Overall Winner at Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2012  

Northumberland safety technology manufacturer Draeger Safety UK was named as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Overall Winner at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2012 at The Dorchester in London recently.

The award was presented to Draeger Safety UK by Minister of State for Business & Enterprise Michael Fallon at a ceremony compered by former politician Michael Portillo.

Draeger Safety UK also won the Financial Management category and the Professional Engineering Award for Logistics and Operational Efficiency.

Philippa Oldham, Head of Manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and one of the Manufacturing Excellence judges said: “Draeger Safety UK is an example of what can be achieved through ambition and commitment. The company’s focus on customer service and quality was what impressed the judges, along with the management of the company’s onsite processes and procedures which we judged to be first-class.

“With all of the Manufacturing Excellence winners, their success is a result of delivering the right solutions at the right price to customers – whether that be breathing apparatuses, defence systems or vegetable boxes.

“The winners also illustrate the huge range of manufacturing industries that are thriving in the UK today.

“UK manufacturing employs about 2.5 million people in the UK and manufacturers, like this year’s Manufacturing Excellence winners, have the ability to bolster the country’s economy.

“But if we want to see more UK manufacturing success stories the Government must act now to provide a clear industrial strategy – with cross-party support - which prioritises skills, innovation and growth.”

Malcolm Irving, Head of Operations Region Europe at Draeger Safety UK said: “We are delighted to win the overall Manufacturing Excellence Award. It is clearly a fantastic achievement for the business and our people and demonstrates the high standards and the commitment to manufacturing excellence we implement across the organisation. This was genuinely a team effort, supported by and with input from every area of our business.

“We were nominated alongside some great businesses and it is very important to acknowledge the success manufacturing continues to have at a local, regional and national level across the UK, despite the continued difficult economic climate.”

Manufacturing Excellence, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, is the most successful and long established manufacturing business improvement programme in the UK, and the only one that provides a detailed benchmarking and assessment process to help improve manufacturing businesses.

As part of the Manufacturing Excellence programme companies are asked to conduct an in-depth self assessment of their business. Those who complete one or more of the eight sections receive a free, bespoke and confidential benchmark report. The best companies in each module receive a free visit from a team of expert assessors who verify the audit responses and offer practical advice and suggestions for the business. After further judging, the winners are announced in November at the awards ceremony.