Made in the Midlands newsroom

(Awards panel l-r) Michael Skinner, Swindell and Pearson, Anup Sirichand, Fexco, Richard Gunn, Crowe Clark Whitehill, Kevin Rogers, Paycare, Ian Shedherd, MPM Insurance, Mark Evans, R&D Tax Claims, Sophie Whittingham, Made in the Midlands, Jonathan Lee, J

Growing manufacturers in the Midlands will be celebrating their achievements at a special awards presentation being held in Wolverhampton on the 16th October.

Many of the UK's hopes for a vision and growing sector rest on the Midlands. The success of Jaguar Land Rover and events like this help build upon the positive mood in manufacturing, and encourage more people to get involved with the sector.

The awards ,which are now in their fifth year, are organised annually by Made in the Midlands. The aim is to recognise high growth and innovation amongst manufacturing firms in the region. Made in the Midlands is a trade body that supports industry through lobbying, hosting events and championing manufacturing to young people.

Judges were comprised of industry peers and patrons of Made in the Midlands. Ian Shepherd, Partner of MPM Insurance said: "It’s amazing to see that the Midlands continues to demonstrate why the rest of the UK relies on this region for manufacturing. The skill set and entrepreneurial flair with a determination towards quality was very evident".

Another of the judges, Mike Middleton of Lloyds Bank, said: "It was clear to see the sector remains buoyant with impressive growth and innovation stories particularly apparent”.

Charles Addison, Chief Operating Officer, Made in the Midlands, said: "It was fantastic to see so many Midlands manufacturing companies growing and investing".

"When people talk about manufacturing they often end up discussing one or two big names, but our members last year created more jobs than Jaguar Land Rover, what makes this remarkable is that many of them do not even supply into the automotive sector".

"British manufacturing is back and here to stay, we all need to get behind British engineering, these awards are a great way to do that".

Jason Pitt, CEO, Made in the Midlands, said: "“We are proud to have played our part in changing the perception of manufacturing a forward thinking, innovative industry that is creating real, sustainable jobs in Britain".

For more information about Made in the Midlands please visit www.madeinthemidlands.com