Express & Star

Burntwood duo scoop three awards at Birmingham business's big night

A pair of Burntwood companies have walked off with three of the trophies at Birmingham's biggest business awards event.

Published
Incinerator equipment made by Addfield at Burntwood is used around the world

Civil engineering specialists Crown Highways, based at Chasetown, and Burntwood incinerator manufacturer Addfield are both celebrating after beating off rivals in the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) awards.

There was a double win for Addfield Environmental Systems – awards for both Excellence in International Business and Manufacturing.

Based on the Burntwood Business Park the company has grown from employing just four people in 2010 to a workforce of 52 people today. It manufactures incinerator equipment used to deal with medical waste as well as disposing of fish and animal carcases, including supplying pet cemeteries.

It has secured a string of international orders, including its biggest to date, supplying 13 medical waste incinerators to Pakistan. All the equipment is manufactured at Addfield's factory in Burntwood.

Operations director Derek Carr said: "When we found we had been seated right at the back we thought we were unlikely to win anything, so it was quite a shock. It's nice to be recognised and it's a real tribute to the people here. The next morning we got everyone together here and told them it had been a team effort and they should all be proud of being award winners."

Crown Highways was awarded the Excellence in Technology & Innovation award. The company was formed in 1994 and has been delivering services on the nation's highways for many years, including street lighting, civil engineering, technology and drainage. It now employs more than 120 people nationwide.

The award followed Crown's journey in introducing new technologies to the highways market place such as traffic counting radar systems, EV car charging, tyre pressure monitoring systems and underground cable monitoring equipment.

Mike Dale, managing director of Crown Highways, said: “We are immensely proud to receive this award by the GBCC. It’s fantastic to be recognised for our efforts and the values we believe in – such as supporting the local area and its people, and for having a positive effect on business in the region.

“We are proud to be able to display this award as a sign of our continued building for the future, ensuring Crown Highways are at the forefront of new technologies and bringing young workers into the industry.”

Around 1,300 guests attended the chamber awards at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham on Thursday night, where business management consultancy Curium Solutions was named Business of the Year.