Founded in 1976, WMH has spent five decades helping food manufacturers improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness through automation. Over the years, the company has built a reputation for delivering practical engineering solutions that solve real-world manufacturing challenges, a commitment that has now been recognised with national industry acclaim.

The award-winning Robotic Pizza Laning System was developed to overcome one of the most common productivity bottlenecks in high-speed food manufacturing. Traditionally, pizza production lines are forced to slow down or stop when packaging machine film reels need changing, resulting in lost throughput and reduced operational efficiency.

WMH’s innovative solution eliminates this issue by enabling production to continue uninterrupted during flow-wrapper film changes. Under normal operation, three pizza lanes feed three flow wrappers. When one wrapper is temporarily taken offline for a reel change, the system automatically redistributes pizzas across the remaining packaging lines, seamlessly converting three lanes into two balanced output streams without operator intervention.

At the heart of the installation are three Mitsubishi gantry robots fitted with bespoke hygienic end-effectors specifically designed for pizza handling. Working alongside intelligent lane-balancing software developed by WMH, the system can accurately collate and distribute up to 140 pizzas per minute while maintaining product quality and presentation standards.

A key element of the innovation is its elegant simplicity. Rather than relying on complex machine vision technology, WMH’s engineers developed a solution requiring just a single sensor per lane. The result is a more robust, reliable and cost-effective system with lower maintenance requirements and improved long-term performance.

The project was delivered through close collaboration between WMH’s mechanical design, controls and engineering teams and the customer, ensuring seamless integration with existing production and packaging equipment. The solution demonstrates how intelligent automation can improve overall equipment effectiveness while creating a more resilient manufacturing operation.

Managing Director, Connor Kennedy said: “Celebrating our 50th anniversary while winning an Automate UK Award makes 2026 a truly special year for WMH. Over the past five decades, we’ve built our business around solving manufacturing challenges and helping customers achieve greater efficiency through innovative automation. This award is recognition of the creativity, expertise and dedication of our entire team, as well as the trust our customers place in us. The Robotic Pizza Laning System is a perfect example of how practical engineering and innovative thinking can deliver measurable results on the factory floor.”

As manufacturers face growing pressure to improve productivity, address labour shortages and maximise operational efficiency, WMH continues to invest in advanced automation technologies and engineering expertise. The success of the Robotic Pizza Laning System demonstrates that, even after 50 years in business, innovation remains firmly at the heart of the company.

The dual celebration of a golden anniversary and a national automation award reinforces WMH’s position as one of the UK’s leading providers of industrial automation solutions and highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to helping manufacturers embrace smarter, more efficient production processes. For more information about WMH and its award-winning automation solutions, visit www.wmh-uk-ltd.com

The two announcements recognise Eric’s longstanding commitment to manufacturing, but they also reflect something much bigger: the growing profile of Cornwall’s manufacturing community and the work being done in the county to bring industry, education and skills closer together.

Through CMG, Eric has been a driving force behind building a stronger collective voice for Cornwall’s manufacturers, encouraging businesses to work together rather than in isolation and creating stronger links with schools, colleges and young people.

That includes the development of the CMG Academy, in partnership with The Cornwall College Group, created to help bridge the gap between education and industry and give young people a much clearer view of the opportunities available within modern manufacturing.

It is an approach that is increasingly attracting attention beyond Cornwall, with national organisations and government representatives taking a growing interest in what the county’s manufacturers have achieved by working collaboratively.

Eric Nicholls, CEO of Cornwall Manufacturers Group, says: “It’s a real honour to receive this recognition from Make UK and to be joining the Enginuity Board, but what makes both particularly special is the opportunity they give us to keep putting Cornwall’s manufacturing community on the national stage.

We have some fantastic manufacturers here, employing thousands of people, investing in skills and technology and creating opportunities for the next generation. For a long time, I think Cornwall has been a little too quiet about just how much we achieve.

CMG has always been about bringing people together. When manufacturers share ideas, when industry works properly with education and when we speak with a collective voice, we can achieve far more. We’re seeing the results of that here in Cornwall.”

The Make UK 130 Honours have been created as part of Make UK’s 130th anniversary, recognising people who have helped shape manufacturing and who continue to champion the sector and its future.

Eric’s new role with Enginuity provides another opportunity to bring Cornwall’s experience into national discussions around one of manufacturing’s biggest challenges: developing the people and skills the industry needs for the future.

It also builds on a growing relationship between CMG and Enginuity, including Cornwall hosting the UK’s first Vocational Celebration Day in August, with a national broadcast from Teagle Machinery in Truro.

For CMG, that growing national involvement matters because it creates a two-way relationship: giving Cornwall a stronger voice while bringing new ideas, relationships and opportunities back into the county.

Eric concluded: “Cornwall might be geographically a long way from many of the UK’s traditional manufacturing centres, but that doesn’t mean our voice should be.

There is a lot happening here that Cornwall can be proud of and that others can learn from. Equally, the more connected we are nationally, the more opportunities we can bring back to our manufacturers, our education partners and ultimately the people who will become the next generation of our industry.

That’s what excites me most about both of these roles – making sure Cornwall is part of the conversation.”

Over the following decades, the company’s engineering capability evolved alongside the needs of the water industry. Hydrok expanded beyond mechanical screening into areas including aeration, biological treatment and tertiary filtration, while developing its manufacturing, design and project delivery capabilities.

A major milestone came in 2014 when Hydrok partnered with Mecana AG to deliver the UK’s first large scale pile cloth media filtration system at Thames Water’s Deepham Wastewater Treatment Works. The first of over 750 such installations to date.

In October 2016, Hydrok became part of the Eliquo Water Group, forming Eliquo Hydrok and combining Hydrok’s leading engineering capabilities with an extensive European network of advanced technologies, expertise and partnerships.

Today, Eliquo Hydrok’s products include solutions for stormwater management, water and wastewater treatment and bioresources applications.

Its anniversary theme, “30 years of protecting rivers and seas,” reflects the connection between the engineering excellence and ensuring that clean water remains a given.

Eliquo Hydrok is also applying its expertise to emerging environmental challenges such as micro-pollutant management and protecting our landbank.

Matt Down, Managing Director / Chief Operating Officer at Eliquo Hydrok, said: “Thirty years is a significant milestone for Eliquo Hydrok, but it is also an opportunity to look ahead. Our success has always been built on the knowledge, expertise and commitment of our people. As we look to the next 30 years, we will continue to develop innovative solutions and work closely with our customers and partners to protect our rivers and seas and help ensure that clean water remains a given.”

Peter Wroe, Managing Director / Chief Financial Officer at Eliquo Hydrok, said: “Over the last 30 years the Eliquo Hydrok team have installed thousands of treatment solutions across the UK and Ireland. As we enter our fourth decade our mission is to be employer of choice, and the partner of choice for our customers for water, wastewater and bioresources technology and services. We will continue to develop our team of 200 people and market leading products to help improve the UK and Ireland water environment”

Following the overwhelming success of last year’s event, CMG has taken the decision to make the awards an annual fixture, reflecting the pace of growth, innovation and national recognition now being achieved by Cornwall’s manufacturing community.

The move follows another landmark year for CMG and its members, with Cornwall increasingly recognised as a leading example of how manufacturers, education providers and industry partners can work together to drive innovation, exports and skills.

That success has attracted national attention. Earlier this month, CMG welcomed senior representatives from Make UK, including Executive Director Rt Hon Robert Halfon, to Cornwall to see first-hand the county’s collaborative approach to manufacturing and skills. During the visit, Robert Halfon described Cornwall’s employer-led skills model as “instructive” and said the award-winning CMG Academy “deserves more national attention than it gets.”

CMG’s growing partnership with Enginuity, the UK engineering and manufacturing skills charity, has also helped place Cornwall in the national spotlight. On 6 August, broadcaster Steph McGovern will host the UK’s inaugural Vocational Celebration Day live from CMG member Teagle Machinery, showcasing Cornwall’s pioneering approach to vocational education and manufacturing skills to a national audience.

Today, Cornwall’s manufacturers design, engineer and produce products for customers around the world while continuing to invest in technology, sustainability and the next generation of skilled engineers and technicians. Central to that success is the award-winning CMG Academy, delivered in partnership with Cornwall College.

Eric Nicholls, CEO of Cornwall Manufacturers Group, said: “There has never been a more exciting time to be part of Cornwall’s manufacturing community.

“For many years our businesses quietly designed and manufactured world-class products. Today, the rest of the country is beginning to recognise what we’ve always known – that Cornwall is home to an ambitious, innovative manufacturing sector with collaboration at its heart.

“Whether through the CMG Academy, our partnerships with education, or national organisations such as Make UK and Enginuity choosing to work alongside us, we’re demonstrating what can be achieved when industry comes together.

“These awards celebrate the businesses, people and apprentices driving that success. Every finalist has a story worth telling, and together they represent one of Cornwall’s greatest economic success stories.”

Award categories

Applications are now open in the following categories:

• Apprentice of the Year
• Environmental Project of the Year
• Small Manufacturer of the Year
• Medium/Large Manufacturer of the Year
• Rising Star Award
• Exporter of the Year
• AI Project of the Year

The winners will be announced during the CMG Awards Dinner at the Eden Project on Tuesday 10 November 2026, bringing together manufacturers, apprentices, educators, national industry leaders, partners and supporters to celebrate the very best of Cornwall manufacturing.

Download the award entry forms here:

Book your place via Eventbrite here

Closing date for entries: 18 September 2026

Manufacturers of every size are encouraged to enter. Whether recognising an outstanding apprentice, a breakthrough innovation, export success or years of manufacturing excellence, the CMG Awards provide an opportunity to showcase the businesses and people helping put Cornwall on the national manufacturing map.

*Picture courtesy of Eliquo Hydrok

CHX Products, a leading UK manufacturer of recycled and biodegradable promotional merchandise, has achieved outstanding success at the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) Product Awards 2025. The company’s innovative WalletMate Collection secured three prestigious awards at the ceremony held at The Brewery in London on 11th December.

The WalletMate Collection was recognised across three categories:

• PLATINUM – Health, Travel & Leisure Product of the Year

• PLATINUM – Sustainable Product of the Year 

• SILVER – Innovative Product of the Year

The triple recognition came during the BPMA’s 60th anniversary celebrations, honouring the collection’s exceptional versatility across sustainability, innovation, and practical functionality. The WalletMate range consists of eight credit card-sized products that ingeniously transform into everyday utilities, from phone stands to golf kits, each designed to deliver sustained brand visibility whilst providing genuine value to recipients.

“Winning the Sustainable Product of the Year award holds particular significance for us,” explains Jake Field, Senior Sales Manager at CHX Products. “As a manufacturer that exclusively produces recycled and recycled biodegradable branded merchandise, sustainability isn’t just a product feature – it’s fundamental to who we are and everything we do.”

The WalletMate Collection exemplifies CHX Products’ commitment to creating high-quality promotional products that don’t compromise on environmental responsibility. Each product in the range is UK-manufactured from the company’s standard recycled plastic, with options available in R+ biodegradable recycled material for environmentally conscious campaigns.

The awards success validates CHX Products’ position within the promotional merchandise industry, where it serves a growing network of distributor customers seeking genuinely sustainable alternatives. The company manufactures to order for distributors who then supply branded merchandise to end customers.

“Our customers can confidently promote the WalletMate Collection to their customers, knowing it’s been recognised by industry experts as a leader in both innovation and sustainability,” adds Jake. “This recognition reinforces our dedication to pushing boundaries in sustainable branded merchandise manufacturing.”

CHX Products operates from its solar-powered facility in Bodmin, Cornwall, where it maintains full control over the manufacturing process from recycled material processing through to final product delivery. The company’s UK-based production enables rapid turnaround times and quality assurance that differentiates it within the promotional merchandise sector.

The WalletMate Collection’s success follows a strong year for CHX Products, with five products shortlisted across three categories in the BPMA Product Awards 2025, including the Ocean Positive Flying Disc manufactured from marine recovered plastic.

Find out more about the CMG Academy here: https://the-cmg.co.uk/academy/

In addition to CMG’s award success, the evening also celebrated the achievements of its members. Nathan Powell of bott UK was named the Make UK ‘Engineering Apprentice: Rising Star’ 2025 (South) – a fantastic recognition of his talent and progression.

The National Make UK Awards will take place in January at Madame Tussauds, London.

Keynote speaker Stephen Phipson CBE, Chief Executive Officer of Make UK – the champions of engineering & manufacturing in the UK – praised Cornwall’s contribution to the UK economy: “Manufacturing adds over £220 billion to the UK economy and employs nearly three million people. Cornwall’s manufacturers prove that regional innovation and investment in people deliver world-class impact.”

Winners Announced

From advanced engineering and digital transformation to sustainable manufacturing, the 2025 CMG Awards showcased the breadth of talent and achievement across the county. This year’s winners are:

• Medium/Large Manufacturer of the Year: Watson Marlow Ltd
• Small Manufacturer of the Year: Composite Integration
• Innovation/Improvement Project of the Year: Watson Marlow Ltd
• Digital Transformation Project of the Year: Sellectronics
• Exporter of the Year: Bott
• Environmental Project of the Year: Composite Integration
• Rising Star Award: James Allen (Eliquo Hydrok)
• Apprentice of the Year: Ross Duffy (Composite Integration)
• CMG Academy Student of the Year: Arien Matthews

Watson Marlow received dual recognition for both Innovation and Medium/Large Manufacturer of the Year, securing over £15 million in new business for Cornwall, creating 30 high-skilled jobs, and achieving world-class audit status for quality and compliance.

Composite Integration also emerged as a standout winner, receiving multiple awards for its environmental leadership and commitment to sustainable manufacturing.

Championing the next generation

The awards also placed a strong emphasis on emerging talent, with three dedicated categories for apprentices, rising stars, and students.

“Manufacturing in Cornwall is world-class,” said Harry Young-Jamieson, CEO of CMG and Managing Director of St Eval. “These awards shine a light on the ingenuity and passion that make this sector so vital to our region.”

Eric Nicholls, CMG Chairman and Managing Director of Spiral UK, concluded: “There are approximately 1360 manufacturing companies in Cornwall, who employ over 16,000 people, contributing £988m per year to the local economy – which accounts for 9% of Cornwall’s GVA of £10.9bn.

Tonight’s awards cement the industry’s value to the wider economy and celebrate everyone – from established manufacturers to the next generation of engineers who will shape Cornwall’s future.”

The St Austell based team handled every aspect of design and fabrication in-house – from initial concept development to final installation – marking their first end-to-end exhibition project design for the Maritime Museum.  

The result is a compelling example of Cornish manufacturing in action, showcasing what’s possible when design, craftsmanship and regional pride combine. 

Parc’s Technical Designer said: “This was a huge opportunity to show what our team is capable of. We had to solve some complex challenges, like how to securely display 100+ surfboards of all shapes and sizes. What we created wasn’t just functional, but beautiful too. This was a pivotal part of the whole exhibition, it was so important for us to get this right.” 

Working closely with curator Dr. Sam Bleakley and the NMMC team, Parc Signs designed the exhibition layout across five themed zones: Cultural, Craft, Activism, Participation and Arts. Key highlights include a bespoke modular mounting system to safely display over 100 surfboards, including a dramatic 37ft board suspended in the main gallery, along with detailed recreations of local surfing landmarks and a fully restored VW camper van at the heart of the exhibition. 

With more than 60 years of experience designing and manufacturing signage, displays and public installations, Parc Signs is known for its technical problem-solving and craft-led approach. 

 As a member of Cornwall Manufacturing Group, the team continues to champion local talent and capability demonstrating the region’s strength in delivering high-quality, complex projects with national reach. 

SURF! is now open at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and runs until January 2027

*Image courtesy of National Maritime Museum Cornwall and Ian Cross Photography

At the prestigious MakeUK national manufacturing awards hosted on the river Thames, Sellectronics were awarded the best SME manufacturing business. The awards covers the whole of the UK and was entered by hundreds of manufacturing businesses from all sectors. The judges commented that they had unanimously voted for Sellectronics and that the company had stood out from the rest. In particular the judges had admired the businesses clear strategy, investment plan and structure aimed at growth in high reliability markets, they also commented on the companies drive to create an enjoyable working environment and commitment to a positive culture.

Jon Hurrell, Managing Director of Sellectronics, said, “ We are extremely proud of this award, it is such a privilege to represent Cornwall and the South West of England at such a prestigious event. To come away with the award shows how manufacturing is developing outside of the natural stomping ground of the North and Midlands. The team at Sellectronics have all had a part to play in the success of the business and their ability to adapt to the changes in our industry have been superb.