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[November 2000]
British Ceramic Tile Wins Top Business Award
The major UK tile manufacturing company BCT (British Ceramic Tile, Newton Abbot, Devon, England) has just won a top regional business award - The Judges' Choice for Leadership and Environment - in the coveted Millennium Business Awards.
Beating over 100 other businesses from Devon and Cornwall, the Millennium Business Award Trophy was officially presented to BCT at the awards ceremony and gala dinner at the Eden project on 2 November 2000. The trophy design was chosen from entries following a competition open to professionals and design students from the area.
The Millennium Business Awards, a major regional business initiative, were created as part of Devon and Cornwall's celebrations for the new millennium to identify outstanding businesses in the region that have harnesses their assets, including leadership, innovation and people skills to create opportunities.
Since going into production only one year ago, BCT has established itself as the UK's largest tile producer, says the company. State-of-the-art, purpose built technology will give it the capacity to produce over 12 million square metres of tiles per year and the site is believed to be one of the most environmentally efficient of its kind in the world.
It currently employs nearly 300 people, the majority of whom are local, and it also uses a substantial amount of by-products of the local china clay industry to make its revolutionary tile body, Cornite(tm), developed andpatented by the company. Coupled with the investment that BCT has made in technology, and recycling everything from water to cardboard, meant that it had the combination of skills and qualities that the judges were looking for.
In addition, the company has announced that it has secured major contracts to supply a number of major DIY multiple retailers and is about to commence the third and final phase to complete the current factory. Investment in the business will exceed 35 million by the time that this work is completed.
"To achieve all this in just one year is like Christmas coming early and I would like to thank our dedicated employees and suppliers upon whom BCT rely and without whose support we would not have achieved this tremendous accolade," said Chief Executive Tim Evitt.
ENDS