Across UK manufacturing, businesses are under increasing pressure to improve productivity, strengthen resilience, and scale sustainably within highly competitive global markets.
Against this backdrop, Sharing in Growth (SiG) has been shortlisted in three categories at the 2026 MCA Awards, recognising transformation programmes that have delivered measurable operational, organisational, and leadership impact across the sector.
The three categories are as follows:
- Change and Transformation in the Private Sector with AML Sheffield
- Performance Improvement in the Private Sector with Sylatech
- Rising Star award with Lara Shorthose
The MCA Awards are widely regarded as one of the most respected benchmarks in UK consulting. They focus on evidence-based impact, highlighting programmes that deliver measurable improvements for clients rather than incremental change.
At a time when reshoring, supply chain resilience, and long-term industrial competitiveness are becoming increasingly important, recognition of sustainable transformation programmes carries growing significance across UK manufacturing.
Being shortlisted for the MCA Awards marks an important moment for our team and reflects the impact of the work delivered, especially after we emerged victorious in last year’s Change & Transformation in the Private Sector category. As members of the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), we value the opportunity to be recognised alongside some of the most respected consultancies in the industry.
While each nomination reflects a different transformation journey, together they demonstrate how operational improvement, organisational capability, and leadership development work together to create sustainable manufacturing growth.
Performance Improvement: Sylatech
The nomination for Performance Improvement in the Private Sector reflects the transformation delivered with Sylatech, where the focus was on unlocking operational capacity and building sustainable performance improvement.
The programme addressed long-standing constraints within production systems and strengthened end-to-end flow across the business. Governance structures were reinforced to embed improvements long-term, while operational capability was developed to support future scalability.
The results demonstrate the scale of impact achieved. EBITDA increased by 1022%, and revenue grew by 51% without any increase in headcount. Value-add per employee rose by 33%, reflecting improved productivity across the workforce. Operational performance also strengthened significantly, with Right First Time reaching 99.5% and delivery schedule adherence exceeding 97%.
These outcomes highlight a shift from reactive operational management to a stable, high-performing system capable of sustained delivery.
The programme reflects SiG’s wider approach: embedding operational discipline, leadership capability, and scalable systems that continue delivering value long after implementation.
Change and Transformation: AML Sheffield
The second nomination recognises AML Sheffield in the Change and Transformation in the Private Sector category. This project focused on evolving a technically capable manufacturer into a scalable aerospace business ready for long-term growth within global supply chains.
Beyond operational improvement, the transformation helped strengthen UK aerospace manufacturing capability at a time when supply chain resilience and reshoring remain key priorities across the sector.
The transformation centred on building organisational maturity and reshaping the operating model to support both innovation and repeatable production at scale. A key focus was ensuring the business could meet the requirements of highly regulated aerospace customers while preparing for strategic investment and international expansion.
This shift delivered significant commercial and strategic outcomes. Turnover increased by 138%, supported by more than £125 million in secured contracts. The manufacturing footprint expanded substantially, enabling greater production capacity and operational flexibility.
Strategic investment from Walsin Lihwa further strengthened the business, alongside long-term agreements with Siemens Energy and Rolls-Royce. The programme has also contributed to wider UK manufacturing resilience by supporting reshoring and strengthening domestic capability in a critical sector.
Rising Star: Lara Paige Shorthose
The third nomination recognises emerging leadership through the Rising Star Award, with Lara Paige Shorthose highlighted for her contribution to transformation delivery within complex manufacturing environments.
Joining SiG as a Business Coach in January 2024, Lara has played a key role in supporting operational change programmes and embedding new ways of working with client teams. Her work reflects the importance of developing capability alongside delivering measurable business outcomes, ensuring that improvements are sustained beyond initial implementation.
Her nomination reflects the growing importance of developing future transformation leaders who can combine technical understanding with the ability to embed lasting operational change within complex manufacturing environments.
We are very proud of Lara and the way she has developed, and we hope she gets the recognition she thoroughly deserves!
Looking ahead to recognising manufacturing transformation at scale
Together, these three nominations tell a single story of impact across manufacturing businesses. They reflect performance improvement delivered at scale, organisational transformation that enables long-term competitiveness, and a continued focus on developing people who can lead change in demanding industrial environments.
Over the coming weeks, we will move forward to the finalist interview stage. From there, the awards winners will be revealed at the MCA Awards Ceremony, taking place at Grosvenor House on 12th October 2026.
Reaching this stage would not have been possible without the expertise, collaboration and determination of everyone involved. We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved so far and look forward to representing the projects at the next stage of the awards process.
Stay tuned for updates as we progress towards the MCA Awards Ceremony.
Results driven. Results proven.
We are the complete business transformation experts. Our passionate team of growth and productivity specialists work with you to develop, inspire and improve every aspect of your organisation. The Sharing in Growth challenge and purpose is to accelerate your business growth, and ultimately your bottom line.
To learn more about how SiG can help your business thrive, contact our team today. We are committed to providing the knowledge, tools, and support you need to unlock your business’ potential and drive sustainable growth. Follow us on LinkedIn for further updates from Sharing in Growth.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the MCA Awards?
The MCA Awards are organised by the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) and recognise consulting projects that deliver measurable business impact across the UK. The awards focus on operational improvement, organisational transformation, leadership, and long-term business performance.
Why was Sharing in Growth shortlisted for the MCA Awards?
Sharing in Growth was shortlisted for three MCA Awards in recognition of its work helping UK manufacturers improve operational performance, scale sustainably, strengthen organisational capability, and develop future transformation leaders.
What results were achieved through the Sylatech transformation programme?
The Sylatech programme delivered a 1022% increase in EBITDA, 51% revenue growth without increasing headcount, 33% higher value-add per employee, 99.5% Right First Time performance, and delivery schedule adherence above 97%.
How did the AML Sheffield programme support UK manufacturing?
The AML Sheffield transformation programme helped strengthen UK aerospace manufacturing capability through operational scaling, organisational maturity, strategic investment, and more than £125 million in secured contracts, supporting reshoring and supply chain resilience.
