At a gala lunch, presented by Max Gosney, Works Management group editor, and broadcaster and engineer, Steph McGovern, ten categories were awarded, celebrating the best of UK manufacturing best practice.
Amongst the winners were Knorr-Bremse’s Strip & Clean Optimisation Team, Melksham, who won the Manufacturing Team Award and the Lean RCM Team at Viridor, Manchester, winners of the Maintenance Team Award.
For the first time, the Rising Star Award was split into two distinct categories: Apprentice/Trainee and Technician/Manager. Winner of the former, Lee Suter, apprentice mechanical engineer at Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems, Broadstairs, was praised for his ‘assurance and endeavour’ in the role. Hannah Ridley, project engineer at TSP Engineering in Workington, won the manager/technician gong for her customer focus and client management skills.
TSP were one of two companies that scooped a two awards at the event. The company’s director of operations, John Coughlan, was awarded with the Manufacturing Leader Award for transforming the company’s finances – turning a £1.5 million annual loss into a £2m profit in just two years. The other double-winners were Fujifilm, for whom Gary Burgess, CI manager, won the Community Champion Award. Gary was rewarded for his ‘crusade to open people’s minds to the exciting career opportunities manufacturing holds’.
The Unsung Hero Award was given to Stephanus Blignaut, maintenance manager on behalf of PEME at Tate & Lyle’s sugar factory in East London. Michael Vernall of A Schulman Inc. was named the Safe Workplace Champion after transforming the safety performance of the company’s Crumlin site.
BAE Systems Naval Ships’ Paul Gemmell was presented with the Skills Champion Award for changing the culture of the 1,200-strong shipyard on the River Clyde in Glasgow. Finally, Chris Hawes, test technician at Siemens Magnet Technology in Oxford, was given the Employee-Led Innovation Award for his ingenuity and resourcefulness in making a low-temperature camera for use in MRI scanners – in his shed at home.
The full list of winners:
RISING STAR: APPRENTICE/TRAINEE – Lee Suter, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems
RISING STAR: MANAGER/TECHNICIAN – Hannah Ridley, TSP Engineering
MAINTENANCE TEAM – Lean RCM Team, Viridor
SAFE WORKPLACE CHAMPION – Michael Vernall, A Schulman Inc.
SKILLS CHAMPION – Paul Gemmell, BAE Systems Naval Ships
UNSUNG HERO – Stephanus (Fanie) Blignaut, PEME
EMPLOYEE-LED INNOVATION – Chris Hawes, Siemens Magnet Technology
COMMUNITY CHAMPION – Gary Burgess, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems
MANUFACTURING LEADER – John Coughlan, TSP Engineering
MANUFACTURING TEAM – Strip & Clean Optimisation Team, Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK)
