Last Friday, Harrison Spinks welcomed the Queens representative, Tim Hare, Her Majesty’s Vice Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, who presented the company with Queens Awards for Enterprise in Innovation and Sustainable Development.
Harrison Spinks is the first UK bed manufacturer to have won either of these two awards, and the first company ever to receive both of them in the same year.
The award for Innovation was given for the design and manufacture of the company's unique pocket springs and their associated production process. The ‘high-density’ spring technology is also being adapted to new applications such as in the automotive seating industry.
Harrison Spinks was granted the Sustainable Development Award for developing innovative, sustainable mattresses and associated products and setting an industry benchmark regarding sustainability of operations and products. The comfortable mattresses are fully recyclable, using materials sourced on the basis of their sustainability credentials. To ensure provenance of the materials, 30% of the mattress fillings are grown on the Harrison Spinks farm, and a further 20% are sourced locally.
The formal presentation of the Awards took place in the company's Leeds head office showroom in front of employees, VIP guests and press. On arrival, The Vice Lord Lieutenant was taken on a tour of the manufacturing facility, including the new 67,000 sqft manufacturing site which is currently being renovated in readiness to expand into shortly.
Commenting on the awards, Harrison Spinks' MD, Simon Spinks, says: “Winning two Queen’s Awards simultaneously is a remarkable achievement for the company, and one of which we are extremely proud of. The awards recognise the commitment to excellence that we all share at Harrison Spinks and reflect the fact that innovation and sustainability are at the very heart of our business. We are dedicated to continuous improvement, so we will remain focused on developing products that enhance comfort wherever they can be applied.
“We have some exciting developments in the bed mattress, spring component and baby products sectors that we are looking forward to launching later this year, which will further demonstrate our commitment to innovation and sustainability."
