The most successful and inspiring manufacturing businesses of all sizes from across Northern Ireland have been acclaimed at Insider’s Made in Northern Ireland Awards. The tenth edition of the event was held at Titanic Belfast and attracted entries this year from a diverse range of organisations from across Northern Ireland. The awards were sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK, HNH Partners, MCS Group and Power NI. Winners will be automatically entered into Insider’s Made in the UK Awards.
Digital Technology Award
Winner: Camlin Group
Camlin provides innovative and intelligent monitoring products and services that help make electricity and rail networks safer, more efficient, resilient and sustainable. It has developed LineSIGHT, a groundbreaking overhead circuit monitoring and fault management system. The judges were impressed that this has been described as a ‘game changer’in the future of grid transformation.
Shortlisted:
Scanmatix
Sensoteq
Terex
Uform
Manufacturing Innovation Award
Sponsored by MCS Group
Winner: REP-TEC
REP-TEC designs and manufactures innovative products tailored for material recovery facilities which process household and commercial waste into reusable commodities, such as cardboard, plastic and aluminium. Its advanced machine control system, ECO-DRIVE, typically delivers up to 30 per cent saving on power usage compared to traditional systems. This product innovation greatly impressed the judges.
Shortlisted:
Donite Plastics
Mallaghan Engineering
Sensoteq
Export Award
Winner: Crust & Crumb Bakery
Crust & Crumb manufactures ambient, chilled and frozen dough-based products. In the last year it has secured business in the Netherlands and Denmark, while further expanding its presence in the Middle East. The judges were also impressed that key partnerships with major international retailers such as Lidl have been secured across Europe and the Middle East.
Shortlisted:
Brett Martin
McCauley Trailers
Sensoteq
Food & Drink Award
Sponsored by HNH Partners
Winner: Crust & Crumb Bakery
A second win for Crust & Crumb this afternoon. Last year saw the successful launch of its Takeaway range, enabling it to expand the range and optimise manufacturing capacity. It also saw a 450% increase in its seasonal line production for Christmas 2024. The judges felt its commitment to innovation, community involvement, sustainability and employee pride, makes it the stand-out company this year.
Shortlisted:
Armagh Cider Company
RADD Brands
Sustainable/Ethical Manufacturer Award
Sponsored by power NI
Winner: Brett Martin
Brett Martin is a leader in manufacturing plastic building materials. With significant investments in renewable energy, carbon reduction, circular economy initiatives, and bio-based product development, the company is setting new standards in sustainable manufacturing. The judges highlighted its We Care sustainability strategy,for which it has received the prestigious Planet Mark certification.
Shortlisted:
Camden Group
Wrightbus
Manufacturing Future Talent Award
Winner: Mallaghan Engineering
Mallaghan has its own internal Mallaghan Apprentice Mentor programme, which consists of 30 apprentices, ranging from Gold to HLA, with a range of courses and qualifications . The judges were impressed that each apprentice has a mentor and that the training program is designed to produce highly skilled, well-rounded apprentices who are prepared for long-term careers in the engineering sector.
Shortlisted:
JMG Systems
McCauley Trailers
Smiley Monroe
Apprentice of the Year
Winner: Luke Rushe, Smiley Monroe
Luke studies Engineering (technical design and manufacture) one day a week with SRC and in the product development team, assisting the manufacturing engineering team, the rest of the week. He designs new products and improvements and also supports the daily engineering functions. The judges were hugely impressed with Luke’s skill levels, as well as his enthusiasm and determination. This is exemplified by him coming in each week showing new sketches and prototypes he made at home.
Shortlisted:
Emer Cullen, Mallaghan Engineering
Matthew Frizelle, Mallaghan Engineering
Padraig Kelly, McCauley Trailers
Diarmuid Walls, Mallaghan Engineering
Medical, Life Sciences & Healthcare Award
Winner: Leckey
Leckey designs, develops and manufactures innovative therapy equipment, which improve the lives of children with additional needs. The company exported £7.7m of equipment in 2024 globally and £15.9m to the UK & Ireland markets, increasing revenues by 3 per cent in the year. The judges were impressed with its continued investment programme and its commitment to upskill its staff.
Shortlisted:
Eakin Healthcare
Haemoband Surgical
Manufacturer of the Year (under £25m)
Winner: Donite Plastics
Donite Plastics specialises in the design and manufacture of custom moulded plastic parts, supplying manufacturers across a range of sectors including aerospace, agritech, automotive and renewable energy. In partnership with the NI Technology Centre at Queen’s University, Donite has introduced smart technology into the aircraft interiors assembly process. This innovation, with Donite R&D to the fore, greatly impressed the judges.
Shortlisted:
Haemoband Surgical
Leckey
McCauley Trailers
RADD Brands
Scanmatix
Manufacturer of the Year (over £25m)
Sponsored by Bank of Ireland
Winner: Wrightbus
Wrightbus manufactures revolutionary zero-emission buses, supplying buses and after service support across the UK, Ireland, Europe and Asia. Last year the company signed a deal worth up to half-a-billion pounds to supply more than 1,000 buses to operator Go-Ahead over the next three years, securing jobs and supporting an additional 1,500 across the UK supply chain. This landmark contract made Wrightbus the outstanding NI manufacturer according to the judges.
Shortlisted:
Alternative HEAT
Brett Martin
Camden Group
Crust & Crumb Bakery
Mallaghan Engineering
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