Already a British manufacturing success story, AESSEAL has seen uninterrupted sales growth at an average rate of more than 20% per year since the company’s inception in 1979.
In a published statement, the IMechE said:
“There is no doubt that AESSEAL was the stand-out company in Manufacturing Excellence 2011. It was shortlisted in an incredible seven out of nine categories, and won the judges’ unanimous vote for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Award for Overall Winner… aside from the undoubted quality of its products, AESSEAL has a particularly strong commitment to the customer - an approach that also won it the IMechE Customer Focus award. The company’s ability to deliver much of its wide and varied product range with a lead time of just two days shows supreme confidence in its logistical and operational efficiency.”
A panel of judges from the Institution audited the business against a 155 page self-assessment evidence report. From 222 applicants overall, and 31 assessment visits, just 18 finalists were shortlisted. The ceremony to announce the winner was held on Wednesday 23rd November at the Dorechester Hotel, London.
AESSEAL received the IMechE Award for Customer Focus and were then presented with the top honour as the Overall Winner with the IMechE Award for Manufacturing Excellence. The company’s founder and Managing Director, Chris J. Rea, OBE, commented:
“Continuous improvement is a journey with no final destination. I am sure that all at AESSEAL feel privileged to have been judged by our peers to be further along the journey than most. I am immensely proud to be associated with a group of my colleagues in AESSEAL who have grown, developed and who most importantly continue to improve.”
The company is currently the world’s 4th largest mechanical seal manufacturer and well on target to reach sales of £200 million by 2015. Through its focus on customer service it aims to become the number one mechanical seal manufacturer in the world. Its water-management technology also saves industry and the planet over 25 billion gallons (115 billion litres) of clean water per year.
CEO of AESSEAL plc, Jonathan Wilkinson, states that “The company’s purpose has always been clear: to deliver such exceptional service that our customers need never consider an alternate means of supply. Delivering on that promise is difficult - but the business has been designed to achieve it. We have great people who care about customer service, and we give them the tools to deliver”.
