Wrightbus hailed as Manufacturer of the Year with ‘outstanding’ award

Pioneering bus manufacturer Wrightbus has been named Manufacturer of the Year at a prestigious award ceremony in Liverpool

Ballymena-based Wrightbus scooped the Manufacturer of the Year (over £25m) at the national finals of the Insider's Made in the UK Awards, completing a hat-trick of awards in the last few weeks.

Wrightbus, the fastest-growing bus manufacturer in the UK and Europe, has won a string of high-profile orders in the last 12 months, including a half-a-billion contract with Go-Ahead which award judges said was one of the reasons for it being the ‘outstanding’ candidate.

Led by former Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales, the business now employs 2,300 staff – an incredible recovery from 2019, when it was placed into administration with just 43 employees.

Mr Gales said the title proved that manufacturing was alive and kicking in the UK and that Wrightbus had a product that was in demand across the globe.

Wrightbus was also one of the headline winners at the 2025 Business Eye Sustainability & ESG Awards, where it was named Sustainable Company of the Year in the Medium-Large category.

This latest event, held at Titanic Hotel, Liverpool, was the culmination of 12 months of regional ‘Made In’ events across the UK which honoured the best in business.

Judges said: “Wrightbus manufactures revolutionary zero-emission buses. Last year the company signed a deal worth up to £0.5bn to supply more than 1,000 buses to operator Go-Ahead over the next three years, securing jobs and supporting an additional 1,500 across the UK supply chain. This landmark contract made Wrightbus the outstanding large manufacturer.”

Mr Gales said industry recognition was testament to the efforts of the whole team who help make the best buses in the world.

“I am super proud of our team across the board,” he said. “Manufacturing is a tough business, but our people turn up every day, come rain or shine, and do the best they can.

“The UK should be proud of its manufacturing heritage but it is also supporting vital jobs for the future too, especially in zero-emission technology. Remember too that our success is fundamental to the success of the sector, for while we support jobs in Ballymena we also create a further 7,500 in the supply chain.

“We are building more buses than ever, with greater efficiency, and leading the way in net zero transportation, not just here in the UK but in Europe and even further afield.

“This award, and the others we’ve been grateful to receive this year, show us that the relentless efforts, the early mornings and late nights, are worth it,” Mr Gales added.