MiniTec UK shortlisted for major award

The excitement is rising again at Basingstoke engineering firm MiniTec UK – after it received notification it has been shortlisted in the 2021 Inspire Business Awards, within the ‘Medium-Sized Business of the Year’ category.

Inspire celebrates local businesses in north Hampshire, with the desire to help companies gain the recognition they deserve, as well as highlight the commitment of their staff.

One of the award criteria was to show how the business overcame challenges to enable it to drive forward and exceed objectives. There is no doubt that 2020 was a challenging, if not one of the most challenging years for the majority of businesses.

MiniTec UK amongst many others, was faced with the levels of uncertainty, but, remaining resourceful and as resilient as ever, it began working with Heathrow Airport to help it meet COVID-19 safety measures right back at the beginning of lockdown in 2020.

Safety guard solutions

The company developed modular safety guard solutions that could be integrated into areas of significant people interaction, including bag search areas, baggage carousels and security lanes. Clearly as the pandemic grew, these were highly in demand and, for Heathrow, social distancing screens were at the top of the list for the safety of millions of travellers each month, as well as the staff working in the terminals.

“MiniTec was able to meet these needs with its specially developed Personnel Protection Screens,” it reports. “The quick turnaround on the project was highly impressive and they were key players in keeping the staff and passengers safe throughout these uncertain times.”

The versatile aluminium frame, fitted with polycarbonate transparent screens, which mount on top of existing work surfaces, provide a safe and hygienic solution for those times when social distancing needs to be maintained between staff and visitors, as well as keeping the public workplace safe and hygienic.

Making a real difference

Says MiniTec MD Gary Livingstone: “Our Personnel Protection Screens have been designed to allow staff in public workplaces, such as Heathrow, to stay safe and observe social distancing – and therefore continue operating. When the COVID-19 outbreak happened last year, we knew as a company that we could design and manufacture systems, such as these, to really make a difference to companies that needed to stay open and operate in a safe and secure way.

“By being shortlisted for this award, we hope this highlights how much the dedication and hard work of how staff means to us during what has been a very hard year.”

The award also allowed MiniTec to show how it helped medical respiratory manufacturer Intersurgical rapidly increase its ventilator tube production process, much needed during the pandemic. “Yet again,” says the company, “MiniTec UK found ways of helping many industries affected throughout the pandemic, and their fast turnarounds and close working methods with clients are in no short way what have made them an incredibly strong contender for this year’s Award.”

Dedication and commitment

MiniTec’s production facility remained open and operational during lockdown, thanks to the dedication and commitment of the entire team, and this allowed several other businesses to continue trading as well.