ContiTech Beattie at Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2009

Winning the Financial Management prize at this month’s IMECHE’s Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2009 follows success at last year’s ceremony and in a number of regional accolades.

ContiTech Beattie was shortlisted for five awards and listed as finalist in three, following a visit from external assessors in May and a presentation in London to a panel of seven judges, all experts in the manufacturing field.

Last year, ContiTech Beattie won the business development and change management award, and was highly commended in the people development category. The company also won two Northumberland Business Awards and the employer of the year title in the Wansbeck Business Awards.

A world leader in the design, manufacture and supply of flexible hose assemblies and associated hardware to the oil and gas sector, ContiTech Beattie is the only North East firm to have been shortlisted for the 2009 awards.

Originally formed in 1960 as Beattie Hydraulics Limited, a manufacturer of carbon steel hydraulic hose fittings, the firm rebranded from Phoenix Beattie Limited to ContiTech Beattie Limited in 2008 and now employs 97 people, including 82 in Ashington and 14 in Aberdeen, with one in Singapore.

The business has increased its turnover from £16m in 2004 to £24m in 2007, and then to £28m in 2008, while at the same time increasing its operating profitability by 338% from 2004 to 2008, and by 75% from 2007 to 2008.

Andrew Esson, managing director of ContiTech Beattie, said: “The finance department has been at the heart of the transition of ContiTech Beattie from a family owned business with no sophisticated systems, to its place now as a subsidiary of a major international corporation, Continental AG. This award recognises the development and improvements that have taken place along the way and builds upon the recognition that has been given to ContiTech Beattie during the last two years as the business sees genuine rewards, internally and externally, as a result of the changes.

Financial manager John Hodgson added: “The finance department now necessarily has a more central place in the organisation’s processes, and fulfils a role both in support of decision makers but also in challenging and testing decisions. A key challenge for finance during the company’s transition has been to comply with group policies without stifling the innovative spirit of the company. Our approach is to allow a degree of entrepreneurship to exist within a controlled and risk managed environment.”

Andrew Esson, expressed his delight at winning awards in consecutive years: “This is a fantastic achievement for the team and a great award to win during these turbulent times. After entering MX for the first time last year we found the self-assessment process to be a rigorous and thought provoking exercise which forced us to challenge our self-perceptions and gave us a clear direction as to how we can further improve our business performance. We have invested heavily in our plant, people and process and as a result 2008 saw a growth of 17.4% in turnover and a 70% increase in operating profit.”

Martin Stainton, Managing Director of ERIKS, which sponsored the award said: “Eriks is proud to sponsor the award for Financial Management this year as it ties closely in with our own business model. We work in close partnership with these operations to deliver cost reduction and financial control of expenditure and inventory for the engineering and maintenance functions. This is crucial activity considering the constraints that many manufacturers are working under during the current recession.”