Wrightbus crowned Manufacturer of the Year at prestigious UK Awards

(L) Phil Owen, Wrightbus Head of Sales, and Chris Martin, Wrightbus Head of Business Development, with the award.

Pioneering bus manufacturer Wrightbus has been named Manufacturer of the Year at the national finals of the Insider Made in the UK Awards 2025, held last night (Thursday) at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool.

The accolade comes in recognition of the firm’s exceptional growth, groundbreaking technology, and contribution to the UK’s green transport sector.

The award, in the category of Manufacturer of the Year (over £25m turnover), completes a remarkable hat-trick of recent industry honours for Wrightbus. The company was also named Sustainable Company of the Year in the Medium-Large category at the 2025 Business Eye Sustainability & ESG Awards.

Judges praised Wrightbus as the “outstanding large manufacturer”, noting the firm’s landmark £0.5bn contract with Go-Ahead, one of the largest zero-emission bus deals in UK history.

The three-year deal will see the delivery of more than 1,000 environmentally friendly buses and is expected to secure 2,300 jobs at Wrightbus while supporting a further 1,500 jobs across the UK supply chain.

“Wrightbus manufactures revolutionary zero-emission buses,” judges said. “This landmark contract made Wrightbus the outstanding large manufacturer.”

From crisis to industry leader

The award marks a dramatic turnaround for Wrightbus, which entered administration in 2019 with just 43 employees.

Under the leadership of CEO Jean-Marc Gales, former head of Lotus Cars, the company has undergone a rapid transformation, becoming the fastest-growing bus manufacturer in the UK and Europe. It now employs 2,300 people and is a global leader in net-zero transport solutions.

Mr Gales said the honour was further proof that UK manufacturing remains strong, innovative, and globally relevant.

“This award, and the others we’ve been grateful to receive this year, show us that the relentless efforts, the early mornings and late nights, are worth it,” he said.

“Manufacturing is a tough business, but our people turn up every day, come rain or shine, and do the best they can. I am super proud of our team across the board.”

Global demand, local impact

Wrightbus’s resurgence has made waves not only in Northern Ireland but also across the UK and beyond. The company’s cutting-edge zero-emission buses are now in demand in Europe and further afield, with production levels at an all-time high.

“We are building more buses than ever, with greater efficiency, and leading the way in net-zero transportation,” said Mr Gales.

“The UK should be proud of its manufacturing heritage but it is also supporting vital jobs for the future too, especially in zero-emission technology. Remember too that our success is fundamental to the success of the sector, for while we support jobs in Ballymena we also create a further 7,500 in the supply chain.”

Celebrating UK industry

The Made in the UK Awards are the culmination of 12 months of regional “Made In” events hosted across the country, recognising and celebrating the best of British manufacturing, innovation, and sustainability.

Wrightbus’s win stands as a powerful symbol of the UK’s commitment to clean transport, industrial resilience, and regional economic growth, with Northern Ireland at the heart of that story.