SINGLETON has the best manufacturing company in the Hunter.

Last Friday night’s Hunter Manufacturers Association Excellence Awards named the Hedweld Group of Companies the Hunter’s Manufacturer of the Year for 2009.

The win was on top of an earlier award on the night for Excellence in the Export of Manufactured Goods.

In the five years the association has held the awards, this is the first time major awards have been given to a company outside Newcastle.

The panel of judges included representatives from Austrade, TAFE, the University of Newcastle, and other companies.

Each applicant in the Export of Manufacturing Goods Award was assessed on examples of innovation across a wide range of business activities, encompassing the entire supply chain, manufacturing processes, marketing, OH&S activities and training.

This is the first time the company has entered the competition, and company directors Ian and Jan Hedley are thrilled.

Next year the Hedweld’s will celebrate 30 years of business.

“We started out with just the two of us in 1980 with a welder on the back of a ute,” said Mr Hedweld.

“Ten years ago we started exporting and now we are shipping products to over 20 overseas locations.

“The growth of this company has really hit the roof since we started focusing on original equipment manufacturing and we now have over 60 staff on board to keep up with demand.

Despite the global financial crisis, Hedweld have posted an overall increase of sales of 20 per cent during 2009.

The company is expanding its development of new machinery and branching into the underground mining business.

“We would not be where we are without the hard work of all our employees, from everyone in the black steel site, to the manufacturing site, to the engineers, designers, managers and apprentices – this award is recognition of everyone’s hard work,” Mr Hedley added.