Businesses celebrate King's Award success

A pioneering engineering firm is celebrating after receiving The King's Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

Grainger & Worrall is one of 12 businesses across the West Midlands to get a King's Award on Tuesday in various categories.

Described by the government as the UK's most prestigious business award, they recognise some of the best companies operating in the country in a range of sectors.

Aluminium sand casting specialists Grainger & Worrall, based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, works with automotive and aerospace companies across the world.

But it is the firm's cutting edge work in an area known as gigacasting that has attracted attention in recent years, particularly with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers.

Traditionally, car chassis have been produced from hundreds of parts which are then welded together by robots on a production line.

However gigacasting means casting structures in much fewer - often just two - very large parts which are then assembled.

The technique ultimately cuts manufacturing time and costs, as well as producing lighter structures, key for EV production, the firm said.

However, equipment is extremely expensive at the set-up stage and Grainger & Worrall use a method of gigacasting sometimes large and detailed sections of aluminium by pouring molten metal into sand moulds - a technique that can trace its roots back to the Industrial Revolution.

The approach, while more expensive than other techniques at high volume, is cheaper and quicker for delivering prototypes, Duncan Eldridge, chief executive of Grainger & Worrall said, allowing manufacturers to get the design right before tooling a full production line.

And while the early pioneers of the Industrial Revolution might recognise the sand-casting technique, it has been given a 21st Century twist - with computer designed 3D models turned into digitally printed sand moulds.

The firm has previously won three Queen's Awards and Mr Eldridge said they were all "very special".

He said The King's Award "reflects the dedication, creativity and expertise of our talented team" and that there would be a chance for them to celebrate properly later in the year.

"We are putting Bridgnorth on the global map when it comes to producing components that will help drive sustainable manufacturing for years to come," he added.

Hereford-based business Level Peaks received The King's Award for International Trade.

Managed by ex-UK Special Forces veterans, the firm supplies defence and security equipment to the UK government and governments abroad.

Sam Swinton, its business director, said the award served as a "meaningful recognition" of its growth.

"It stands as a testament to the commitment, professionalism, and contributions of the individuals within our organisation who have made that progress possible," she said.

Berrington Pure Spring Water Ltd, also in Hereford, was recognised in the innovation category for launching the world's first spring water bottle made from 100% recycled aluminium.

Matt Crocker, managing director, said the firm was thrilled with the accolade.

"Since launching four years ago, we have sold over 10 million bottles," he said.

"Innovation is at the heart of everything we do - not just in our products, but in how we think, how we work, and how we challenge convention to create real impact and become market leaders.

"To win a King's Award is an extraordinary honour and a testament to the hard work and creativity of our entire team."

The award programme, now in its 59th year, has recognised more than 8,000 companies since its inception in 1965.

Also recognised in the innovation category wass TMT First, a Staffordshire-based business that offers a mobile component repair process, designed to reduce costs, improve sustainability and eliminate electronic waste.

A spokesperson for the company said they aimed to keep "technology alive for longer".