News > April 21, 2009 - Yorkshire Productivity awards Microblade "Best Small Business Newcomer" for 2009.

 Microblade Limited is awarded Yorkshire Productivity Award as the best small business newcomer against all the manufacturing companies in the Yorkshire region of the United Kingdom. The “newcomer” award is given to any company that has not in the recent past focused on developing their workforce. The purpose of the award is to recognize the importance of training to increase productivity and improve efficiency.

Microblade spent time training their employees in 5S and TPM. Involved in learning 5S and TPM were Microblade maintenance engineer Fred Marshall, shift supervisors Shaun Burgin and Darren Godwin, heat treater David Beckett, grindermen Nigel Rogers and Robert Duce and Industrial Engineer Terry Dawes.

The team members will also benefit as each member will be qualified to NVQ 2 level.

Microblade has applied 5S in two areas on the plant ensuring that in order to complete any task everything needs to be where it should be eliminating hunting for equipment or tools to do a job.

Along with continuing to 5S Microblade’s factory and office the team members are now starting to implement TPM to keep Microblade’s machines in top condition allowing Microblade to meet the increasing demands of its customers.

The award committee recognized that Microblade is empowering their employees to move the company in a positive direction during difficult economic times and allowing it to be prepared to meet their future customer’s demands.

Read news of the accomplishment in the June/July 2009 issue of City Business.

Read news of the accomplishment in the July 2, 2009 issue of The Sheffield Star.

Microblade’s winning team with their trophy; they are proud of their accomplishment. From left to right: Terry Dawes, Fred Marshall, Shaun Burgan, Robert Duce, David Beckett, Nigel Rogers, Darren Godwin.