£10bn NW chemicals sector toasts success
THE North West’s £10bn chemical industry celebrated its success and contribution to the region with an inaugural awards event.
The event, at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester was organised by the umbrella group Chemicals North West to highlight the strengths of the sector in the region – the UK’s largest chemical producing area.
It was hosted by the writer and speaker Guy Browning and attended by more than 270 people.
Dr Jenny Clucas, chief executive of Chemicals North West said local companies were becoming sustainable, innovative and are finding more overseas opportunities.
Fourteen companies were shortlisted for seven awards.
Widnes-based company Pentagon Fine Chemicals scooped the inaugural Company of the Year award for its promotion of the chemical industry in the region.
Pentagon manufactures organic intermediates for use in the life sciences, petro-chemicals, and speciality chemicals markets. It employs more than 200 people and generates sales of more than £40m a year.
Hockley International, based in Poynton near Stockport, which makes products for use within agriculture, public health and veterinary hygiene markets, won in the International Trade award for successfully expanding into difficult markets and having a high percentage of turnover generated from exports.
Dr Clucas said: “It’s great to be celebrating company achievements in the current economic situation and we are only able to do this because we have such a strong and diverse chemical industry in the region.
“The awards demonstrate that companies are still investing in skills, innovation and sustainable development in order to improve their businesses and that they have not dropped their corporate social responsibility activities from their agendas.
“We are especially pleased to award the work that Pentagon has done over the years both with Chemicals North West and for the wider industry. 
“It has been a very positive evening and we look forward to building on this over the coming years.
Chemicals North West chairman Tony Bastock, said the chemical industry employs more than 50,000 people in the region and it was right to recognise its success and contribution.
He said the sector had been hit by “five years worth of issues in 12 months”, and stressed the importance of celebrating innovation and success.
Chemicals North West is a cluster organisation which supports the region’s chemical industry and has 145 members. It is a not-for-profit organisation jointly funded by the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and industry.
During the ceremony a special award was presented to Steve Tynegate from Bayer CropScience to recognise the work he has done with respect to skills in the chemical industry over the last decade.
Vanda Murray deputy chair of the NWDA and chair or Business Link North West, added: “The chemical sector contributes a staggering £10bn to the North West economy.
“This industry deserves recognition and it is great to be able to highlight the expertise that we have here in our region through the Chemicals North West Awards.”
The winners were:
Innovation Award:
MacDermid, Wigan
Sustainable Manufacturing Award:
Innospec, Ellesmere Port
Investor in Training:
Brunner Mond, Cheshire
Best Community Project:
Solvay, Warrington
International Award:
Hockley, Manchester
SME Award:
R S Clare, Liverpool
Company of the Year:
Pentagon Chemicals, Widnes
