Birmingham-based engineering firm Alwayse Ball Unit Solutions was tonight named “Engineering Innovator of the Year” at the 2025 Innovation Awards.
The prestigious accolade was announced after a year-long process of voting and judging at a finale awards dinner attended by 500 people at Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
Innovating since 1941 in Birmingham
Alwayse, a leading designer and manufacturer of ball transfer units, has been innovating since 1941 when they invented the revolutionary ‘all-ways’ directional ball transfer in Birmingham.
With over 85 years of expertise, they provide tailored, high-performance material handling solutions across industries, including airport cargo, conveyor manufacturing and automated warehousing. The firm exports to over 70 countries.
James Turner, head of global partnerships at Alwayse, said: “It’s an absolute honour to win the award, to be recognised amongst our peers, to be recognised in such a competitive field and to be recognised against products and innovations that may well feature a lot more cutting-edge technology. Whereas ours is a simple solution that provides real benefits for the community.”
Not high-tech but making a huge difference
Claire Umney, managing director of Alwayse, added: “Even small innovation is absolutely critical to the growth of our business and to how our customers view us as a premium British brand. And to have that recognised is just really exciting for us and we’re very, very proud of our team and what we’ve achieved.”
Dr Richard Fallon, CEO of the Technology Supply Chain (TSC) membership organisation, which runs the annual Innovation Awards, said: “Congratulations to Alwayse Ball Unit Solutions. We had more entries than ever before this year, and the competition for each category was stronger than it’s ever been.
“Each winner can be justifiably proud and can look forward to ongoing support from the 5,000-member TSC network as they chart their course to future success.”
Innovation Awards are open to individuals, businesses and organisations across the UK
The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the businesses, organisations and individuals who are dedicated to innovation.
The awards are open to innovative individuals, businesses and organisations – including universities, local councils and catapults – based in the UK.
