At the UK’s prestigious Northern Automotive Alliance 2018 awards event, Force Technology was presented with the following awards…

  • Winner – Company of the Year Award sponsored by Bentley,
  • Winner – Logistics Award sponsored by DHL,
  • Runner Up – International Trade Award sponsored by Morson Group.

Low emission vehicles and sustainability were the driving forces at the 2018 Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA) Awards – for the winning companies, and for the message from the evening’s Master of Ceremonies and Guest Speaker, Robert Llewellyn.

The NAA Awards, which showcase the successes of vehicle manufacturers, supply chain companies and service providers in the region, took place in Cheshire on 8th November 2018.

The winner of the overall NAA Company of the Year Award 2018, sponsored by Bentley Motors Ltd, was Force Technology; the company also won the Logistics Excellence Award, sponsored by DHL Supply Chain. Force Technology designs, manufactures and tests springs for high precision, high duty applications in a range of sectors such as automotive, including supercars and motorsport. Force Technology is increasingly delivering design consultancy for the development of spring and valvetrain technology that results in lower vehicle emissions.

However, these weren’t the key reasons why the judges awarded the Company of the Year accolade to Force Technology. What made the business stand out was that it has become a major supplier of high-performance springs to some of the largest customers globally in just three years since the business was founded.

Steve Williams, Managing Director at Force Technology, explained why he believed the company had become so successful in such a short period of time. “When we started the business, we had one clear vision – to be world-class. This approach has enabled us to gain large contracts that traditionally would only have been awarded to companies that had been established for much longer periods of time. I also have to thank the NAA for the excellent support it has provided to help us launch and grow the business so effectively.”

Automotive Alliance Awards 2018 at The Mere Golf Resort, Knutsford, Cheshire.

Other NAA Award winners included:

  • AJE Powertrain, for developing lightweight components from recycling waste titanium
  • Klarius Products, for an impressive growth in profits and international exports of its emission control components
  • Sigmatex, for its training and development programme during a period when it was developing more sustainable carbon fibre production methods
  • MGS Technical Plastics, for reducing waste energy in its manufacturing process
  • GenLab, for using simulation to make its factory more efficient
  • BAC (Briggs Automotive Company), manufacturer of the single-seat Mono, for a bespoke approach to developing and growing customer relationships.

 

Rowan Egan, NAA Chief Executive, commented: “As my first Awards event as NAA Chief Executive it was impressive to see the diverse range of companies in the Northern region that are offering world-class products and services – with our 2018 Company of the Year, Force Technology, being a perfect example. It’s also good to see that low emissions and sustainability are taking a greater priority in our Northern industry.”

Wes Jacklin, Chairman of Directors and Advisory Board, Northern Automotive Alliance and Plant Director at McLaren Automotive, added: “The NAA has been very effective in supporting automotive supply chain companies, and our Awards Dinner is an ideal platform to showcase the achievement of the region’s businesses. As we enter a period where collaboration will be more essential than ever, the NAA has an increasingly important role to play to bring together different organisations from a range of sectors to develop solutions for tomorrow’s mobility challenges.”

The evening’s Master of Ceremonies and Guest Speaker, Robert Llewellyn, entertained the audience with stories about his adventures with electric vehicles, leaving attendees in no doubt that highly capable low emission vehicles are already here, and that the transition to greener transport offers significant business opportunities for automotive supply chain companies.