Michael Fabricant, a Chartered Engineer and director of the Engineering &
Technology Board, is urging manufacturers in Staffordshire and throughout
the west midlands to test their competitiveness in the marketplace by
entering the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ (IMechE) Manufacturing
Excellence (MX2004) Awards. Now in its 25th year, the Manufacturing
Excellence Awards examines UK manufacturers’ competitiveness in best
practice and innovation across six industrial disciplines: customer focus;
product innovation; process innovation; resource efficiency; people
effectiveness and IT.

Michael Fabricant, who is also Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs, says
"Manufacturing is vitally important to the UK economy. It accounts for 20%
of GDP and the UK cannot trade in the international marketplace relying on
service industries alone. Awards such as these reward the hard work and
efforts of all those in manufacturing in the UK. Our region has a long
history of manufacturing excellence, and therefore I encourage those
involved to enter the Manufacturing Excellence Awards to receive the
recognition of excellence they deserve. Manufacturing generates two-thirds
of the value of the UK’s exports and directly employs over 4 million
people. Unfortunately, the Government fails to recognise the importance of
our industrial sector."

All manufacturing companies are eligible to enter for the awards, no matter
their size, and there is a special award to encourage SME’s to grow and
prosper. Furthermore, to ensure UK manufacturing remains a world leader in
quality and service, the IMechE is offering all companies that apply a free
confidential benchmarking report to ensure they are performing to the
acknowledged standards of best practice.

Entrance to MX2004 is free and supported by a prestigious group of
organisations including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the
Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF), the Manufacturing Advisory Service,
and the Manufacturing Foundation.

To enter the MX2004 awards, or to apply for the free benchmark service,
please contact Stephanie Levin, Project Executive, at the IMechE on tel:
0207 304 6815 or email: mx2004@imeche.org.uk.

The Awards will be presented in June 2004, at an evening ceremony at the
Dorchester Hotel, London. All entrants receive a free, confidential
benchmarking study against best practise.

For more information about MX2004, please contact Stephanie Levin at the
IMechE on 020 7304 6815 or visit the website www.mx2004.org.uk