A family-owned Staffordshire aluminium refining manufacturer has scooped a major business award for its commitment and innovative approach to work.
Jesse Brough Metals International was named Best UK Family Business with a turnover of between £5 million to £25 million in the Coutts Family Business awards.
The Hixon-based firm, founded in 1979, refines aluminium and recycles aluminium waste. It has established a strong position in the UK market and is now engaged in a worldwide expansion, rolling out new technologies to smelters in Australia, Thailand and Iceland.
Roger Pedder, chairman of the awards’ independent evaluation committee, said he and his colleagues had been impressed by: “The sheer passion of the family for the business; the enthusiasm and drive of the family leadership, and the family’s attitude to encouraging the next generation to gain outside experience before coming into the business.”
In addition, he said that a lot of thought had been given to instituting a system for the key managers to create wealth of their own.
The use of daily key performance indicators; the rapid growth and success of the business and the family’s ability to build a strong market position in a changing niche market were also highlighted as strengths, as was the resilience and determination of the family to work through difficult trading periods and some sensitive family circumstances.
Coutts senior family business adviser, Juliette Johnson added, “What shines through is the strength of the family’s values which have been embedded in the culture of the business over the years. “These values influence how and why things get done and act as the glue binding the family and the business together.
“They encourage the family to develop as responsible stewards of the business which is a key factor to the successful evolution of any family business.”
The award winners can choose to work with a distinguished writer who will be commissioned to create a unique biography, or with an experienced portraiture photographer, who will be commissioned to create a special family album.
More than 250 people attended the awards ceremony at the Coutts headquarters in London.
Coutts & Co is the UK private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
