Some of the most talented trailblazers across the material handling industry have been heralded at the prestigious Archies 2025, with the UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) shining the spotlight on their incredible achievements.
As one of the sector’s most anticipated occasions, this year’s Archies – running alongside the biennial IMHX exhibition – drew a record-breaking audience of over 500 industry professionals, all eager to celebrate some of the most impressive driving forces behind the industry.
A memorable highlight of the evening was the recognition of emerging talent, with the Apprentice of the Year and Rising Star categories generating acclaim. The evening saw honours presented across 15 categories, recognising everything from outstanding leadership to pioneering technology, sustainability and customer service.
The 2025 Archies awards winners are:
- Industry Leader Award: Stephen Burton – Windsor Materials Handling
- Rising Star Award: Ashleigh Page – GXO Logistics
- Apprentice of the Year (Year 2): Thomas Wright – Briggs Equipment
- Apprentice of the Year (Year 3): Dan Allen – Crown Lift Trucks
- Best New Product: Hyster J10-18XD
- Best Safety Initiative: AMR Supply Chain – Dendro DSS2 Lift
- Customer Service Excellence Award: 4KS Forklift Training
- Operational Efficiency Award: Hubtex Group
- Sustainability Excellence Award: Midac UK
- Training Provider of the Year: Transport Training Academy
- Technology Innovator Award: PowerFleet
- Excellence in Automation Award: Hai Robotics – HaiPick Climb
- Logistics Innovation Award: ADM Automation – i-cart
- Intralogistics Project of the Year: Logistex and John Lewis
- UKMHA Dealer Member of the Year: Westexe
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Graham Hughes
Alongside the awards themselves, guests were treated to a memorable evening of fine dining, entertainment and networking opportunities. Renowned rugby international and broadcaster Martin Bayfield proved a popular host, blending humour and warmth and an understanding of the industry’s achievements as a whole.
The Archies’ chosen charity for the evening, Transaid, benefitted from £2,500 which was raised from the evening’s raffle. The funds will go towards Transaid’s efforts to tackle transport challenges across sub-Saharan Africa – from improving road safety through professional driver training, to developing emergency transport systems connecting people to healthcare.
Rob Fisher, UKMHA CEO, said: “The Archies are not just about celebrating success; they’re about showcasing the innovation and the ingenuity that define our industry. Every winner and finalist has played a part in shaping a stronger, safer and more innovative material handling sector.
“We boast some incredible talent across the industry, who keep driving us forward in unique ways. My congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”
UKMHA Joint President Andrew Woodward added: ““These awards are only possible thanks to the support of our sponsors, partners and the UKMHA team, and it was fantastic to see so many people come together to celebrate success.
“We’ve been able to reflect on one of our most memorable evenings to date, and it’s the outstanding winners and finalists who really stole the show, reminding us all the future of the intralogistics sector is in safe hands.”
For more information on UKMHA, visit www.ukmha.org.uk
