Alison Smith and Stuart Smith (Second right) collect the Chamber Armed Forces Award 2023
Commercial heating and ventilation specialist Lord Combustion Services has been recognised for the high standards of its support for the armed forces with a prestigious award win.
Oldbury-based Lord Combustion Services won the Outstanding Support for the Armed Forces prize at this year’s Black Country Chamber of Commerce Business Awards for its work in providing job opportunities for service personnel.
The winners were announced at a glittering ceremony attended by more than 500 people on Thursday 9 November at Wolverhampton Racecourse.
The armed forces award was launched to honour a business “who plays an active role in supporting the armed forces community through activities such as employing ex-forces personnel, reservists or family members of those serving alongside other endeavours which provide a vital link between business and the armed forces”.
Lord have helped the Armed Forces community access employment opportunities in the heating and ventilation industry, including reservists, veterans and cadets.
Lord has recruited and trained up colleagues with Armed Forces backgrounds within all the main forces, including the cadet services. Lord has backed reservists, including a team member who was posted on overseas deployment, during which their role was retained and their return supported.
Managing Director Stuart Smith said: “We are delighted to win the Outstanding Support for the Armed Forces prize as it reflects the efforts by the entire Lord Combustion Services team to provide positive work opportunities for services personnel who have served their country.
“We recognise the talent which people from the armed forces can offer but also recognise the importance of ongoing support as an employer to help them maximise their skills in a civilian working environment. We are proud to be named among the very best of the region where we live and work by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.”
The Chamber prize comes after Lord received their revalidated Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award from the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (West Midland RFCA) last year for continued commitment to employment policies supporting ex-Forces staff.
Silver award holders must demonstrate set positive recruitment and employment measures and policies in their organisations which actively support members of the Armed Forces community.
This year, the Black Country Chamber awards celebrated the “talent, tenacity and transformation” of local businesses, their people, and their leaders. Lord was also a finalist in the excellence in science, technology and innovation category.
The armed forces prize win comes after Lord scooped two leading awards at the 2021 Black Country Chamber of Commerce Awards, the service business of the year prize along with Emma Tibbetts winning director of the year, as well as the sustainability trophy at the West Midlands Business Masters Awards, organised by regional news website Business Desk.
The Lord team of nearly 50 staff serve more than 1000 customers across the West Midlands from their base in Dudley Road East, Oldbury.
