Flambeau Europe, with its HQ based in Ramsgate, has been named Manufacturer of the Year for Kent at the 2026 Regional Business Awards.
The award recognises the resilience, investment and continued progress shown across the plastic injection and blow moulding business over the past 12 months. This included recovering from a targeted break-in and copper theft within one week, followed by a return to full operation just 18 hours after a fire at the Ramsgate site several months later.
Chris Taylor, Marketing Manager, said: “ Throughout these challenges, we retained all key customer accounts, continued investing in machinery and capability, and maintained our growth strategy.
“As a Ramsgate-based manufacturer, we’re incredibly proud to receive this regional recognition and to share more positive news for manufacturing in Kent.”
The accolade comes on the heels of Best Leadership Award in the Manufacturing category at the National Business Awards UK in May.
Last year, Flambeau Europe invested in three additional injection moulding machines at the Ramsgate facility, a 60-ton Haitian machine in April, a 550-ton Bole machine in September, and a 35-ton machine in November. This expanded the fleet to 18 machines ranging from 35T to 1700T, strengthening capability across both smaller precision parts and larger, more complex mouldings.
The firm says the investments helped improve flexibility, productivity, efficiency and customer service, while also supporting longer-term growth ambitions as a UK manufacturer.
Well done and well deserved.