Manufacturers celebrated in 10th anniversary of Made in Northern Ireland Awards

The most successful and inspiring manufacturing businesses of all sizes from across Northern Ireland have been acclaimed at Insider's Made in Northern Ireland Awards.

The 10th edition of the event was held at Titanic Belfast and attracted entries this year from a diverse range of organisations from across Northern Ireland. The awards were sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK, HNH Partners, MCS Group and Power NI. Winners will be automatically entered into Insider's Made in the UK Awards.

Digital Technology Award Winner: Camlin Group Camlin provides innovative and intelligent monitoring products and services that help make electricity and rail networks safer, more efficient, resilient and sustainable. It has developed LineSIGHT, a groundbreaking overhead circuit monitoring and fault management system. The judges were impressed that this has been described as a ‘game changer’ in the future of grid transformation. Shortlisted: Scanmatix Sensoteq Terex Uform

Manufacturing Innovation Award Sponsored by MCS Group Winner: REP-TEC REP-TEC designs and manufactures innovative products tailored for material recovery facilities which process household and commercial waste into reusable commodities, such as cardboard, plastic and aluminium. Its advanced machine control system, ECO-DRIVE, typically delivers up to 30 per cent saving on power usage compared to traditional systems. This product innovation greatly impressed the judges. Shortlisted: Donite Plastics Mallaghan Engineering Sensoteq

Export Award Winner: Crust & Crumb Bakery Crust & Crumb manufactures ambient, chilled and frozen dough-based products. In the last year it has secured business in the Netherlands and Denmark, while further expanding its presence in the Middle East. The judges were also impressed that key partnerships with major international retailers such as Lidl have been secured across Europe and the Middle East. Shortlisted: Brett Martin McCauley Trailers Sensoteq

Food & Drink Award Sponsored by HNH Partners Winner: Crust & Crumb Bakery A second win for Crust & Crumb this afternoon. Last year saw the successful launch of its Takeaway range, enabling it to expand the range and optimise manufacturing capacity. It also saw a 450% increase in its seasonal line production for Christmas 2024. The judges felt its commitment to innovation, community involvement, sustainability and employee pride, makes it the stand-out company this year. Shortlisted: Armagh Cider Company RADD Brands

Sustainable/Ethical Manufacturer Award Sponsored by power NI Winner: Brett Martin Brett Martin is a leader in manufacturing plastic building materials. With significant investments in renewable energy, carbon reduction, circular economy initiatives, and bio-based product development, the company is setting new standards in sustainable manufacturing. The judges highlighted its We Care sustainability strategy,for which it has received the prestigious Planet Mark certification. Shortlisted: Camden Group Wrightbus

Manufacturing Future Talent Award Winner: Mallaghan Engineering Mallaghan has its own internal Mallaghan Apprentice Mentor programme, which consists of 30 apprentices, ranging from Gold to HLA, with a range of courses and qualifications . The judges were impressed that each apprentice has a mentor and that the training program is designed to produce highly skilled, well-rounded apprentices who are prepared for long-term careers in the engineering sector. Shortlisted: JMG Systems McCauley Trailers Smiley Monroe

Apprentice of the Year Winner: Luke Rushe, Smiley Monroe Luke studies Engineering (technical design and manufacture) one day a week with SRC and in the product development team, assisting the manufacturing engineering team, the rest of the week. He designs new products and improvements and also supports the daily engineering functions. The judges were hugely impressed with Luke’s skill levels, as well as his enthusiasm and determination. This is exemplified by him coming in each week showing new sketches and prototypes he made at home. Shortlisted: Emer Cullen, Mallaghan Engineering Matthew Frizelle, Mallaghan Engineering Padraig Kelly, McCauley Trailers Diarmuid Walls, Mallaghan Engineering

Medical, Life Sciences & Healthcare Award Winner: Leckey Leckey designs, develops and manufactures innovative therapy equipment, which improve the lives of children with additional needs. The company exported £7.7m of equipment in 2024 globally and £15.9m to the UK & Ireland markets, increasing revenues by 3 per cent in the year. The judges were impressed with its continued investment programme and its commitment to upskill its staff. Shortlisted: Eakin Healthcare Haemoband Surgical

Manufacturer of the Year (under £25m) Winner: Donite Plastics Donite Plastics specialises in the design and manufacture of custom moulded plastic parts, supplying manufacturers across a range of sectors including aerospace, agritech, automotive and renewable energy. In partnership with the NI Technology Centre at Queen’s University, Donite has introduced smart technology into the aircraft interiors assembly process. This innovation, with Donite R&D to the fore, greatly impressed the judges. Shortlisted: Haemoband Surgical Leckey McCauley Trailers RADD Brands Scanmatix

Manufacturer of the Year (over £25m) Sponsored by Bank of Ireland Winner: Wrightbus Wrightbus manufactures revolutionary zero-emission buses, supplying buses and after service support across the UK, Ireland, Europe and Asia. Last year the company signed a deal worth up to half-a-billion pounds to supply more than 1,000 buses to operator Go-Ahead over the next three years, securing jobs and supporting an additional 1,500 across the UK supply chain. This landmark contract made Wrightbus the outstanding NI manufacturer according to the judges. Shortlisted: Alternative HEAT Brett Martin Camden Group Crust & Crumb Bakery Mallaghan Engineering