Enter The Archies Awards 2025 – where innovation meets glory
Think you’ve got what it takes to be the best in the business? The UK’s material handling and intralogistics sector is gearing up for its biggest celebration of excellence and the spotlight could be yours.
THE AWARDS, organised by the UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA), are among the most prestigious in the sector. Entrants compete to win a coveted Archie statuette, named after Archimedes – the father of engineering – a true badge of honour for recipients.
Nominations for this year’s awards are now open and the winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on the middle evening (10 September) of IMHX. In recognition of the importance of the awards, the headline sponsor for this year’s event is IMHX, the UK’s leading event for showcasing the latest cutting-edge material handling and supply chain solutions.
Taking place at The Vox Conference Centre, within the NEC complex, the awards, of which Logistics Matters is Media Partner, will further the UKMHA’s goal of celebrating excellence across the sector.
It is expected the Archies will draw an influential audience of decision-makers, buyers and other stakeholders making it an ideal networking opportunity for the industry.
Rob Fisher, CEO of the UKMHA, said: “The material handling and intralogistics sector is the backbone of the UK economy. The Archies, alongside IMHX, are here to spotlight the innovation, dedication, and success stories that drive our industry forward.
“We are also proud to have Logistics Matters as our Media Partner for this year’s awards and we are grateful for their support of this very special occasion.”
Award categories
For 2025, the award categories have been chosen to reflect the entire material handling spectrum, with recognition set for individuals, projects and products, along with services and innovation. They reflect the need to attract the best new talent to the industry – a key aim of the UKMHA – as well as the changing nature of the industry with the advances in technology such as automation and AI.
Categories are headed by the Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the highest individual honour bestowed by the UKMHA and is presented to the individual who has made a significant contribution to the material handling industry.
The Intralogistics Project of the Year recognises a project that has utilised innovation and improved operational efficiencies.
In keeping with the goal of recognising young talent within the industry, the Rising Star Award honours the performance of an emerging young professional (below 30 years of age) who has demonstrated initiative and potential as a future leader.
In tandem with this, the Apprentice of the Year award, sponsored by TVH, is open to second and third year apprentice forklift engineers.
Sponsored by Oxford Economics, the Industry Leader Award is bestowed on an individual who has consistently shown outstanding leadership qualities.
The importance of sustainability and good safety standards are recognised by the Best Safety Initiative and Sustainability Excellence awards. The latter is sponsored by B&B Attachments.
The Training Provider of the Year honours the business that demonstrates outstanding service levels, while the Best New Product, sponsored by Compact Manufacturing, acknowledges a new-to-market product or solution that has had a significant and influential impact on the industry.
The Excellence in Automation category recognises how technical innovation and the use of automation have played a vital part in improving efficiency and delivering growth for the user. In a similar vein, the Technology Innovator Award recognises the company developing or implementing cutting-edge technology in material handling.
The Logistics Innovation Award highlights a forward-thinking logistics solution or strategy, while the Operational Efficiency Award, sponsored by Service Geeni, recognises the measurable improvement in operations through the use of new equipment, reconfiguration of distribution centre or warehouse, or use of automation or AI.
The prestigious UKMHA Dealer Member of the Year, sponsored by Combilift, is one of the evening’s most eagerly-awaited awards. Open to all UKMHA dealer members, this award recognises the company which has consistently operated its business to the highest standards.
Finally, the Customer Service Excellence Award, sponsored by CFTS, honours the team delivering exceptional levels of customer service.
The deadline for submissions for this year’s awards is 28th May.
For information on how to enter the awards, and to your book place at the gala ceremony, visit: www.ukmha.org.uk/events/the-archies-awards/
