Made in Yorkshire Awards 2019
Article Published - 24/1/2019
The 7th annual Made in Yorkshire Awards will be held in Leeds on Thursday 7th March.
Insider’s prestigious event celebrates world-class companies based in Yorkshire and the Humber and the products they are making here and selling across the world.
The dinner at the Hilton City Hotel in Leeds is the biggest manufacturing awards dinner in Yorkshire and features a cross-section of companies of all different sizes and from many different sectors.
We are proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for the following awards:
- Digital Engineering/Technology Award
- Manufacturing Innovation Award
- Apprentice of the Year Award
Digital Engineering/Technology Award
We have been extraordinarily focused on developing our industry leading number plate software, PlateSync®, and its online networking capabilities over the last 12 months. Our new add-on features enable orders to be placed via the web that will send orders through to PlateSync®, pre-populating the fields without any need to re-input.
In July 2018, we launched a new website enabling the general public to order number plates online and collect in-store. Replacemyplates.com has been designed to only allow someone to build and order a legal number plate and to collect from a local Collection Point. Click & Collect is currently the only legal way to buy number plates online.
The BBC's Inside Out programme recently showed how easy it is to obtain a fake number plate. Cloned plates are a disguise for any would-be criminal, and a proven facilitator of serious crime. But getting hold of a cloned plate is surprisingly simple. Unregulated distribution from traders that don't follow record-keeping laws mean cloned plates can be obtained, as BBC highlighted, in 'less than 10 minutes'.
Our unique PlateSync® software also networks every plate-making outlet, providing enforcement bodies with unprecedented levels of data on UK number plates; over 1.5M registrations since 2017. Enforcers can cross reference every registration printed with The National ANPR Service, and even check instantly if a plate is a possible clone. Cloning is a known facilitator of serious and organised crime and PlateSync® is a simple combative tool that we’ve created.
Manufacturing Innovation Award
Established in 1894, we have a track record of continuous improvement and we are proud of our heritage, hence the name ‘1894 Sign Co.’ for our bespoke signage range.
1894 Sign Co is a range of handmade, personalised enamelled signs, manufactured using traditional methods developed over 125 years and inspired by vintage and classic number plates. We’re proud to say we’re the only company able to supply it.
With this unique signage range, and the support of our dedicated Heritage Manager, we have been introduced to new markets outside of the automotive industry. We now proudly supply retail outlets, gift shops, tea rooms, museums, galleries, tourist information centres and garden centres nationwide.
The brand has dramatically grown and evolved over the last two years, and after a recent appearance at Top Drawer in London, we have expanded even more, geographically. The trade show was a huge success and an incredible opportunity to share our story, welcome new suppliers and catch up with existing suppliers too. Our favourite comment received at Top Drawer has to be from Tim at Bluebell 33 who said, “I genuinely believe yours is the best new product I’ve seen at a trade show for many years. Brilliantly made, uniquely British and super creative.” We’ll take that!
We’re excited to see where this brand takes us next!
Apprentice of the Year Award
Acknowledging excellent work is important to us at Jepson & Co. We’re thrilled that our apprentices, Aaron and Emily, are both up for awards yet again! Last year, they were both shortlisted for the Made in Sheffield awards and this year, we’ve got our fingers crossed that one of them will be crowned Made in Yorkshire’s Apprentice of the Year.
Aaron joined Jepson & Co in September 2016 and has gained knowledge and experience while working within our Technical Support team, supporting a range of products and services to a large customer base across the UK and parts of Europe. A very motivated and determined individual, Aaron is always willing to take on additional responsibility to learn more about company-wide practices.
Emily is part of our Customer Care team and joined the company in June 2017. Her attributes have added excellent value to the team and the business. With a balanced work ethic, Emily adapted very quickly to the pace of the job and doing so with ease, confidence in her abilities and the right attitude. In these circumstances, we know we can turn to Emily to get the task accomplished on time and more importantly in an accurate manner. She is very effective and has a calming influence within the team which makes her approachable and reliable.
We’re extremely proud and excited that Aaron and Emily have been shortlisted for this award. They have the full support and backing from everyone at Jepson & Co and we wish them all the very best at the awards ceremony and beyond!
Thank you!
We are honoured to be shortlisted for these awards and to be recognised for our innovation during our 125th year of trading is another fantastic reason to celebrate! As a family-run business, we learn and grow every day to build stronger relationships with our customers and provide the best Quality, Service and Value in the industry. Thank you to all our customers for supporting us over the years, we wouldn't be here without you.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony held in Leeds on Thursday 7th March.