CeeD hosted its flagship industry awards for Scotland’s manufacturing sector, as it took centre stage to help the industry shape its post-pandemic future.
For the first time, CeeD (Centre for Engineering Education & Development) welcomed nominations specifically for manufacturing businesses across Scotland. The Remanufacturing Award, sponsored by National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, saw over 100 applications and shortlisted KR Group amongst three other finalists.
Located in a small seaside village Northeast of Aberdeen, KR Group offers steel, cladding and project management solutions on a national scale. They recently achieved carbon neutral status and are dedicated to helping their clients limit their environmental impact.
Their ‘KR Bon Reduction’ initiative will see a repurposing facility built in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire. The facility will allow KR Group to receive used cladding waste and repurpose it for new projects, tremendously reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. Over the course of five years, KR Group expects to divert 2,498 tonnes of waste from landfill, the equivalent of 8 Olympic Swimming Pools. They will also prevent 7,736 tonnes of carbon emissions, equal to removing 4,460 cars from UK roads.
Thanks to this circular economic solution, KR Group were recognised as industry leaders in remanufacturing and deserving finalists. Although they didn’t win, they were proud to attend as representatives of the Northeast and to mark the beginnings of more recognition within the construction industry.
KR Group was founded by husband-and-wife duo Kenny Robertson and Nicola Fraser almost 20 years ago. The business has grown from a small family business to an integral part of the community and a reputable business servicing the length of Scotland. KR Group is recognised locally as an advocate for Young Workforce investment, with 18% of their employees in ‘earn and learn’ roles. They are also regular contacts of local schools, colleges, universities, and community groups, dedicated to sharing industry knowledge and promoting the construction industry to young people.
Thanks to Nicola’s work in the sector, she was nominated as a finalist for the Women in Industry Award, sponsored by Volvo Construction Equipment & Rokbak. Amongst the finalists were Carol Sheath, Engineering Programme Manager at Renewable Parts; and Rachel Jones, CEO of SnapDragon Monitoring, who won the category.
“I was honoured to be selected as a finalist and have the opportunity to network with likeminded businesses,” says Nicola, KR Group Business Director. “Although we didn’t take home any awards, it’s always good to be recognised for the work you do. We’re especially proud of our Sustainability projects so it was great to be able to talk about that and raise some awareness.”
KR Group will have another opportunity to win an award for their efforts to limit the industry’s environmental impact. They have been selected as finalists for the upcoming FSB ‘Celebrating Small Business Awards’, to be presented in Edinburgh on March 31. FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) has shortlisted KR Group for the Environment/Sustainability Award for their ‘KR Bon Reduction’ initiative. “We have our fingers crossed!” says Nicola.