Double awards delight for Manufacturer of the Year Weir Minerals Europe

Weir Minerals Europe has been named Manufacturer of the Year by the EEF (formerly Engineering Employers’ Federation) at the annual national award ceremony.

The Todmorden-based company competed against other leading manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Airbus and BAE Systems to claim the title at the EEF Future Manufacturing Awards in London. It also triumphed in the Health and Safety award.

The panel of judges, made up of business leaders, industry experts and academics, was impressed with Weir Minerals’ continued commitment to investing in technology and efficiency, in addition to its ‘zero harm’ workplace policy.

While the company has a strong focus on health and safety, it has invested specifically in addressing ergonomic and musculoskeletal risks, driving home the message across every service centre and office in its region which covers Europe, North Africa, Turkey and Central Asia.

Jan Peter van Leeuwen, Weir Minerals Europe’s Managing Director, said the award highlighted both his team’s dedication to health and safety excellence, and the company’s culture of innovation.

“This is an incredible team effort,” he said. “We are proud to have secured this ahead of so many leading companies and it is an acknowledgement of our exceptional people, who make these milestones possible. We must continue to work closely together to deliver outstanding solutions for our customers.”

Stephen Phipson, CEO at the EEF, said: “Weir Minerals Europe is a fantastic example of a company that has moved health and safety from simply ‘compliance’ to true ‘innovation’ – reaping the rewards for their efforts. This award is justly deserved, but their real award is the greater employee wellbeing and operational efficiency that high levels of health and safety engagement and standards brings.”

Weir Minerals was named as the regional winner for the north east, Yorkshire and the Humber in the Health and Safety category in November last year. Representatives travelled to London for the national ceremony, on January 25, where the company was named Health and Safety winner before being awarded the overall title of Manufacturer of the Year.

The company manufactures wear-resistant, highly engineered processing equipment sold to a diverse range of sectors including mining and minerals processing, aggregates, water and industry in general.

The EEF was founded 120 years ago to support and champion manufacturing in the United Kingdom.