The winners have been announced as the awards celebrate the brightest rising stars in manufacturing

Business

. Award winners from Greyhound Box, LBBC, Bensons Panels, Schneider Electric and FaberExposize UK celebrate with Manufacturing Ambassador Graham Cooper (full row: Back Row: Kieran Dinsdale, Greyhound Box (Future Manufacturing Leader); Michael Ellis, LBBC Group (Rising) Star Graham Cooper (Manufacturing Ambassador Tony Weston, Head of Operations at Bensons Panels accepting the award on behalf of Dan Brodie (Apprentice of the Year) Front Row: Manjulekha Sekar and Vlada Alzir, Schneider Electric (Large Employer of the Year ) Claire Taylforth and Hollie Stothard, FaberExposize UK (SME Employer of the Year)

Manufacturing and engineering employers came together last week to celebrate some of the sector’s brightest younger stars at an awards-packed ceremony held at Leeds Beckett University’s Rose Bowl building.

The Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards, now in their third year, have become one of the highlights of the festival and showcase the talent and outstanding contribution of young people to industry in West Yorkshire. This year’s awards saw a record number of nominations from employers keen to reward and celebrate the achievements of outstanding apprentices and other team members.

The Future Manufacturing Leader Award, sponsored by Leeds City Council, went to Kieran Dinsdale, Operations Supervisor at packaging manufacturer Greyhound Box.

Kieran, who joined the company as an apprentice 10 years ago, was singled out to receive the award for his creativity, professionalism and outstanding leadership qualities.

“Kieran leads a team of 12 and commands respect from everyone he works with. He is composed, patient, intelligent and very skilled; a real asset to Greyhound Box and someone who always supports our values ​​and culture,” said managing director Louise O’Brien.

LBBC apprentice Michael Ellis is presented with the Rising Star 2024 award by Leeds City College’s Emma Schofield

The Apprentice of the Year award, sponsored by engineering apprenticeship benchmarking organization Next Gen Makers, went to Dan Brodie of electrical panel designer and manufacturer Bensons Panels. An apprentice panel fitter who has been with the business for just over a year, Dan is in his second year of a level 3 electrician apprenticeship with the company.

Benson Panels director Matthew Barton said: “During his time with us, Dan has consistently impressed with his safety, reliability and positivity. He is a sponge for knowledge and went above and beyond what was asked of him, even stepping up to take ownership in a department where we unexpectedly had a temporary resource problem. Dan used everything he learned to do this, acquiring new skills, communicating with other teams and coordinating his own activities with those of support staff.”

Engineering firm LBBC Group has nominated a winning employee at the Manufacturing Festival Awards for the third consecutive year, with apprentice Michael Ellis named Rising Star 2024. Michael is in his second year of a computer numerical control (CNC) apprenticeship at LBBC and is described by his employer as “dedicated, resilient and skilled”.

Operations Manager Adam Benn said:
“What really sets Michael apart is his eagerness to learn and grow. He mastered operating a CNC machine in less than a year and now independently creates toolpaths using industry standard software. This achievement alone speaks volumes for his dedication and skill.”

Highly commended at the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards, from left: Vinicius Rodrigues, Schneider Electric; Pedro Gola, ASC Stainless; Mufeeda Koyilot, Kirkstall Precision Engineering; Nathan Moseley, LBBC; Sam Windsor, AW Hainsworth; Junior Turay, Technical control systems

The Rising Star Award was sponsored by Leeds City College’s School of Engineering.

This year’s Employers of the Year, sponsored by E3 Recruitment, have been selected for their commitment to employees and investment in people development. They were named energy equipment and solutions firm Schneider Electric in the large employer category and FaberExposize UK was named SME Employer of the Year. The company specializes in large format printed flags and banners for outdoor sporting events, festivals, major retail and automotive brands.

A special Manufacturing Ambassador award was presented to Graham Cooper, former Site Manager at Agfa’s Leeds plant in the UK. The award recognized Graham’s role in initiating the Leeds Production Festival and his contribution to raising the profile of the sector.

The trophy was presented by Chris Black, Chairman of Leeds Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the manufacturing employers who are sponsoring this year’s festival: Greyhound Box, Leeds Welding Company. MPM, Sound Leisure, Saftronics, Bensons Panels and Kirkstall Precision Engineering.

Highly commended in the Employer of the Year Award, from left: Kirkstall Precision Engineering, AW Hainsworth, Bensons Panels, Brandon Medical, Leeds Welding Company, Greyhound Box