Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems, a Melksham manufacturer of market-leading braking systems for the rail industry, has been named among the country’s top companies in this year’s EEF Future Manufacturing Awards.
The Wiltshire-based company won the EEF South West Region Innovative People Practices Award at a special ceremony in Bristol in recognition of its success in implementing a new internal communications programme.
The annual awards are hosted by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and recognise excellence in enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among UK manufacturers.
Knorr-Bremse decided on a new communication strategy in response to a workplace audit. It was felt that better communication would help its people connect more readily with the success of the company’s products, which would in turn would enhance motivation and morale.
So the company instigated a “push” process to generate a constant flow of information, creating an intranet hub for employees and launching Knorr-Bremse TV – a visual means of showing real time business performance, progress and measures in production and of celebrating successes. Company newsletters and magazines were also introduced.
Chair of the judging panel, Professor Steve Evans, Professor of Life Cycle Engineering at Cranfield University, said the company was an exemplar for the region in driving business success through better communication.
“This is just the sort of business that British industry needs,” he said. “The company has listened to its people, asked for feedback and shaped its innovative communications strategy accordingly.”
Terry Slater, South West Region Director for EEF, commented: “Manufacturing in the South West is increasingly important as an economic driver for the UK. Innovative companies such as Knorr-Bremse demonstrate that well-run manufacturing businesses have a very bright future and are critical to the long term economic success of the region and of the country as a whole.”
The regional winners will compete in the national finals, the winners of which will be announced on 27 January at a ceremony at Merchant Taylor’s Great Hall in the City of London.
The EEF South West region is a key area for manufacturing in the UK, with 12,000 companies employing more than 220,000 people and contributing around £12.3bn to the economy every year.
