Midlands Companies Honoured For Innovation

Six Midlands companies have been named as finalists for the Rowan Best Business Innovation Awards 2007, the region's only award dedicated to bringing through innovations to commercial success.  Entries flooded in from a wide range of industries and the finalists came from across the East and West Midlands.

Wile Limited was set up in 2005 after accountant Rob Warner noticed a need for a time saving solution to deliver targeted, narrated information, to busy, commuting professionals. Rob teamed up with IT consultant Rob Langley to create the WilePlayer. This device delivers

narrated information to mobile phone users. The proprietary technology behind the WilePlayer is unique and allows users to receive and interact with specially selected audio feeds via mobile phones. Users can receive newsletters, industry publications, live events & conference presentations.

Langer UK, Cheadle, Staffs.

15% of adult diabetes sufferers will develop a foot ulceration at some point during their lives. Diabetic foot problems account for around 9.1% of NHS resources and are responsible for 47% of all diabetes related hospital admissions. Langer UK has designed and now supplies diabetic footwear used to help reduce ulceration for diabetes sufferers. The shoes re-align the patient's central pressure pathway to move the weight over the susceptible areas without creating an abnormal walking gait.

Laplock Technology Ltd, Coventry

The chances of a laptop being stolen is 1 in 10 and out of these over 90% are never recovered. Coventry-based Laplock Technology Ltd has developed a security device designed to deter any attempt to steal laptops or their data. A compact USB plug-in device, the Laplock Alarm delivers an ear-piercing sound when the laptop is under threat. Motion detection sensors activate the alarm and the software can distinguish between accidental nudging, measuring angles of rotation and distance travelled to determine whether the alarm should sound.

LED Trucklights, Coalville

Road safety is an ongoing high priority for the Government and road transport sector. New regulations are soon to be put into place to ensure that all lorries and trailers use reflective tape around their outline so that other drivers can clearly see the distance between them and the lorry in front and evaluate the size and shape of the vehicle. LED Trucklights has taken this one step further and developed an innovative new lighting system for trucks, trailers and other commercial vehicles. Fitted along the length and breadth of the vehicle, the LED ropelights can be used to highlight the entire outline of the vehicle, enhancing visibility and road safety and providing a stylish look that can emphasise branding and corporate identity.

Green Innovations, Solihull, West Midlands

To maintain efficiency, domestic radiators must be bled several times a year to remove trapped air. This can be a time-consuming and often messy process and one which can be difficult for the elderly and disabled population. Green Innovations has developed an "Easybleed" device  - a  push button bleed valve operated simply by turning the cap and pushing a button (to prevent accidental operation by children). Pressing the button releases the trapped air and each radiator can be isolated individually in a process that takes about 5 minutes per radiator. The device is easy to install, needs no specialised tools to vent the radiators, and reduces the bleed process time considerably, saving time and increasing energy efficiency.

HL, Derby

In today's society recycling is a high priority. The Government has introduced new regulations and strategies but so far none which use recycled materials for use in art and sculpture. HL Director Hannah Lobley has developed a unique recycling technique for this very application using the printed pages of unwanted books and paper. The leaves are formed together, reverting back into a solid ‘wood-like' material. The material can then be used to create sculptural objects with traditional wood working methods.

The six finalists will present next week to a distinguished panel of judges chaired by Rowan MD Chris Rattigan next week and including Chris Clifford, the CBI's Regional Director for the West Midlands, Norman Price OBE, representing Advantage West Midlands, John Kelly from Begbies Traynor and Ellen Campbell, Deputy Editor of the Birmingham Post. The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held on Monday 2^nd July.

Now in its second year, the Rowan Best Business Innovation Award has been pioneered by sales and marketing specialists the Rowan Group. It has gained widespread support in the region after an exciting first year. "Shortlisting was very tough this year in view of the calibre of entries," says Chris Rattigan, Chair of the judging panel. "But we have six excellent finalists with a wide range of ideas for us to evaluate."

"We introduced the Rowan Best Business Innovation Awards in order to recognise and reward the significant contribution that new and innovative thinking makes to the vibrancy of the Midlands economy," says Chris Rattigan. " We see so many companies with great products and innovative ideas, but without the expertise or resources to make them truly successful. That's why Rowan decided to run this award - to celebrate Midlands innovation and to be able to give at least three companies each year the practical help they need to achieve commercial success." 

Rowan Group helps a wide range of businesses, from major companies to start-ups, to make their sales and marketing more successful and deliver increased revenue and profits. The company specialises in taking a hands-on approach to help its customers improve revenue performance. Where other consultancies are well-known for weighty reports on what needs to be done, Rowan gets involved at the sharp end, leading change from the front and becoming part of the client's team. Combining the best in practical sales experience and the highest quality business processes, Rowan helps businesses by delivering improvements in top-line performance and commercial outcomes. From getting innovations to market to leading transformation in sales, Rowan focuses on the top-line to help customers meet and exceed revenue and profit targets.