Sandon Global, the British anilox manufacturer, has been recognized by the UK flexographic industry after being awarded Gold Supplier of the Year at the FIA UK Annual Awards Gala, held on 26 June at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool.
Hosted by the Flexographic Industry Association UK (FIA UK), the annual event celebrates excellence in flexographic printing, bringing together the sector to acknowledge achievements in print quality, innovation, technical development, efficiency and sustainability. In addition to its success, Sandon Global was proud to see 11 of its customers receive a combined total of 27 awards across 13 categories, including eight Gold, eight Silver, seven Bronze and four Highly Commended accolades.
Richard Millington, managing director at Sandon Global, said, “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate all 11 Sandon Global customers, and the other award winners, who have rightly been recognized for their outstanding work across the flexographic industry.
“We are also truly moved to have received the prestigious Gold Award for Supplier of the Year. The timing of this recognition is of particular personal significance. Many of you will be aware that an incident on-site at the end of 2024, involving an extraction fire in our plasma department, seriously impacted our anilox manufacturing operations in the first half of 2025, making it a challenging year to date.
“On behalf of the whole team, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our customers and partners, both in the UK and around the world, for their patience, support and loyalty during this period. What makes our award so special is that it’s voted for by the flexo print community that we serve, so to the printers who voted – and demonstrated confidence in Sandon Global as a supplier – thank you.
“We’re getting back on track, investing in the future of the business, and looking forward to delivering the quality and service our customers have come to expect. On the back of this, we’ve taken positive actions to implement business process improvements and reassessed our business continuity plans to mitigate the impact of such events should they occur in future.”
Sandon Global has been investing heavily in its people in the past six months, with the appointment of three highly qualified PhD experts, whose combined knowledge and expertise spans plasma coating, laser engineering, advanced automation, data-driven manufacturing and intelligent business systems. These appointments will help drive the business forward.
Millington added, “This year has seen significant investment in our team, including research and technical, company systems and business processes, as our focus on scientific and technological developments, and digitalisation, continues. New Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 initiatives will increase our productivity, agility, and enhance our product portfolio, ensuring we can serve our flexo customers well into the future. We are looking forward to exciting times ahead.”
Since the company was founded in 2004, Sandon Global has received a staggering number of national awards and has subsequently gained its award-winning reputation. The company has received Silver in FIA UK’s Supplier of the Year category for the past five consecutive years (2020 – 2024). It previously received the former EFIA’s Gold Supplier Award of the Year in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2011 and the Silver ‘Supplier of the Year’ in 2013, 2010, 2009 and 2008.
Other awards have included Chambers of Commerce Exporter of the Year 2021, KTP Future Innovator award 2020, UK Halton Chamber Business of The Year and Manufacturer of The Year 2019, British Chambers of Commerce SME National Award 2017, The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade 2016, and the DS Smith Group Innovation Award 2008.
