Alvan Blanch receive Queens Award
Local manufacturers, Alvan Blanch Development Company Ltd, have been presented their Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2012 by the Lord Lieutenant for Wiltshire, Mrs Sarah Troughton.
1. Andrew Blanch MD Alvan Blanch, receives the Queens Awards from the Lord Lieutenant for Wiltshire, Mrs Sarah Troughton in front of staff of Alvan Blanch
Local manufacturers, Alvan Blanch Development Company Ltd, have been presented their Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2012 by the Lord Lieutenant for Wiltshire, Mrs Sarah Troughton.
The Award – a celebratory cut-glass bowl – and a short speech were given by the Lord Lieutenant on Tuesday, 19th February. This marked a great occasion to celebrate with a glass of bubbly for all the office and factory staff at Alvan Blanch.
The presentation took place in a newly completed stores area of the factory. This extension is only part of a £2 million investment programme over the past 12 months, including the purchase and upgrade of the most up-to-date CNC machinery and the erection of several new industrial buildings.
The decision to spend so much money on upgrading the facilities on site in North Wiltshire was not a simple one for Alvan Blanch managing director Andrew Blanch (second generation of the family business).
It was not long ago that Mr Blanch was considering cutting down the manufacturing operation near Crudwell and moving some of the production to Eastern Europe or the Far East. Skilled workers and graduate engineers were in short supply and it was becoming more and more difficult to compete on world markets with lower-cost products from the Far East, while the UK market was stagnant.
However, he decided instead to invest heavily in new production machinery in order to make the same high-quality machinery, but produced more efficiently. This latest phase of investment is just the latest stage in an on-going and continuing process.
“I’m really glad we have done it,” says Andrew Blanch, “everyone feels positive about working in a company where we are investing money.”
Alvan Blanch is now exporting its post-harvest processing equipment like grain driers to 90 countries across the world, including Russia, which has become one of its biggest markets.
As part of the Award, two members of staff – one from the factory, and one from the office – representing the company were invited to Buckingham Palace at the end of 2012 for a congratulatory drinks reception, attended by HRM The Queen and other members of the Royal Family, for all companies receiving the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise.
The Award for International Trade was announced alongside the company’s Diamond Anniversary last year.
Alvan Blanch are now looking forward to the completion of their factory extension and fully packed production schedule for much of the New Year.
