Boneham scoops Inclusivity award in Made in the Midlands Made Equal campaign

Representatives from Boneham & Turner Ltd travelled to the House of Lords to collect the exclusive award for recoginising inclusivity in the workplace 

The Midlands companies recognised were: Alphadrive Engineering, Arlington Industries, B Hepworth, Boneham & Turner, C Brandauer, Colebridge Enterprises, Direct Air, FBC Manby Bowdler, GKN Driveline, Mapal, Schmolz & Bickenbach and Wrekin Sheetmetal.

Accompanying them was Walsall Football Club, one for the few non-manufacturing organisations to have embraced the campaign.

Any company which stays in business for more than a century can truly be said to understand both its markets and its customers’ needs.

Such is the case with Sutton-in-Ashfield-based manufacturer Boneham & Turner, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

The Boneham Group is a leading manufacturer and supplier of standard and special engineering components to the UK, Europe and United States. It specialises in drill bushes, dowel pins, locating parts, shims and hydraulic sealing plugs, as well as supplying a wider range of components.

Quality and excellence have been the founding principles of the business throughout the decades and this attention to detail has allowed the company to remain at the forefront of sectors including; aerospace, automotive, motorsport, power generation, defence and machine-building.

But another factor has also played a part in its ongoing success – innovation. Continuous product development has helped the the group to retain its pre-eminent position in key sectors. Innovation can also take the form of processes, people and an evolving culture. The company is always open to new ideas and investment in its strongest asset, its people. A unique blend of talent ranging from apprentices to dedicated long serving employees of up to 57 years. This focus on people has driven the decision to become one of the pioneers of Made in the Midlands’ new Inclusivity campaign.

Overcoming barriers that confine businesses has been too long in coming and this new campaign aims to change this. Put simply, the campaign is about maximising the potential of  businesses by ensuring its entire workforce feels respected, valued and engaged. In doing so, they will be motivated to do the best for the business. The campaign goes beyond any legal requirement and is intended to stimulate creativity, foster innovation and encourage drive.

Stacy Denton-Beaumont, sales manager at Boneham & Turner will be spearheading the company’s Inclusivity strategy. She said: “We were very interested in this campaign immediately that we learned about it. We wanted to find better ways of engaging with the entire workforce and this will allow us to do just that.
“We will be setting up an employee engagement group later in the year and the work we do now will stand us in good shape when it comes to implementing our plans.”

She added: “We have been in the area for over 100 years and we are always looking at new ways in which we can continue to be relevant to the local area and this may be crucial in that. We are very proud of the firm’s heritage – it’s a fourth generation family business so we want to continue to promote best practice wherever we can.”
The firm’s enlightened attitude extends beyond its own workers and it is keen to support other members of the community looking for work.