One Degree of Xtrac Makes It A Hat Trick Of Manufacturing Industry Awards

Vehicle drive system technology and motorsport transmission specialist Xtrac has notched up yet another Manufacturer of the Year Award. Renamed this year the TMMX 2015 Awards, and held for the first time in association with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Xtrac received from The Manufacturer magazine the prestigious 'People and Skills' award.

“The TMMX Awards showcase the best manufacturing companies and people in the UK,” said a delighted Peter Digby. “It was the opinion of the judges that Xtrac best demonstrated how skills and workforce development can help optimise productivity and quality, which has always been one of our key priorities.”

UK Entrepreneur of the Year and also listed among the Top 100 Most Influential People in UK Manufacturing, Digby has only recently stepped into his new role as Xtrac's executive chairman to concentrate on corporate strategy and international motorsport customers.

“The judges commended us for our focus on talent and performance, and the motivation among members of staff to strive for improvement,” he added.

“During their rigorous assessment, the judges toured our facilities and interviewed numerous staff throughout the organisation,” said recently promoted managing director Adrian Moore. “This was followed by equally demanding formal interviews with key personnel. In particular, they liked our fortnightly team briefings, quarterly meetings for the whole factory, apprentice and undergraduate schemes, and applauded the ownership of our company by its employees.”

Moore, who is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, represents the motorsport industry on the UK government supported Automotive Council's Technology Group, which aims to engage in the delivery of new low carbon technologies and development of the UK automotive industry supply base.

“I'm also delighted that the automotive and motorsport industries were well represented in these awards,” said Moore. “My congratulations go to our industry colleagues at The McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, which secured the Manufacturing in Action Award.”

“Xtrac was also a finalist for the Exporter of the Year award,” said Moore. “The judges commended us for consistently exporting almost 80 per cent of our high technology products, and for having established facilities in Indiana and North Carolina to grow our export market in the USA. I'm also personally delighted of course that Tim Plows, a second year apprentice, was classified as a finalist for the Apprentice of the Year award.”

Xtrac is a regular recipient of these UK manufacturing industry awards. Last year, it was crowned the overall winner having secured the 'Leadership and Strategy' and 'Medium Sized Enterprise of the Year' awards. Xtrac was competing with finalists from nearly every sector of the UK's flourishing manufacturing industry.

In 2010, Xtrac's application of its motor racing know-how to the development of hybrid and electric vehicles, and the transfer of its driveline technology to the defence and marine industries, helped the UK Motorsport Valley company into second place in its first ever participation in The UK Manufacturer of the Year Awards.

The company also took top honours that year in the 'Advanced Manufacturing' category and, as well as being overall runner-up, was also shortlisted as a finalist for the Innovation and Design, Leadership and Strategy, and Best Small and Medium Enterprise awards.

This year's winners were crowned at The Manufacturer MX Awards ceremony and gala dinner held on 26 November at The ICC in Birmingham. The black tie event was staged in front of an audience of over a thousand senior executives and key personnel from the UK's flourishing manufacturing industry. For further information about the awards go to http://www.themanufacturer.com/eventsites/the-manufacturer-mx-awards/winners-2015/

About Xtrac

Xtrac has become a world-leader in the design and manufacture of transmission products and components, which are used throughout international motorsport and in particular within F1, IndyCar, Touring Car, Rallying, Rally Raid and many forms of sportscar and GT racing, including its major involvement in the World Endurance Championship, Le Mans 24 Hours, Daytona 24 Hour and Sebring 12 Hour races.

Based in Berkshire in the UK, and in Indiana and North Carolina in the USA, the company is a major ambassador for the UK's world-renowned 'Motorsport Valley'. Almost 80 per cent of its annual sales turnover of vehicle driveline products - which includes gearboxes, differentials and engine gears - is exported, with Germany being a significant market.

On an operational level, Xtrac has incorporated a wide range of programmes that are environmentally friendly, energy efficient and increase recycling. Its modern 90,000 sq. ft. (8,400m2) factory has the latest energy efficient machine tools and lighting systems. It recycles as much aluminium, paper, plastics and steel as possible, as well as cleaning solvents and cooling fluids.

Through its much-admired employee benefit trust, Xtrac's staff own the entire business, which has implemented many initiatives to encourage employee engagement throughout the company including award-winning apprentice and undergraduate training programmes.

Albeit a motorsport company, Xtrac reaches out to the automotive mainstream and other transport sectors alongside its traditional heartland of the motorsport industry. It is aligned with the UK government's agenda on advanced propulsion systems for hybrid and electric vehicles by engaging with other industry sectors, while pushing the company's traditional boundaries.

For further information please visit www.xtrac.com.