Looking back to circular manufacturing excellence last year, CJ Sheeran made it to the shortlist of the Operational Excellence Award at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2025, recognised for the depth of its commitment to sustainable, circular timber packaging manufacturing.

The company operates across two complementary strands of production, manufacturing new timber packaging and buying second-hand pallets for repair and reuse. Together, these activities form a circular model that reduces waste, extends the life of timber materials, and delivers operational value at each stage of the production cycle.

Energy performance sits alongside that circularity as a defining feature of CJ Sheeran's operations. The company uses biomass to fuel its kilns, a renewable energy source that currently accounts for 44% of the Group's total energy usage, a significant and measurable contribution to reducing the organisation's reliance on fossil fuels.

That combination of responsible material use and renewable energy integration reflects precisely the kind of operational discipline the Operational Excellence Award is designed to recognise. CJ Sheeran's shortlisting highlights how manufacturers rooted in traditional sectors can lead on sustainability without sacrificing production performance.

Its inclusion on the shortlist underscores the Manufacturing Excellence Awards' commitment to championing manufacturers that embed operational rigour and environmental responsibility into the fabric of how they work, not as an ambition, but as everyday practice.

Visit the official Manufacturing Excellence Awards website to explore past winners, review award categories, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates, insights, and exclusive coverage from Ireland's manufacturing sector.