PETERBOROUGH-based Westcombe Engineering, which specialises in providing work for people with disability, has won the Manufacturer of the Year (under £25m) category at this year’s prestigious Made In Central & East England manufacturing awards.
The awards ceremony took place at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Milton Keynes on 22 March during which Westcombe Engineering was shortlisted against five other nominees. The company went on to pick up the award on stage from presenter Craig Dorham (business development manager for Insider).
The Manufacturer of the Year (under £25m) award recognises and rewards manufacturing companies based in the Central and East of England with a turnover of less than £25m and/or fewer than 250 employees, that has demonstrated ‘excellence and made an outstanding contribution to the manufacturing industry’ during the qualifying period.
Westcombe won the award thanks to a 40 per cent growth over the past two years. This was achieved through a marketing strategy that helped it to grow both locally and globally. It also won kudos for its continued investment in modern plant, equipment and employee training and development, alongside a focus on quality, cost and delivery of its goods. This allowed the company to diversity beyond its traditional diesel and engine component market to win new contracts in other industry sectors, while continuing to supply its long-standing customer Perkins Engines.
Andrew Lesiw, managing director for Westcombe Engineering said, “This was an important award for Westcombe Engineering and all our staff. The experience of winning and celebrating such a prestigious award on the evening was immense. All of our staff were just overwhelmed with excitement, delight and proudness, they just couldn’t stop smiling.
“We employ a highly skilled, talented and committed diverse workforce with a range of disabilities. We have set goals and ambitions to continue to grow the business over the next two to three years and we are also pursuing the possibility of new premises, it’s all really very exciting times for us moving forward.”
Westcombe was set up in 1971 through the Health and Welfare Committee of Peterborough City Council to create employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities with the aim of providing them with a foundation from which to seek mainstream employment. It was brought back under the control of the city council in 2009.
The company offers people with a range of disabilities the opportunity to use their skills and talents in the same way as anyone else, proving that disability is not a barrier to success. Its products are supplied nationally and globally into various industry sectors such as diesel engine components, agricultural, construction, electronics, food, marine, medical, fitness equipment, material handling equipment and oil and gas.