WRIGHTBUS
Wrightbus took home the Manufacturer of the Year (over £25m) award at the national finals of The Insider’s ‘Made in the UK’ Awards. Wrightbus says it is now the fastest-growing bus manufacturer in the UK and Europe, and has recently won a string of orders in the last
12 months, including a £0.5bn contract with The Go-Ahead Group, which award judges said was one of the reasons for it being the ‘outstanding’ candidate.
Led by former Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales, the business now employs 2,300 staff, a turnaround in fortunes from 2019, when it was placed into administration with just 43 employees. Jean-Marc said the title proved that manufacturing was alive and kicking in the UK and that Wrightbus had a product that was in demand across the globe. Wrightbus was also one of the headline winners at the 2025 Business Eye Sustainability & ESG Awards, where it was named Sustainable Company of the Year in the Medium-Large category.
The latest awards event, held at Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel, was the culmination of 12 months of regional ‘Made In’ events across the UK which honoured the best in business.
Judges said: “Wrightbus manufactures revolutionary zero-emission buses. Last year the company signed a deal worth up to £0.5bn to supply more than 1,000 buses to operator Go-Ahead over the next three years, securing jobs and supporting an additional 1,500 across the UK supply chain. This landmark contract made Wrightbus the outstanding large manufacturer.”
Jean-Marc added that industry recognition was testament to the efforts of the whole team who help make the best buses in the world: “I am super proud of our team across the board,” he said. “Manufacturing is a tough business, but our people turn up every day, come rain or shine, and do the best they can. 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.
“We are building more buses than ever, with greater efficiency, and leading the way in net zero transportation, not just here in the UK but in Europe and even further afield. 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.”
