Pure Awards Archives - Destination Chesterfield

United Cast Bar achieves King’s Award for Enterprise

7th May 2024

Chesterfield’s United Cast Bar (UK) has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

The company, which is Europe’s largest manufacturer of continuously cast iron bar, is one of 252 organisations nationally to be recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise.

Considered the most prestigious awards for UK businesses, receiving a King’s Award for Enterprise is a globally acknowledged royal seal of approval for UK companies.

United Cast Bar’s King’s Award recognises the company’s outstanding achievement in international trade. Established in 1998, United Cast Bar (UK) has risen to become a market leader in the production of continuously cast flake and nodular graphite iron.

More than 90% of the cast iron bar produced at the company’s foundry and worldwide headquarters in Chesterfield, is exported to Europe and further afield, including North America, South Africa, and multiple locations in the far east.

Delighted to be recognised, James Brand, Managing Director of United Cast Bar Foundries, said: “The team and I are over the moon. It is recognition for our continued product development and commitment to producing a high quality product that has enabled us to open new markets around the world and trade competitively internationally.”

Part of the United Cast Bar Group of companies. United Cast Bar (UK) is considered as a pioneer in the production of continuously cast iron bar. Since 2014 it has held the World Record for producing the largest continuously cast bar of iron.

Most recently the company has invested more than £5 million in new equipment at its Chesterfield site where it employs 100 people.

“Having a King’s Award for Enterprise gives us a further platform to develop and grow the business internationally. There are exciting times ahead for United Cast Bar,” added James.

Lucinda White, owner of Chesterfield-based Pure Awards who wrote and submitted United Cast Bar’s application to the King’s Award for Enterprise process last year, said: “It was a pleasure to work with James and the team at United Cast Bar preparing this very prestigious award entry. Whilst there is never a guarantee of success, we were confident the company had a strong story to share and that their achievements in the recent years expanding their international trade operations were worthy of this award.

“We are thrilled with the result, which is another achievement of our own in helping more Derbyshire businesses gain recognition as first time entrants. It’s a great effort and brilliant result for everyone involved.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in four categories: International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development, and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility). Entries to the annual awards

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Applications for King’s Awards for Enterprise 2025 open on His Majesty The King’s Coronation, 6th May 2024. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise.

United Cast Bar and Pure Awards support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

James Brand, United Cast Bar

Chesterfield business owner named amongst the UK’s top 100 female entrepreneurs

31st January 2024

Chesterfield business owner, Lucinda White has been crowned one of the UK’s most impressive female entrepreneurs by Small Business Britain’s ‘f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100’ campaign.

Lucinda, who founded Pure Awards, a boutique ward writing and content agency in 2005 is being profiled among 100 inspirational female entrepreneurs from across the country, as part of the campaign to celebrate the multi-achievements of women running businesses in the UK today.

From AI companies to female-run tradeswoman platforms and sustainable fashion designers, the f:Entrepreneur ‘#IAlso100’ line-up particularly showcases trailblazing female founders who lead purpose-driven businesses alongside a roster of other responsibilities, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support.

Lucinda was also called out for her success as a winning award writer, enabling businesses and entrepreneurs (male and female) throughout the UK to benefit from hundreds of finalist positions and wins using her exceptional writing skills. She has also helped charities raise over £750,000 for good causes through grant applications and created content to showcase local and national brands. All of this whilst running a busy home and bringing up her two daughters with husband Matt.

On being featured in the #ialso100 lineup, Lucinda said: “I am thrilled to be recognized in this award and campaign for 2024. For the last three years I have had a client feature in the #IAlso 100 so it is really wonderful to be on the list for this year too. I am excited to get to know all the other wonderful female entrepreneurs in this community as the year unfolds. 2024 is going to be a fantastic year!”.

Launched in 2017 by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK – the f:Entrepreneur campaign aims to raise greater awareness of the impact of incredible female business owners across the country, and help provide inspiration and role models to the wider small business community.

The campaign offers a host of events, training, and networking opportunities to boost skills, capability, and confidence.

“Congratulations to Lucinda White and each of the phenomenal women featured in this year’s #IAlso100,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business Britain.

“It is so important that we call out the incredible contribution of women running businesses across the UK. As well as growing economic prosperity across the UK, they are also having a tremendous, wider positive impact on local communities too. Despite all of the challenges of recent times, it is fantastic to see female entrepreneurship continuing to grow and flourish in the UK, and we must do all we can to encourage and build this further.”

To see the full line-up of the 100 women featured in this year’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign visit https://f-entrepreneur.com/ialso-100-2024/