News & Media

Lady Gretton presents the Queen's Award

Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire Jennifer Lady Gretton, JP, today presented Winbro Group Technologies with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

The presentation, attended by VIP guests and all 180 staff took place at the company’s new advanced machining centre in Shepshed and is the second Queen’s Award received by the company which also holds a Queen’s Award for International Trade.

As well as handing over the emblem – a crystal bowl – and the grant of appointment, Lady Gretton also toured the new high tech plant, meeting staff and seeing the HSA5 product which won the award. The HSA5 is the first of its type in the world and brings together a variety of processes and technologies into one machine which manufactures complex shapes used in turbine components.

The company will also be invited to a Buckingham Palace reception next month. Said Lady Gretton: “I am delighted to be able to present Winbro Group Technologies with its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise, this time in the Innovation category. I last visited Winbro in 2009 to present an International Trade Award, and so to be able to return to see how the company has developed new innovative technology, and invested in a new production facility, is very exciting. To be a double award-winner is exceptional and I congratulate everyone at the company of behalf of Her Majesty The Queen on their success.”

Said Winbro’s UK chief operating officer Andy Lawson: “Winbro started manufacturing in 1992 and is now recognised as a global leader in aerospace and energy thanks to its commitment to innovation, quality and people. The Queen’s Award is a real testament to the continued hard work and dedication of everyone at Winbro to ensure that our machining systems, services and processing of turbine components remain world class.”

Said North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen: “It is a fantastic achievement for the team at Winbro as this is the second time they have received the Queen’s Award. It is not only a boost for the company but also a boost for the constituency. The Queen's Awards are the most prestigious business awards in the UK recognising the most outstanding companies.”

The company, which supplies blue chip companies like Rolls-Royce, GE, Pratt and Whitney, Snecma and Siemens, operates over four sites in Coalville and one recently expanded plant in America. In addition, Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise Rt Hon Anna Soubry MP last month opened the advanced machining centre in Shepshed.

The expansion comes after Winbro started on the government-backed Sharing in Growth (SiG) initiative which helps improve the competitiveness of UK aerospace companies. Since joining SiG in 2014, Winbro has secured contracts worth around £88 million and will see the company grow to over 300 by mid 2018. It is currently recruiting engineers and technical staff in a number of disciplines.

Said Andy Page, CEO of Sharing in Growth: “We congratulate the Winbro team, not only on their technology but also for building skills and creating jobs, raising productivity and competitiveness, winning business and investing in the local community. They should be proud to be a great British manufacturing success story.”

Winbro uses state-of-the art equipment to manufacture complex turbine components such as high pressure blades and vanes as used in the ‘hot’ part of aero engines and power generation gas turbines. The company also provides turnkey machining systems, services and manufactured components, backed by extensive research and development in products and processes.

For information on Winbro vacancies please e-mail
kpanter@winbrogroup.com.

For photographs and more information please contact:

Richard Baxter
Global Capital Systems & Marketing Manager
Winbro Group Technologies
Whitwick Business Park
Coalville, LE67 4JP, UK