CHESHIRE, England - The 2014 British Coatings Federation (BCF) Awards evening at the end of November hosted over 110 guests who gathered to celebrate the successes of the coatings industry.

There were five big winners of the night: Farrow & Ball, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems, Crown Paints, Steyport, and Jotun Paints’ apprentice, Ben Perriman.

BCF’s CEO Tom Bowtell commented, “My congratulations go out to all our finalists, and especially the winners, who have demonstrated their commitment to investing in developing their staff, creating more sustainable products and making their businesses more sustainable. It was great to announce on a report issued only last week that the coatings industry continues to be a safe place to work, with the lowest accident rate since records began in 1996, and record high levels of recycling of waste, now at 65%, compared to just 17% in the mid 1990s.” 

Farrow & Ball received the Excellence in Training Award for the customer-focused training program that had been developed and delivered by the company’s own staff, and which resulted in significant sales growth, reduced customer complaints and increased employee satisfaction with training. Following the training theme, Ben Perriman, an apprentice at Jotun Paints, won the BCF Student of the Year Award, selected from over 100 students who completed modules in BCF’s Coatings Training Institute distance learning program.

Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems Ltd. (FSIS), was awarded the BCF Sustainable Innovation Award, which is now in its fifth year. Fujifilm was recognized for its state-of-the-art digital ink manufacturing plant, which is delivering zero waste to landfill.

The most long-standing award, the Coatings Care Overall Best Performer Award, went to Crown Paints in Hull, and the Coatings Care Progress Award was given to Steyport in Blackburn.