Accelerate Awards winners demonstrate international competitiveness
Stokes Forgings, a leading ferrous forger, and Valve Train Components, a valve collets manufacturer, respectively walked off with the Large and Small SME Awards for the West Midlands in the Accelerate Excellence Awards last month.
The two companies beat off competition from 60 companies to win. Stokes Forgings has used an aggressive sales drive to boost turnover and land the Large SME Award and a £10,000 cash prize in the process.
The Walsall-based company impressed the judges with its commitment to investment, two-way relationships with the supply chain and the introduction of a series of new processes. Also singled out was a major expansion programme that so far has created over £3.5 million of new business.
“2005 has been a truly whirlwind year for the company and one, which has seen them enter a number of new markets across the world, including Belgium, Spain and Slovakia. New business has even been won back from a Chinese forger on ‘cost’,” said Accelerate chairman Malcolm Bird.
