The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) was thrilled to return to Coventry on Thursday, November 21st, for its 7th Annual Awards Ceremony. This year’s event saw a record number of entries across eight categories, showcasing outstanding contributions from the electro-mechanical industry.
Hosted by ITV’s Andrea Byrne, the gala presentation dinner was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton, conveniently located at the M6/M69 intersection. The evening celebrated achievements in professional excellence, product innovation, skills development, engineering expertise, sustainability and exceptional service delivery.
Operated by the AEMT and produced by Touchwave Media, the awards programme acknowledges the skill, effort and sheer dedication of the people and businesses serving today’s complex electrical and mechanical service, maintenance, and repair sector. With sponsorship provided by a host of leading industry names, well deserved industry-wide recognition was given to those businesses and individuals that are excelling in their professional endeavours.
Additionally, and in support of the Red Cross, the AEMT’s chosen charity for this event, a fantastic £1537.00 was raised through an entertaining game of Higher or Lower, the winner of which received a Virgin Experience Day.
The entertainment continued late into the night with an energetic performance by Back Chat Brass, who brought their own spin to a broad range of go-to hits. In addition to enticing guests onto the dance floor, the band also played the walk-on music to accompany sponsors and winners onto the stage, much to everyone’s delight.
The 2024 AEMT Awards Winners are as follows: –
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by DFA MEDIA GROUP
Winner: MEGGER BAKER: ADX Static Motor Analyser
The Megger Baker Instruments ADX Static Motor Analyser is a multi-function, fully automatic analyser, used by motor rewinders, motor OEMs, service providers and industrial end users. The ADX is used to verify the winding circuit and the condition of the insulation systems within motors and generators and is used as a QA tool in the workshop, and a reliability tool when testing motors on-site. Our customers rate the ADX extremely highly and comment about the ease of use, speed of testing and in particular cloud database functionality and the professional test reports.
PROJECT OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by EMiR SOFTWARE
Winner: INNOMOTICS MOTORS AND LARGE DRIVES: CCGT Power Station
This project has allowed the client to provided precise speed control of the Main Cooling Water Pumps against a set point of Steam Turbine Vacuum. This means that only the required amount of water is pumped to the condenser, eliminating wasted pumping energy – this is significant since the absorbed power varies with the cube of pump speed (Affinity Laws) and that the pumps run 24/7. Precise control of the vacuum means that the steam turbine always runs at the optimum operating point which leads to further improved efficiency across the cycle. These efficiency improvements clearly have environmental benefits in terms of reduced energy consumption/resource utilisation and improvements in carbon footprint. For a generating station, saved energy can be sold to customers generating further revenue and strengthening the business commercially. The project also improved the reliability of the pump motors, which had previously been suffering from serious reliability issues due to stresses on start-up using the original DOL starters, and mechanical resonances when running.
AEMT Gala Awards Dinner at The Doubletree by Hilton, Coventry.
21.11.24
SERVICE CENTRE OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by ACORN INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
Winner: HIDROSTAL
Hidrostal’s 20,000 sq. ft Service & Distribution Centre is their flagship national hub for service, refurbishments, repairs and spare parts of their centrifugal pumping systems and technologies. Sited as “one of the cleanest workshops, suitable for a best practice location” the facility, which was the first in the UK to become an ATEX approved repairer, has space for storage and maintenance for key customers and holds rationalised stock of modular parts to provide pumping solutions within a 3-day turnaround.
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by RENEW MAGAZINE
Winner: PREFORMED WINDINGS
As a global leader in high-voltage diamond coils, Preformed Windings prioritize quality and innovation, delivering exceptional products to the renewable energy sector. Its game-changing solutions, such as QualCoil H, have revolutionized hydropower efficiency, contributing to significant CO2 reductions. With a commitment to sustainability and partnerships, the company creates a positive impact in the industry, supporting job creation and advancing the circular economy while fostering a collaborative work environment.
CONTRIBUTION TO SKILLS & TRAINING – Sponsored by INNOMOTICS
Winner: WESTIN DRIVES
Westin Drives is committed to fostering talent and ensuring its team remains are at the forefront of industry advancements. Through continuous training programs, apprenticeships, and skill development initiatives, the company invest in its workforce to enhance their expertise. The focus on upskilling both new and existing employees drives innovation and strengthens its ability to meet the evolving needs of clients.
RISING STAR AWARD – Sponsored by TEC ELECTRIC MOTORS
Winner: James Schooler, ADC ELECTRICAL
James has only just started the second year of his apprenticeship but has already established himself as an integral member for the engineering team. James has a number of excellent qualities but what stands out is his interest in the job, his mechanical understanding, and his willingness to help his peers. He is already helping to inspire the next generation of engineers by collaborating with local schools in the primary engineering program.
AEMT Gala Awards Dinner at The Doubletree by Hilton, Coventry.
21.11.24
SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING AWARD – Sponsored by ABB
Winner: IPS, NEWCASTLE
IPS partnered with Newcastle University to assess the carbon footprint of motor and generator repairs versus replacements. This collaboration provided valuable data on the environmental benefits of repair, guiding customers towards sustainable decisions. By promoting transparency and a lower carbon future, we continue to assist other businesses in discovering their own impact.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD – Sponsored by PREFORMED WINDINGS
Winner: HIDROSTAL
This year, the Special Recognition Award was given in recognition of equality, diversity, and inclusion. Creating, and maintaining a workplace culture in which employees feel valued, respected, and accepted, is an important, but often overlooked, metric for any business operating within an engineering environment. However, the recipient of this year’s Special Recognition Award, Hidrostal can clearly demonstrate inclusive participation in its everyday operations which significantly contribute to the enhancement of equality, diversity, and inclusion at work.
Commenting on the awards dinner, Thomas Marks, Secretary and General Manager at the AEMT said: “This year’s awards proved to be another remarkable success and once again provided an excellent forum through which to celebrate the excellent work being undertaken by the electromechanical service and repair sector.”
He continued: “I very much look forward to building on that success for the 2025 programme, which coincides with the AEMT’s 80th Anniversary, and to providing another superb platform for promoting business and professional excellence. I would urge every business engaged in this key part of the engineering arena, to consider the huge promotional value that this awards programme can deliver and ensure that your business is suitably represented.”
Further details
For more information on the 2024 AEMT Awards and to review the image gallery, please visit the dedicated awards website www.aemtawards.com or contact the producers, Touchwave Media on 07785 290034 or by email at [email protected].
The ‘call for nominations’ for the 2025 awards programme will open in the spring of next year, so if you or your company have a product, project, service, staff member or other significant achievement which you feel is deserving of industry-wide recognition, be sure to submit an entry. The PR value associated with being selected as a Finalist is highly desirable, but if announced as a Winner, the value is even greater. So, what have you got to lose?
