Pipped to the post but still future contenders

As we said last month, in 2013 Accutronics was yet again a strong contender for the Sentinel Business Awards having been shortlisted for the International Trade Award. Last year we won the Small Business of the Year Award, as well as the heavily contested Lombard Award for Innovation in Products and Processes at the Manufacturing Excellence Award held in November. 

This year, we were runners up in The Sentinel awards, which is a creditable performance in a very stringent category given the impressive competition we were up against. This has made us all the more determined to win next year.

Sponsored by UK Trade and Investment, the International Trade Award celebrates the outstanding achievements of established exporters involved in international trade, overseas strategic alliances or manufacturing partnerships.

Had we not outgrown the Small Business of the Year Award by taking our turnover above the maximum stipulated in the category, we believe we would have been strong contenders here again. That said, the winner and shortlist in this category were also very impressive and deserving.

But why are we so confident about our export performance? Well, Accutronics’ exports reach thirty countries and 90% of 2010-2011 turnover came from markets outside the UK. Accutronics boasts a 15% share in our target European medical device market

Recently we've won new accounts in Norway and Denmark, to complement the existing customer base which includes customers in Sweden, France, the UK, Switzerland, the USA, the Republic of Ireland, Germany and Israel.

Needless to say, we are very proud of what we've achieved. So watch this space because next year, we aim to win!

UK battery expert wins Small Business of the Year Award

Receiving the Sentinel trophy

Accutronics, the Midlands based battery specialist has won the Small Business of the Year Award in a regional competition organised by the British Business Awards Association. The company was awarded the trophy at a ceremony held at King’s Hall in Stoke on March 27, 2012.

This prestigious award recognises Accutronics’ exceptional performance in areas such as product innovation, new market development, strategy and management. The accolade is an acknowledgement of the company’s success, having transformed itself, under new ownership, into a profitable multi-million pound turnover British owned company in just two years.

An expert in the design, development and manufacture of rechargeable batteries for high performance electronic devices, Accutronics’ smart batteries offer advanced functionality and features such as charge control, fuel gauging and device communication.

The company exports more than 90% of its products and offers whole of life support for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and design consultants who demand a high level of technical and commercial expertise.

“Winning such a prestigious business award is a vote of confidence for any British manufacturer, particularly a young business such as Accutronics”, enthused Rob Phillips, managing director at Accutronics. “The selection process was very thorough and the questions we had to answer touched on every aspect of the business”.

“This is a great achievement for Accutronics, especially as it’s the first time we’ve put ourselves forward for an award,” continued Phillips. “We are all delighted and I am personally grateful to the dedicated and experienced individuals I work with every day,” he concluded.

Accutronics scoops Small Business of the Year Award

By Neil Oliver

In the last few months we’ve been asking all of you to keep your fingers crossed and support our entry in The Sentinel Business Awards. As Accutronics was amongst the three finalists in the Small Business of the Year category, we were invited to the awards ceremony at the impressive King’s Hall in Stoke on March 27.

The awards dinner gala

Suited and booted, the Accutronics bunch arrived at the venue, not knowing what to expect, but beaming with anticipation. When the winner of the Small Business of the Year was announced, no one at our table could believe their ears; Accutronics name was announced! We had won our first award!

Rob Phillips accepted the trophy and thanked everybody at Accutronics for their input and dedication. “I thought the competition was well organised and that the ceremony was impressive,” said Rob. “The night reflected well on Staffordshire and the success of the businesses in the area.

“The awards are a celebration of business excellence, innovation and dynamism. There were representatives from various sectors and industries, all of whom are on top of their game and deserved to be acknowledged for their accomplishments.

“As Accutronics is only a couple of years old, receiving formal recognition from other business leaders really endorses the work we are trying to do. This will help attract new customers and reinforce the quality message, whilst also reaffirming our position as a British manufacturer.

“In all honesty I didn’t expect us to win, only because this was our first attempt. Just being shortlisted felt like a success. We’ve received a lot of attention from the media as a result and at the awards dinner, our video profile was shown to hundreds of people.

“The entire project gives everyone at Accutronics real reason to feel proud and has already impacted on all of our morale. Winning the small business of the year award is a great achievement and from now on awards will become part of our benchmarking for continuous improvement. Congratulations everybody and well done!”