Three fast-growing companies benefiting from a Brexit boost have been given a royal seal of approval as Britain's very best.
The trio will today receive The King's Awards for Enterprise – the UK's highest official award for business – for their role as pioneers in international trade, innovation and sustainable development.
It comes just weeks after Business and Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch welcomed the speech Brexit freedoms to power a manufacturing giant that will help drive a revived economy, in further evidence that Britain is leading the way outside the EU.
Birmingham-based metal manufacturer Brandauer has the rare honor of being one of a select few to hold two different King's Awards titles simultaneously.
It has been acclaimed for producing innovative and globally competitive precision tools that can produce components with micron accuracy for use in high-specification construction applications, battery assemblies, MedTech devices and electrification.
It comes four years after it received an International Trade Award from the then Queen's Award for Enterprise.
Boss Rowan Crozier said: “It's so difficult to get Royal Assent once, so getting a second award is a great achievement for the company and reinforces our determination to be world-class in everything we do.
“The original title had already helped us win new contracts, especially in the US, where the royal family is highly revered.”
The pulsating 'made in the UK' sector is now worth £518 billion and supports 7.3 million jobs, a clear sign that the country is emerging and thriving.
The booming sector is a wake-up call for those who predicted a sluggish future outside the closed EU.
A recent analysis from Oxford Economics and the Manufacturing Technologies Association shows how companies are thriving despite an unprecedented period of struggle.
Britain's booming businesses have succeeded despite everything Covidrising energy costs, the fragility of the global supply chain and raging international conflicts.
The value of manufacturing, the backbone of the economy, is now estimated at almost 25% of national wealth – significantly larger than the 8.2% of direct contribution cited by economists.
And typical wages in the sector are now £31,300 – 11% higher than the national average.
The optimism is thanks to booming companies such as fast-growing RYSE 3D, founded by Mitchell Barnes in 2017, which has been recognized for its commitment to innovation after developing 3D printed mold tools that have allowed UK manufacturers to compete with low-cost overseas operations. The idea has significantly reduced costs for companies and ensures faster turnaround times – in some cases even within a few days.
It has also enabled Shipston-on-Stour to produce parts for 18 of the world's hypercar projects, boosting sales to £4m this year.
Mitchell said: “This has been a journey. From replacing my mum's washing machines in the garage with some DIY 3D printers, to making models at university, to setting up a world-class 3D printing factory in Warwickshire and winning a of the most difficult business awards in the world to achieve.
“We pride ourselves on disrupting the market and as a result we have won a series of new contracts around the world.
“Forty percent of our work now goes abroad and this figure is set to grow, with interest from five different continents.
“The King's Award for Enterprise will help strengthen this international expansion and will certainly open new doors for us.”
Arrowsmith Engineering has seen sales abroad increase by almost 400% afterCovidwith orders now accounting for 35% of the company's annual turnover of £7.6m.
Precision components manufactured in Coventry are sent to customers in China, France, Germany, Singapore and Spain for use in aerospace engines, landing gear and airframes.
Managing director Jason Aldridge said: “There has been a turnaround from the depths of despair during Covid to the renaissance we see now and in the future.
“Civil aviation – an important market for us – literally fell off the cliff with the pandemic and we had to show old-fashioned resilience and a good dose of business innovation to get through it.”
The company continues its quest to get more female engineers involved in aerospace.
The recruitment boom has seen women make up almost a quarter of the workforce – a figure that will be further boosted through partnerships with schools, colleges and universities and using existing engineers as mentors to show what women in the industry can achieve.
Mr Aldridge added: “The King's Award will certainly help us with recruitment, especially considering we compete locally with a number of major car manufacturers and aerospace firsts.
“The process is one of the most rigorous in the business and I am thrilled with our great staff. “Yes, we have invested heavily in the best technology, but our people are still our greatest asset and our biggest selling point. This prize is for them.”