Family business Key Plastics wins an engineering award
BRAY BUSINESS Key Plastics has been awarded Engineering Manufacturing Team of the Year at this year’s inaugural Manufacturing and Supply Chain Awards for high-impact companies.
Founded in 1986 by Marie and Alan Downes, Killarney Road-based Key Plastics has employed a local workforce in Bray from the beginning. It is a single destination solution provider offering custom manufactured solutions in metal and plastics to industries such as aerospace, medical, telecoms and engineering.
The awards celebrate Ireland’s brightest, close-knit manufacturing teams across 15 different categories. The emphasis on professionalism and working together was recognised at the awards ceremony held on January 17. A total of 45 companies were short-listed for the awards.
The awards recognise hard work, innovation and dedication. Judges were looking for a team that has brought the most to a manufacturing site in the past 12 months, through innovative work, close collaboration with customers or an improvement to internal operations.
Ciaran Downes, engineering director at Key Plastics, said: ‘At Key Plastics we always work closely as a team to deliver the best results for our customers. Drawing from a wealth of experience we actively combine skills and offer our customers the very best in practical engineering solutions.
‘We are very proud that this work ethic has been recognised. We were up against very tough competition and would like to take this opportunity to con- gratulate all finalists.’
Competition was fierce this year with hundreds of entries applying. Other winners included Java Republic who won Sustainable Manufacturer of the Year for boasting the world’s first purpose-built carbon-neutral roastery in the world. In addition to this, Intel were awarded ICT Manufacturing Team of the Year, while Kerrygold Park won Food Manufacturing Team of the Year.
Innovative work, close collaboration and improvement to internal operations played a significant role in the decision-making process for judges this year.
The 2019 panel included Eoin O’ Driscoll, chairman of Tyndall Institute, Barry Kennedy, chief executive of IMR, Caroline Spillane, Director General Engineers Ireland, Bob Barbour, chief executive Competitiveness Centre, Professor Eamon Murphy, University of Limerick, Dr Christopher Keely, Trinity College, Dublin, and John Whelan, chairman of Premier Publishing and Events.