THE town’s proud record of innovation in the glass industry has another triumph to add to its list after a manufacturer received an honour for its technical expertise.
NGF Europe, which has 240 employees at Lea Green, has earned the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
The accolade recognises the design and manufacture of small filament diameter glass cords used in the motor industry by all the major car manufacturing countries worldwide.
The cords are coated in rubber latex in a novel chemical dipping process and are oil resistant, making them capable of reinforcing car timing belts.
This significantly reduces noise and carbon dioxide emissions and increases the fuel economy of engines.
A subsidiary of Pilkington owner NSG Group of Japan, Alistair Poole, NGF’s managing director, said: “This award recognises the achievements of our research and development team and the company’s commitment to technical development and manufacturing excellence.”
The accolade coincides with the unveiling of a £4million fibre-forming facility at the site, which NGF says makes it the only fully integrated glass cord production factory outside of Japan.
The investment has been made possible by a £500,000 advanced manufacturing grant from the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund.
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