A 'sustainability champion' has dedicated his MBE in the New Year Honours list to his hardworking team.

John Norris of Burnley received the award for Services to Innovation, Sustainability and International Trade in the King’s New Year Honours. John is chair of Blackburn firm B&M Longworth (Edgworth) Ltd.

The MBE recognises John’s contributions over his engineering career spanning almost 60 years, along with his passion for reducing waste materials.

John said: “I only wish I could share it with my team, they deserve this as much as I do.

“I’m lucky to be surrounded by an equally passionate, hardworking team who share the belief that we all can, and must do better to achieve true sustainability, and must stop waiting for someone else to take action first.”

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Starting his career as a technical apprentice working on turbines and generators at the former English Electric Company, he went on to found and manage a number of specialist engineering and manufacturing companies in East Lancashire, employing more than 250 people.

For the past six years, he has focused on developing 'transformative environmental and sustainability-based technologies' at B&M Longworth.

The development of John’s products and technologies have created high-value, sustainable ‘green’ jobs.

B&M Longworth has achieved more than £3million in export sales to South East Asia, United States, Japan, France and Spain and has technology in 19 countries around the world.

His team at B&M Longworth Ltd said: “We are unbelievably proud that John’s passion, ambition and contribution have been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours with an MBE.

“John’s work ethic, boundless energy and belief that ‘anything is possible, we just need to find a way’; leaves a technical legacy to inspire and drive future generations of engineers, innovators and those chasing a sustainable future for all industry.

"We call this the 5th industrial revolution and thanks to John’s passion and enthusiasm and creativity as a role model, it’s a step closer to becoming a reality.

“On behalf of everyone at Longworth, we congratulate John on receiving his MBE.”