As part of our coverage of the York Press business awards, we now turn to Manufacturer of the Year.

Sheppee International is an Engineering business based in Elvington.

It designs and makes equipment which is used in the process of the manufacturing of glass containers. The 80-year-old business serves the foodstuffs, pharmaceutical, beverages, and perfumery sectors.

It exports around 85% of its product to 56 countries worldwide, employing 65 staff, and is considered a market leader in its sector.

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Judges said: “Sheppee International Limited have consistently grown with world class products showing the huge advantages of having a workforce with strong business and community values and a great team ethos .

“ They are consistently reinvesting for the future and remain technology leaders in the world of bottling .”

Managing director Simon Holmes said afterwards: “We are truly delighted to have won this prestigious award.

“It gives great recognition to each and every employee within the business that their hard work and efforts have helped to gain us this recognition.

“I do not know to which criteria the judges base their scoring but I would like to think that we are perceived as a business who are achieving sustainable growth through continuous investment in our portfolio of products as well as our colleagues.

“I like to think that we deploy a very family orientated communication and business model. We support many activities out side of the work environment and have a very active social / teambuilding ethic.

York Press: pic supplied

“We actually took some 80+ employees including partners to a 5* hotel in Majorca earlier in the year to celebrate a successful milestone. We enjoy to share our success with the whole team.”

Now, the company plans to “make a big fuss” with its award, “using the kudos generated by the receipt of it within our internal and external marketing over the coming weeks.”

Simon added: “Sustainability is a major element which threads through many aspects of our business today.

“Employee and product evolution are key to the success of any business.”