The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN) was celebrating last night after two of its member companies were recognised at the prestigious Made in the Midlands Awards.
Brandauer, a leading metal pressing and stamping specialist, was named as ‘Exporter of the Year’, whilst PP Control & Automation’s outsourcing expertise saw it ‘Highly Commended’ in the Manufacturer of the Year (Under £25m) category.
Both companies impressed judges with its commitment to investing in new technology and people, as well as their ability to beat off international competition to increase export orders.
Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer, commented: “This was a fantastic celebration of manufacturing expertise with major aerospace specialists, pet food companies and innovative footwear makers all competing for the main prizes.
“We were up against really strong companies and were delighted when we were named as Exporter of the Year for the Midlands, highlighting the fact that 85% of our direct and indirect sales now head overseas.”
Held by Insider Media, the Made in the Midlands Awards came to a glittering finale in front of 250 manufacturing professionals at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham.
The gala dinner highlighted the importance the region plays in UK industry and there were a number of rallying calls for firms to embrace Industry 4.0, innovation and, importantly, take responsibility for driving the education and skills agenda.
“It’s always great to get recognition and the Made in the Midlands Awards is one of the most prestigious on the manufacturing calendar,” explained Sean Caley, Chief Operating Officer at PP Control & Automation.
“We’ve been on a steep growth curve over the last five years and 2018 saw us secure some notable ‘wins’ both in the UK and overseas.”
He concluded: “Our approach to strategic outsourcing is very much in demand and the work we do at PP allows our customers to deliver higher quality milk, F1 cars to drive faster and mobile phones to survive in water!”
