SiG celebrates fifth annual All STAR best practice awards

Through a video link Minister for Business and Industry Andrew Stephenson MP praised the programme and its beneficiaries. He said: “The programme is a great example of our Industrial Strategy in action. Sharing in Growth is a real success story for British industry and a crucial part of our efforts to improve productivity and competitiveness. Your innovative work showcases the best of the UK aerospace sector demonstrating why we are world leader in manufacturing and technology.”

The 180-strong audience of programme beneficiaries, first tier customers, government and industry stakeholders saw a selection of eight case studies chosen from record entries as well as presentations from Nick Chism, chief business advisor at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Seamus Nevin, chief economist, Make UK, Katherine Bennett CBE, senior vice president of Airbus, independent analyst, commentator and defence advisor Howard Wheeldon FRAeS and business guru Ellis Watson.

Sharing in Growth also used the All STAR (Sharing Together Achieves Results) event to promote the Women in Aviation and Aerospace (WiAA) Charter and bring the number of beneficiary signatories to 18, around 15% of all companies who have committed to the Charter ideal of working towards gender equality in the industry and thereby attracting the best talent into the sector.

The event culminated in an awards dinner where trophies named after Sharing in Growth’s values of inspire, integrity and ikigai went to Castle Precision Engineering of Glasgow, South West Metal Finishing of Exeter and Oxley Group of Ulverston, Cumbria who also took home Best Practice Case Study Awards. The inaugural Lighthouse Team Leader Award went to Esther Mcphee of South West Metal Finishing and the People Award to Sharing in Growth business development coach Colin Share.
 
The Best Practice Case Study Award winners also included:

• Ferranti Technology of Oldham
• Gentex Corporation of Letchworth and Stranraer
• JJ Churchill of Market Bosworth
• Gooch & Housego of Glenrothes
• Sigmatex of Runcorn.

Programme completion certificates were also presented to:

• Hyde Aero Products of Dukinfield
• Nasmyth Metallics of Bulwell
• Sigma Components of Hinckley
• Stone Foundries of Greenwich
• XCEL Aerospace of Romford.

Said Sharing in Growth CEO Andy Page: “Our aerospace sector is facing unprecedented pressures in terms of increased competition, as well as trade and environmental change so Sharing in Growth has a vital role as part of the UK Industrial Strategy. The best practice case studies demonstrate the unrivalled effectiveness of our programme in creating sustainable growth for advanced manufacturing suppliers. We’ve now supported over 60 beneficiaries to secure more than £4 billion in contracts two years ahead of schedule. This is equivalent to over 7,000 jobs so we are well on target to safeguard 10,000 UK jobs by 2020. We are, without doubt, beating the productivity challenge.”

The Ikigai trophy was won by Castle Precision who employ 120 people manufacturing high precision critical gas turbine components for the aerospace industry as well as complex prismatic parts for the defence industry. Since joining the programme in 2014, they have secured a record £80 million contract with Rolls-Royce, increased sales from £15 million to £19 million in the last year, and delivered £2.4 million in cost savings directly to a customer.

The Integrity trophy was won by South West Metal Finishing, who provide a broad range of surface coatings and testing processes from plants in Exeter, Chippenham and Yeovil. They have created 40 new jobs, made a £1.9 million capital investment, achieved record sales and improved their turnover by 37% since joining the Sharing in Growth programme in 2015.

The Inspire trophy was won by Oxley Group whose growth strategy included empowering their team to drive changes that will double turnover in five years and treble it in ten years and inspiring local talent into aerospace and STEM careers by supporting the WiAA Charter and programmes for 10,000 young people.

A not-for-profit organisation Sharing in Growth is supported by the Regional Growth Fund and by more than £150 million in private investment. Over 60 companies, with some 10,000 employees, have benefitted from the Sharing in Growth programme across the UK. Each company participates in a bespoke and intense training and business transformation programme which focuses on leadership, culture and operational capability delivered by SiG’s own 100 strong team of business coaches as well as a bank of world-leading experts including The University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, Deloitte, Industry Forum and the National Physical Laboratory.


Companies interested in joining the Sharing in Growth programme should visit: www.sig-uk.org/apply .

Companies interested in signing the WiAA charter should visit: www.wiaacharter.com