Queen’s Award for Group Rhodes

The managing director of Wakefield-based Group Rhodes was recently presented with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise (for international trade) during an Open Day at The Hepworth arts complex in Wakefield. The award was accepted on behalf of group company Joseph Rhodes, which employs 245 people, has over 20,000m2 of production space across its four UK sites and exports about a third of its turnover to over 30 countries. Its busy order book for the next two years includes a £9 million contract to supply forging presses to Asia and the supply of a robotic and press assembly line to a bulldozer manufacturer in Brazil.

An on-going business expansion plan recently led to the purchase of Slater & Crabtree (a precision engineering firm also based in Wakefield). Group Rhodes has also invested in Rhodes Technical Services, a ‘start-up’ business in Stockport that offers a full range of design services, plus turn-key robotic and automation solutions. Three robots were brought to Wakefield for the Queen’s Award presentation.

Group Rhodes MD Mark Ridgway said: “We are honoured and delighted to have been presented with the group’s second Queen’s Award. The last few years have been challenging for manufacturing in the UK, and our success really has been a team effort. The award is recognition of the hard work, high skills and determination of all our people.”Mr Ridgway was presented with the Queen’s Award by Ingrid Roscoe, Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.