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And, for the first time since the awards have been presented, every one went to Midland companies.

Supplier of the Year 2008 went to Leicester based Carlton Laser Services and recognised performance above the call of duty, demonstrating strategic alliances with both customers and suppliers to provide the best possible service to the industry. The judges were particularly impressed by the detail and openness of their ‘warts and all’ submission and said that Carlton not only enhanced its own reputation but that of the metalforming sector as a whole.

The Leicester firm specialises in laser-cut and CNC-punched metal components, for a wide range of manufacturers and OEMs. Significant investment in equipment and processes has enabled it to sharply expand its customer base.

The Component of the Year 2008 was awarded to Smethwick Drop Forgings of Kidderminster and sponsored by Acheson Industries Europe Ltd. The technical demands placed on CBM members continues to accelerate and this company in particular was seen as having risen to this challenge. The steel forging submitted displaced an aluminium component in a straight ‘strength to weight fight’. The winning component was a safety critical suspension arm for a leading car manufacturer.

The challenges in forging this particular component were formidable, said the judges, but the finished product demonstrated the best of British forging technology and was an extremely worthy winner of this prestigious award.

Oldbury based Metsec Plc secures Company of the Year Award - sponsored by Pro Enviro. This award is presented to the company that impressed the judges the most in the areas of continuous improvement in terms of training, investment, sustainability and commitment to manufacturing in the UK. Having invested over £30m in the last 8 years, it has now become the market leader in their sector. Sir Digby Jones (now Lord Jones of Birmingham) described this company as 'a shining example of the best of modern British manufacturing. It has a Black Country heritage stretching over 75 years and it continues to succeed because it produces high quality products at competitive prices. It also delivers excellent customer service through continuous investment in both its people and its equipment'.

The final winner was Kimber Drop Forgings from Cradley Heath, which won the special award for Outstanding Achievement. This award was recommended for the determination and strategic thinking behind the company’s achievements. The management team refused to let one of the oldest forging names in the forging industry die and set about rebuilding the company physically, commercially and technically. The company has now been extremely successful in this endeavour raising turnover per employee to record levels.

Mr Houseman described all four companies as “heroes of the metal-forming industry.”

“Our sector is facing its toughest challenges since the early 1990s; ever-increasing competition from low-cost countries, and the constantly rising cost of energy and raw materials, against a backdrop of economic uncertainty,” he said.

“It would often make more sense, as one of the winners admitted me, to sell up and walk away. Instead, these firms are fighting back and showing us all just what can be achieved. I salute them all as heroes.”