Member Article

'Exporter of the Year' award for Acorn Stairlifts

Massive growth in overseas sales led to Acorn Stairlifts being named Exporter of the Year at the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2016.

Now in their 10th year, the prestigious annual awards showcase and celebrate the very best of business from the UK’ biggest county. This year’s awards ceremony was held at The Royal Armouries in Leeds and hosted by former Cabinet Minister turned TV presenter Michael Portillo.

Acorn now manufactures more than 60,000 stairlifts per year at its factories in West Yorkshire and Scotland, with export sales accounting for around two-thirds of its near £150M. annual turnover. Its stairlifts are shipped to 84 countries around the world, including the USA, where it is the recognised market leader. Somewhere in the world an Acorn Stairlift is installed every eight minutes.

Announcing Acorn Stairlifts as Exporter of the Year, the Yorkshire Post Awards judges commented: “From its base in Steeton, Acorn is a truly international company with wholly owned subsidiaries in the USA, Canada, mainland Europe, Africa and Australasia. The company’s worldwide exports have more than doubled from £44M to almost £94M and the company exports to more than 80 countries.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Acorn’s Rest of the World Key Account Manager Jimmy Fozzard said: “Despite being an international business, our heart is still here in Yorkshire, from where we export our stairlifts around the world. We are therefore delighted to be named Exporter of the Year in the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards.”

Pictured, left to right, are Jimmy Fozzard, Francesca McDermott and Nicola Mirfield, from Acorn Stairlifts’ Exports Team, accepting the Exporter of the Year Award from Michael Portillo. Photo: Bruce Rollinson.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Duncan Smith .