Early last year, Heron Joinery was awarded Innovation of the Year at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2025, celebrated for its inventive approach to improving manufacturing efficiency, quality, and employee wellbeing through a custom-built roller/turntable system.

Designed and constructed entirely in-house by Heron Joinery’s skilled team, the solution eliminated double handling, enabled one-piece flow, and reduced physical strain on employees while boosting production precision. By targeting process bottlenecks and ergonomics, the initiative cut final assembly defects from 40% to just 2%, delivering measurable improvements in both quality and operational efficiency.

Judges praised Heron Joinery for its practical, high-impact innovation. “This entrant demonstrated outstanding ingenuity in addressing production challenges. The custom roller/turntable not only reduced defects and improved workflow, but also enhanced employee safety and wellbeing—a strong example of innovation with tangible results,” the panel said.

Heron Joinery’s recognition reflects the rising standards within the Manufacturing Excellence Awards, where winners are increasingly distinguished by solutions that combine technical creativity, operational efficiency, and measurable impact. The achievement illustrates how small, targeted innovations can transform processes, elevate quality, and inspire future developments in Irish manufacturing.

For years, the Manufacturing Excellence Awards have celebrated organisations that push the boundaries of technical innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth. Heron Joinery’s success highlights the power of internal ingenuity in driving meaningful change and setting new benchmarks for the sector.

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