MPM is thrilled to share a double success from the 2025 Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards, celebrating both our team and individual leadership.
MPM Celebrates Double Win at the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards
MPM is proud to announce a double win at the 2025 Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards, taking home the Employer of the Year title, while our New Product Implementation Leader, Nick Robinson, was named the very first Manufacturing Leader of the Year.
Held at Leeds Beckett University, the annual awards shine a light on outstanding employers and rising stars from across the region. This year’s ceremony highlighted the positive impact of people-centred manufacturing — something we’ve long championed at MPM.
Putting People First in UK Manufacturing
Winning Employer of the Year, sponsored by E3 Recruitment, reflects years of focused effort across MPM to invest in people, inspire future talent, and build a culture of trust, visibility and long-term development.
“Ben and the leadership team at MPM have shown that businesses can thrive by investing time and energy into their people,” said Matt Booth, Associate Director at E3 Recruitment. “They’ve created a place where everyone can grow, where ideas matter, and where people feel like they’re part of something bigger.”
At MPM, we believe the future of UK manufacturing depends on inspiring and developing the next generation. Since 2023, we’ve delivered over 20 career events, hosted multiple factory visits from schools and partners, and co-designed a Learning Room at Leeds City College dedicated to showcasing composite manufacturing — a vital but often underrepresented part of the engineering world.
We also build development into the heart of our business:
- Structured progression and upskilling for every employee
- Bi-annual performance and pay reviews
- A growing apprenticeship programme (15% of our workforce by the end of 2025)
- Paid leadership and coaching for team leads and senior members
Our team’s average age is under 40 — younger than industry norms — and our average tenure is 9 years, showing strong retention and loyalty.
A Leader of the Future
The recognition of Nick Robinson as the inaugural Manufacturing Leader of the Year, sponsored by Leeds City Council, is a proud moment for MPM. Nick joined the business in 2010 and has become a driving force in new product development and mentoring future talent.
“Nick has played a key role in new product development and implementation and has a big part to play in mentoring MPM’s future stars,” said the judging panel.
Nick’s journey reflects the leadership values we nurture across the business: long-term thinking, technical excellence, and people development.
Built on Trust, Transparency and Teamwork
Culture is more than a buzzword at MPM. From weekly team newsletters and real-time updates on digital signage, to open dashboards and transparent strategy sessions, we believe in rowing in the same direction — and bringing everyone along for the journey.
Our long-standing internal mantra, #StrongerTogether, has guided us since 2018. It reflects not only how we operate internally, but also how we partner with customers and communities alike.
“This recognition means so much to all of us,” said MPM Managing Director Ben Wilson. “We’re a business built on people. These awards speak to the care, culture, and commitment our team brings every single day.”
