GREEN FOR GO: Bernard Waldron, centre, director of manufacturing at MBDA, with Tony Taylor, second right, from sponsors Groundwork Trust, and Geoff Banks, far right, MBDA facilities manager. Left is John Peers, MBDA’S safety, health and environment manager, and Kath Ferrier, the department’s administrator

Lostock-based missile maker MBDA rocketed to success at the Bolton and Bury Business Awards.

And the company said it was “over the moon” to have scooped the gong for Environmental Best Practice.

The engineering business might not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking about the environment.

But just like any other business, it is keen to reduce its impact on the environment by good business, which also saves money.

Bernard Waldron, MBDA’s director of manufacturing UK and Lostock site manager, said: “We really are over the moon. I’m very, very pleased.

“We might be considered a rather unusual company to win such an award, but we do have a sustainability policy and we are trying to establish with our customers how we will sustain their contribution to the environment.”

MBDA (UK) Ltd is part of MBDA, a pan-European industry leader and global player in the missile and missile system sector. It was created in 2001 by a consolidation of aerospace companies in the UK, France, Italy and Germany, with BAe Systems holding 37.5 per cent of shares.

Mr Waldron added: “All our staff are engaged and are acutely aware of what we are trying to achieve.

“We even talk to our apprentices about their carbon footprint.”

Elimination of waste in all aspects of the business has benefited both the company and the community.

Bosses have invested in video-conferencing to minimise the need for global travel and careful consideration is given to transport logistics and packaging. The UK operation consists of three main MBDA sites based at Stevenage, Bristol and Lostock, with a total workforce of about 2,900 people.

Lostock is the manufacturing centre for the UK, which includes the assembly, integration and test of missile systems and support services, and was founded in 1937 as part of the De Havilland Corporation for the production of aviation equipment.