Barnstaple-based Parker Instrumentation has walked off with the two top annual awards from its $10 billion parent, Parker Hannifin. These awards recognise the wealth of design and manufacturing expertise in the UK, and reaffirm the multi-national's commitment to its North Devon-based division.
Parker Instrumentation won a total of seven awards, including the 'Best Innovative Product' category, for which Group CEO Don Washkewicz personally selects the winner. The product in question was CCIMS, a revolutionary rethink of a commodity product used throughout processing industries, and the company also won 'Best Product Launch' for the marketing campaign which introduced the product to the international market. Its product launch strategy has already been adopted as the gold standard for Parker Hannifin worldwide.
"It's great for all concerned to have this kind of recognition, of course - but the implications are much wider than that," says Parker Instrumentation General Manager Ian Huggins. "Any dynamic manufacturing enterprise demands a substantial investment, and these awards confirm our Group's ongoing commitment to manufacturing in this area."
At a time when many UK manufacturers are looking to cut their costs by looking outside the country for manufacturing capacity, Parker Instrumentation not only manufactures its innovative products in Barnstaple, but wherever possible seeks out UK suppliers for key components. "We always look to source within the UK," adds Huggins. "And in our experience, yes, it is still possible to build a British supply chain for our products, at a competitive price."
