Incinerators firm boss collects OBE
THE founder and chairman of Southport-based manufacturer Inciner8 has received his OBE in an honours ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Liverpool-born Vince Ferguson founded Inciner8 in 2004 after spotting a gap in the waste management market for an innovative incineration business.
He sold his first incinerator to a poultry farm in Australia.
The company, which designs and builds incinerators for businesses, governments, health services, charities, NGOs and aid agencies, exports to more than 180 countries, and its products have played a leading role in supporting numerous humanitarian crises, including the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
Vince has been recognised by the Queen for his services to export and manufacturing, with Inciner8 also holding Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in international trade and innovation.
The company has a range of waste to energy products that convert the heat produced from burning waste into electricity, and is an area of the business that is expected to grow over the next 12 months.
The business employs 35 local staff, including several apprentices.
Inciner8 also developed the world’s first mobile human crematorium in 2017, which and can be relocated rapidly to any location around the globe.
On receiving his honour, Vince said: “Being awarded an OBE is incredibly humbling and such an honour to be regarded amongst those who are achieving excellent things in their business and personal careers.
“This couldn’t have been achieved without the excellent people in our business and those connected to us in our supply chain.
“Exporting is vitally important to ensure our products service the waste management demands from both the UK and overseas markets, with this honour raising the profile of great British manufacturing on a global scale.”
Vince added: “This is definitely a career highlight of mine and is up there with the day I received a phone call whilst in Tesco from the President’s office, inquiring about one of our products to be part of the solution to a US aid issue.”
In his spare time, he takes part in national charity events, most recent being the Race to the Sun challenge through the Brecon Beacons, which he completed with numerous Inciner8 colleagues.
He is also a former coxswain of Southport Lifeboat.