Hitachi Automotive stars in NW awards

A The Manufacturing Institute product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 6, 2005

Hitachi Automotive Systems Europe has driven ahead of the competition to win the title of 2005 North West Manufacturer of the Year.

Hitachi Automotive Systems Europe has driven ahead of the competition to win the title of 2005 North West Manufacturer of the Year.

The award was presented at the Manufacturing Institute's prestigious Accelerating the Transformation Awards at its annual Manufacturers' Dinner in Manchester.

Hitachi took the judges' eyes to win this year's top Pannone and Partners North West Manufacturer of the Year Award for its unstinting commitment to continuous improvement, which has powered the business to success since it was established in Bolton in 1996.

This pursuit of excellence also gained Hitachi the Epicor Award for Sustaining Continuous Improvement - one of six other trophies presented at the prestigious awards ceremony.

Commenting on Hitachi's performance, the awards judges said: "Hitachi is a business with a 'can-do' culture that is firmly 'on its toes' - ready to stay ahead and outperform fierce global competition long into the future".

Chris Maher, Production Manager at Hitachi said: "We are delighted to have been chosen as the top manufacturer in the region".

"It's a real tribute to the efforts of all our employees who have been driving these improvements throughout our operations and who make it happen every day".

The awards scheme was open to companies of all sizes and different industry sectors from across the North West.

Twelve manufacturers were shortlisted as awards finalists, which were all highly commended by the judging panel, made up of national and international experts from government, industry and academia.

In her welcoming introduction to the awards ceremony, the Manufacturing Institute's Chief Executive Julie Madigan said it was a real celebration of excellence and outstanding achievement.

"These companies, along with many others in the region, are meeting global challenges head on - not only surviving but in many ways taking on the world's best and winning", she commented.

"North West companies continue to drive improvement and innovation to add value to their products and services".

"All of our finalists are golden examples of the success this can bring".

There was also a DTI Award for the North West SME of the Year, presented for the first time and won by the Leigh company Victoria Foods, which makes baking, desert and beverage mixes.

In the other category awards, the prize for showing the best initial improvement was won by Clarke Door of Carlisle, while Stockport's Landis and Gyr, manufacturers of electronic prepayment gas and electricity meters, won the Deloitte Award for Success through Innovation.

The Ellesmere Port-based car manufacturer Vauxhall Motors was presented with the Barclays Award for the Best Productivity Improvement, and PZ Cussons at Kersal Vale, Salford, won the EMS Recruitment and Selection Award for its commitment to developing people.

As well as a crystal trophy, Hitachi received GBP 5000 worth of training on programmes run by the Manufacturing Institute, which delivers the Manufacturing Advisory Service in the North West.

The individual category award winners shared prizes totalling GBP 25,000 in training.