Michael Smith Switchgear receives King's Award for Enterprise

Michael Smith Switchgear has been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of the company’s work in sustainable development.

The Leicester manufacturer is one of 197 organisations to be recognised with the UK’s most prestigious business award today.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise recognises outstanding UK businesses.

Now in its 59th year, the Award celebrates achievement in four categories: innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

MSSL is one of only 27 businesses to be honoured in the sustainable development category this year.

It comes after a decade of work on embedding sustainability at the heart of operations.

MSSL achieved Carbon Neutral status in 2022, and is currently seven years ahead of Make UK’s Net Zero carbon reduction roadmap.

It has doubled revenue and workforce over the last nine years, now employing 54 people.

MSSL has proactively enacted a string of sustainability measures which have reduced carbon emissions by 58% since 2018.

Speaking to BusinessDesk East Midlands, Sean Smith, Managing Director, said: “It’s great for our team to see their hard work recognised at the highest level. This has never been a box-ticking exercise for us, it’s an area in which we really want to lead change.”

The King’s Award recognition comes as Michael Smith Switchgear marks its 40th anniversary.

Founded in 1985, MSSL has gone from a small yard behind a Leicester terrace to a purpose-built site that sets the standard for sustainable manufacturing.

MSSL began its sustainability journey soon after Operations and Finance Director, Emily Smith, joined the company in 2013.

Emily, a chartered accountant, has been actively involved in global conservation charities since childhood.

Emily Smith said: “Lots of companies want to move towards Net Zero but don’t know where to start - this award shows that making a series of small steps over a period of time enables anyone to help protect future generations.”

As well as sustainability, MSSL focuses closely on standards and safety, having recently renewed its four ISO certifications - including ISO 14001 for Environmental Management Systems - and recording nine consecutive years of RoSPA Gold Medal Awards.

The Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP recently visited MSSL’s site on the Braunstone Frith Industrial Estate, in her Leicester West constituency.

She met with team members and saw first-hand the innovative measures underpinning MSSL’s sustainability success.

Liz Kendall MP said: “Michael Smith Switchgear is a brilliant example of how manufacturing growth does not need to compromise Net Zero ambitions while also creating fantastic roles for apprentices”.