DS Smith leads sector in national manufacturing awards
DS Smith has been highly commended for the operation of its Livingston site in a national search for the best manufacturers and factories in the UK.
DS Smith has been highly commended for the operation of its Livingston site in a national search for the best manufacturers and factories in the UK.
The Best Factory Awards (BFA), organised by Works Management in partnership with Cranfield School of Management, aims to bring together the UK’s leading manufacturers to share best practice and to celebrate their achievements.
The awards covered a range of sectors within manufacturing, from electronics production to automotive parts and food and drink to bed making, and DS Smith was the only business from the packaging sector to make the final winners’ list.
Steven Rose, Managing Director at DS Smith in Livingston, said the recognition from the Best Factory Awards underlined the excellence achieved not only as a packaging firm, but as a leading manufacturing business.
He added: “It was a great achievement for the team and employees at Livingston to be recognised in this way, especially as it was the first time we’d entered this particular award programme. It is also important for our customers as it underlines the excellence we aim for in everything we do as a business.
“To achieve the commendation the judges visited the site in Livingston to assess our working practices and methods, where they picked up on the level of innovation, production efficiencies and environmental benefits of the operation.
“To come away with two highly commended awards for the Supply Chain and Best Household and General Products Plant was an exceptional effort particularly when you see the standard that the winners achieved.”
The BFA judges highlighted three main areas of excellence following the assessment of the Livingston site:
- Innovation drives cost and environmental benefits across the supply chain.
- Automated WIP system has boosted capacity by 30 per cent.
- Leading technology deployed includes the UK’s first six colour die cutter of its type.