Northern Ireland manufacturers recognised at prestigious UK awards

Northern Ireland manufacturers have enjoyed success at Insider's Made in the UK Awards, which celebrated the most innovative and successful manufacturers, ranging from SMEs to multinationals.

Drawing together the winners from all the regional events in 2023/24, the sold out event was held at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool and was compered by Kyran Bracken.

There were 13 awards on the evening, with firms from Northern Ireland taking home three.

Lisburn-headquartered James Leckey Design won the Medical, Life Sciences & Healthcare Award after impressing the judges with a strategy that sees the clinical team fully integrated into the R&D process. This was said to result in the creation of child-focused innovative products.

Antrim-headquartered Camden Group was another winner, picking up the Sustainable/Ethical Manufacturer Award.

Camden is a family owned business formed in 1983 and was praised for its circular manufacturing approach, with up to 160 tonnes of old uPVC frames diverted from landfill every week into 80% of new products.

Speaking about the award, Camden Group owner and chairman Brian Lavery, said: “It was fantastic to see Camden recognised in this UK-wide showcase of manufacturing, particularly in this category for sustainability.

“We are proud to have grown the family business into a market leading supplier for the construction industry over the past 40 years and that we have been able to do so with circular manufacturing practices.

“This Award is a recognition of Camden’s contribution to finding innovative approaches in response to environmental demands and a welcome one as we build up to a milestone anniversary.”

The third winner from Northern Ireland was Bangor-based Denroy, which specialises in the design and manufacture of engineered polymer components.

Denroy, which last year expanded its factory site to increase production, assembly, and packing capacity, was named Manufacturer of the Year (under £25m turnover).The expansion has solidified Denroy's position as an industry leader and secured the company's future.

The full list of winners is here.

MHA and Made Smarter were the headline sponsors, with the awards also sponsored by Lloyds Bank.