Local MP and new Minister for Small Business, Andrew Griffiths, visited Tuffa UK’s Uttoxeter factory to celebrate a quarter of a century at that location and their recent shortlisting for the prestigious Sentinel Innovation Award. “Really good to meet the team at Tuffa and enjoyed a fascinating tour around the factory. It’s absolutely brilliant to hear of a local, second generation family business continuing to innovate and expand, and I wish them every success in their bid to win the Business Innovation award,” said Andrew Griffiths. Tuffa was shortlisted for a regional Business Innovation Award, with the judging panel being highly impressed by the innovative product design and development that has resulted in an increase in sales. The products include a unique, patented fire-protected material that can be integrally factory-fitted to heating oil tanks. This enables the tanks to be located next to a building for added convenience, security and space saving, while still complying with Local Authority Building Control (LABC) regulations. The company also developed a newly designed range of plastic fabricated tanks for the storage and dispensing of AdBlue®, the diesel cleaning additive. Currently, they are developing a new remote fuel monitoring telemetry system that will be launched over the next 12 months. Furthermore, Tuffa has also been awarded BS EN ISO 9001:2015 Certification, with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) stating that the internationally recognised Quality Management System “helps to ensure customer get consistent, good quality products and services”. Due to these developments, Tuffa has experiences a significant growth over the last 18 months, with sales up by 25% halfway through the current financial year. Additionally, the company also managed to create 10 new permanent jobs in their factory and office. “We have a culture of continuous re-investment and innovative product development. We listen carefully to our customers to provide the best solutions for their bulk liquid storage,” said James Shenton, Tuffa UK General Manager. “We also work hard to offer the highest levels of customer support to create a winning combination of quality and service.”