manufacturing which is out of date. These awards showcase businesses that are breaking down barriers, reinventing the rules and reaching out for new opportunities to create a manufacturing industry this country can rightly be proud of."