Saint-Gobain Glass was named Glass Company of the Year at the G22 Awards as well as one of its key employees, Will Ruane, winning the Unsung Hero title.
Last year, the company invested more than £30 million in its site in Eggborough, which included the installation of a new state-of the-art float glass furnace, and refurbishment and redevelopment of associated areas of its factory. The project was one of the fastest ‘cold-repair’ upgrades of a float-glass furnace – 117 days’ glass-to-glass.
Production Specialist Will Ruane was named the winner in the Unsung Hero category. He joined the company as an intern in the finance department, took an interest in glass production and is now on a development and training programme to achieve a senior management role in Float Glass manufacturing.
He subsequently suffered a life-changing accident and is now wheelchair-bound but returned to work within six months and continues to be a valuable and proactive member of the team.
Managing director Steve Severs said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the whole team and hugely rewarding for Will. The G22 Award comes immediately after winning two awards in the Glass Focus Awards where our project The Spark was awarded Design of the Year – Flat Glass, and we also won the Strengthening business through people award.
“These four awards have been won for our work and achievements during a couple of difficult years and demonstrate the commitment and resilience of the team – as well as the team’s continued passion for the industry.”
