Howard Trotter, Business manager at Shelforce, has been selected as one of only 20 Exemplars in UK manufacturing in The Manufacturer Top 100 2024.
The announcement was made at a glittering ceremony as part of Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week at the NEC in Birmingham, which included some of the biggest manufacturers in the country, including Airbus, Rolls Royce and Jaguar Land Rover.
Howard was recognised in the Top 20 as an ‘Exemplar’ member in the Inspiring Leader category for his dedication to Shelforce and his award-winning team in the last 11 years to help turn the business around and hit record turnovers for the last five years, and his dedication to the manufacturing sector as a whole through Shelforce’s full-inclusive recruitment and training processes, which he speaks to other manufacturing businesses about adopting, to try and bridge the skills gap.
“It was a fantastic honour to be selected as one of the top 20 Exemplars at this year’s Manufacturer Top 100,” said a delighted Howard. “You don’t realise how big this is until you get to see and meet people from some huge manufacturing companies in the UK.
“But, while this is an individual award, it wouldn’t be possible without the team I have at Shelforce. They are the reason we have been so successful over the last five years and they are the reason why the inclusive recruitment, training and support processes we have in place work.”
The Manufacturer Top 100 was launched in 2014 after numerous studies identified a lack of role models in the sector as a key cause of the skills gap and is a published list of the UK’s most inspiring individuals and role models in manufacturing, as identified by readers and then selected by an expert team of judges.
It provides a platform for the recognition of exceptional individuals in the industry who are changing the face of the sector and hopes to encourage young people into the well-paid, richly rewarding careers that manufacturing offers.
Shelforce manufactures and supplies windows, doors and fire doors to Local Authority building projects, including Birmingham City Council, and Howard added: “Being a role model is very humbling, but my team are all role models as they have become the best version of themselves while working at Shelforce.
“After receiving the Kings Awards for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility) last year, this is ultimately another shining light on Shelforce and what we do.”
