The 21st Annual North Devon Manufacturers Association Awards ceremony took place at the Barnstaple Hotel on 10th May
The well attended event was an excellent celebration of the achievements of manufacturers throughout the Northern Devon region, supported by members, guests and regional industry services.
The Judging panel was highly complimentary of the standard of entries received, and lead judge Claire Gray gave an enthusiastic and inspiring description of the runner-up and winning entry for each category.
Read more about the event HERE
The results of the 2018 awards are as follows:
Manufacturer of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Aramis Rugby | |
| Have developed a ‘Digital Scrum Machine’ for rugby that can be used to train and link up with other users across the globe. They source as much as possibly locally. | |
| Winner – SR Furniture | |
| Having invested in new machinery have also upskilled their staff. In house design and manufacture allows them to custom made furniture and fitments. SR Furniture are now a chosen supplier to the NHS. | |
Best Team of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Helitune | |
| The team reacted well together in a crisis all pulling together to get a product out on time to an important customer. | |
| Winner – TDK-Lambda (QM Product) | |
| The team worked together to generate new ways of working and going the extra mile. Working on both problem solving and coming up with the support needed through a project. They took a collaborative approach to achieving the end goal. | |
Apprentice of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Amy Walker (Accord-UK) | |
| Amy has completed a higher level apprenticeship and has worked with the engineering department to look at the efficiency of the air-handling units and reviewing the latest commercially available alternatives. | |
| Winner – Jasmine Coaker (Systems Engineering Assessment (SEA) | |
| Jasmine identified a business improvement and designed and produced a prototype solution. Jasmine organised the purchase and supply of materials to manufacture the components. The business improvement has had many positive impacts. | |
Best Trainee of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Dan Dickson – Anglo-Krempel | |
| Dan has taken initiative for the tooling needs to enable production and has eagerness and ability to take on everything that has been given to him. He has also requested to become a STEM ambassador helping with several local events. | |
| Winner – Quinten John – Helitune | |
| Quinten took the responsibility to lead a successful 8-month project. He was able to overcome difficulties and conflicts and stepped up to the task. Despite various delays he was able to deliver with one day to spare. | |
Best Environmental Project of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Pluss/Accord-UK | |
| Rachel Rumbold has been placed at Accord-UK by Pluss and Accord have been very flexible and open to support Rachel within their environment. Rachal is now cleaning and sterilising containers that were previously recycled or disposed. | |
| Winner – Accord-UK | |
| Accord looked at their environmental impact and have identified energy savings within their air handling and refitted their systems which saves annually one million kilowatts or the equivalent of 441 tons of CO2. | |
Best Innovation of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Accord UK | |
| Accord introduced rules and regulations from the food processing and introduced them into the pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. This supports Accord ‘s internal behaviours and culture by promoting ownership and provides a platform for employee development and career growth. | |
| Winner – Helitune | |
| Helitune have developed a new system to monitor a network of sensors for aircraft. This enables real-time monitoring and can save routine checks needed for helicopters every 25 to 50 hours which would significantly reduce the operational costs and improve the availability of aircraft. | |
Business Transformation of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Eaton (Armatures and Field Coils) | |
| Eaton had a poor yield and efficiency for producing windings into their motor line. They have setup a new production area and have reduced scrap by 50% along with reducing the lead time by 28 days. | |
| Winner – Eaton (Foundry) | |
| The area is a high risk ‘hot-work’ area where safety is paramount. The operation was monitored, and all the risks were evaluated along with where products moved within the casting area. A new improved casting area has been generated which has improved efficiency by 20% and has lead to a 20% increase to on-time delivery. | |
Engagement with STEM & Schools |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Eaton | |
| Eaton have established an internal STEM council which has led to employees volunteering. Eaton have linked with industrial cadets which has vastly improved the students and apprentice’s experience. | |
| Winner – Anglo Krempel | |
| Anglo have dedicated a high number of hours per month to engagement with schools. Anglo have been involved with a wide range of school activities with both primary and secondary schools. | |
Exporter of the Year |
Sponsored By |
| Runner Up – Anglo Krempel | |
| Anglo has increased its exports to 63% of revenue, compared to 1% in 2002. This has seen growth in certain areas increasing by 80% since 2016. Anglo have managed to control their business over multiple time zones. | |
| Winner – Conditioning Monitoring Group (CMG) | |
| Exporting 65% of their products against large global multinationals. CMG have collaborated with large corporations to generate products that are needed within the industry. CMG continuously monitor how they support all their customers and support teams. |
Special award for outstanding achievement
An extra award featured in this year’s ceremony for outstanding achievement, recognising a significant collaboration between TDK Lambda UK Ltd and Ilfracombe Academy
 Winner: TDK Lambda UK Ltd and Ilfracombe Academy TDK Lambda has jointly worked with the Ilfracombe Academy and the Young Enterprise Initiative on a project to ‘Save Our World’. TDK have provided funding and business advice to the team for the creation of a book to help parents with young children to educate them about the dangers on plastic pollution within our oceans. Their second books won the regional final for the Young Enterprise and will go onto the next round this month. The project has helped inspire a group of young students with the possibilities of starting and running their own businesses. They have attended many local events and are keen to pass on all profits to local charities that have a benefit to the environment.
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Sponsored By
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Schools Awards:
NDMA encourages the development of the next generation of engineers through STEM engagement in the schools and colleges of the region.
Primary STEM Challenge |
Longest Bridge | Southmead Primary School | Sponsored by:
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| Strongest Bridge | West Down Primary School | ||
Schools Technology Awards 13-16 |
13 – 16Winner | Angus Bardmer ( West Buckland ) | Sponsored by:
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| Highly Commended | Sam Wong (West Buckland) | ||
| Commended | Nathan Chambers (West Buckland) | ||
| Commended | Daniel Lobb (Great Torrington) | ||
Schools Technology Awards 16-19 |
Winner | Nicola Tse (West Buckland) |  |
| Highly Commended | Jade Freeman (West Buckland) | ||
| Commended | Bethany Cork (West Buckland) | ||
| Commended | Bradley Fuller (Bideford College) |
A raffle at the end of the evening raised £1447 for the Calvert Trust Exmoor
Read more HERE
About the awards
North Devon Manufacturers Association hosts a prestigious annual awards ceremony to recognise the achievements of local manufacturers as well as the next generation of engineers & designers from North Devon’s education providers.
The size of your organisation presents no barrier since awards are made on criteria relative to the individual organisation. The competition aims to identify and celebrate the expertise, technical specialisation, innovation, growth or other success of manufacturers and education within our local community. The judging panel consists of individuals who support and promote manufacturing excellence across the South West of England.
Note: NDMA is a membership organisation designed to represent the interests of manufacturing and supporting service industries. These awards are open to members and non-members within the Northern Devon region.