Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards: Business of the Year (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards: Business of the Year

3:36pm Monday 23rd November 2009 in

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ENGINEERING firm WEC Group scooped the Business of the Year title at the Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards.

The Darwen-based company was nominated last year and left empty-handed, but after a bumper 12 months, it was given the biggest award of the night.

Group director Wayne Wild said the success was a triumph for the firm’s strategy of investment despite the recession.

WEC is best known for sponsoring the Darwen End at Ewood, but its influence spreads far beyond East Lancashire, as it manufactures more motorway CCTV poles than any other British company.

In a year, the 30-year-old firm has increased revenue by making canny acquisitions, including Liverpool-based rival 5750 Components late last year. Meanwhile, WEC also recently moved into a new £2million technology centre in Junction Street, Darwen, and directors invested in new technology worth £1.2million.

Mr Wild said: “We are absolutely over the moon about winning this award and we feel it more than vindicates what we have done.

“It has been an exceptionally good year for us, but it has been a good year in bad times and that makes it even more satisfying.

“The engineering sector has seen a huge downturn this past year but we have gone ahead with investment and that has delivered continued growth.

“We have taken on people, bought £1.2million-worth of new technology and acquired 5750 for £2million. So far, it is paying off.”

Bosses said they also planned 25 per cent growth next year and wanted to create 50 new jobs in the next three years.

Despite boosting turnover to an all-time high of £20million and now having a Lancashire Telegraph Business Award for the WEC mantelpiece, they are not resting on their laurels.