Bridgnorth and Telford firms delighted by Queen's Award recognition
Two Shropshire companies have spoken of their delight after winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Bridgnorth-based castings specialist Grainger & Worrall was a winner in the innovation category, while Telford-based i2r Packaging won an award for international trade.
The awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses which are leading the way with pioneering products or services, delivering impressive social mobility programmes or showing their commitment to excellent sustainable development practices.
Grainger & Worrall CEO Matthew Grainger said: “We are exceptionally pleased to be recognised by the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, especially as it is the third time we have received such an award and underlines our ongoing commitment to be a global leader within our industry.
“The progress we have made towards establishing Next Generation castings has very much been a team effort, and the award comes as a welcome bright spot of good news when so many of us have had our lives and work disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We look forward to an opportunity, hopefully later in the year, when we are all in a better position to celebrate this achievement.”
Grainger & Worrall has developed Next Generation castings in response to the challenges faced by the global transport industry in terms of reducing emissions and fuel consumption.
“The automotive market is moving towards ever more complex and structurally sound castings,” said Mr Grainger. “This is particularly the case in high performance aluminium alloys, and our knowledge and experience combined with our state-of-the-art facilities means we have been able to develop the next generation of aluminium and non-ferrous castings. By blending digital manufacturing and 3D sand printing with our design and materials experience, we are enabling customers to design, produce and validate complex components within a compressed timescale.”
Efficiency
He added: “Our Next Generation innovations deliver real benefits for component suppliers in reduced cost, improved efficiency and rapid turnaround. We look forward to working with the industry to maximise these benefits when current restrictions are lifted.”
Aluminium foil tray manufacturer, i2r Packaging Solutions, operates as part of the Italian Laminazione Sottile Group.
Established as an environmentally responsible packaging company in 2007, i2r is currently in the third year of a 2018-2022 strategic plan. The firm’s key goals, objectives and vision include delivering new ‘eye-opening’ product ranges, diversifying into new geographical regions and market sectors, championing engineering innovation and to be the lowest cost manufacturer in its sector – all strategies designed to fulfil ambitious financial targets.
The company’s international focus for ongoing further growth is concentrated on countries where there is a desire for high-quality convenience foods, together with demographic similarities in terms of shopping and eating habits, population density and levels of income when compared to the UK market.
Jon West, commercial director, said: “We are thrilled and privileged to have been recognised for international trade with a Queen’s Award. The achievement is testament to the collective and sustained effort from everyone here at i2r who has helped ensure that the business continues to be the unrivalled success story that it is today.”
