Worcester, Bosch Group, has been recognised for its manufacturing excellence after claiming two coveted crowns at the 2013 Best Factory Awards (BFA).

The company claimed the top prize in both the ‘Best Engineering Plant’ and ‘Health and Safety’ categories, and was also highly commended in the awards for ‘Innovation’ and ‘Energy and Environment’.

Worcester relies heavily on the factory at its headquarters, where the Greenstar series of condensing boilers is manufactured. The manufacturing plant exhibits a range of quality-driven practices with a strong customer focus.

Judges singled Worcester out for its factory’s strong customer focus and the introduction of a lean line assembly function, which have been successfully combined to deliver a holistic approach to British manufacturing. The innovative friction stir welding* process used to manufacture its bespoke WB7 heat exchanger meanwhile, showcased Worcester’s commitment to developing bespoke manufacturing functions geared towards premium levels of quality and efficiency.

The manufacturer’s commitment to environmental policies has resulted in a 23% reduction in carbon emissions since 2007, an established zero to landfill record, and a 100% level of component recycling across its flagship Greenstar boiler range.

Bob Murdoch, manufacturing director at Worcester, Bosch Group, said: “It is a real honour for us to be acknowledged with these prestigious awards among such an impressive line-up of organisations. At Worcester, much of our success can be attributed to a strong commitment to engineering excellence and it is a testament to each and every one of our staff that we have been recognised in this way. Engineering excellence and health and safety are both essential facets to any manufacturing organisation, which makes these two awards all the more gratifying.

“Having launched a number of new products over the past 12 months, we are delighted to have been highly commended in the Innovation category. This is an area we have invested heavily in as we look to widen our product portfolio for the benefit of UK households.”

*licenced from The Welding Institute.