SBD Apparel Limited was awarded Business Growth Award and Business Of The Year 2022 by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.

SBD Apparel Limited was awarded Business Growth Award and Business Of The Year 2022 by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce. The accolades were awarded at the Magna Science Centre in Rotherham on November 4th at an event hosted by the Chamber.

The business growth award category recognises businesses which, through outstanding vision and leadership, have achieved significant and sustained growth and development. Accepting the award on the night, Rob Smith – Head of SBD Manufacturing said “SBD has enjoyed unprecedented growth since its inception. Demand is driven by the unbeatable quality of SBD’s products that are proudly manufactured in South Yorkshire and shipped to over 50 countries around the world”.

The judges of the category added “SBD Apparel Limited have had incredible success and growth over the last few years, securing their well-earned reputation as the leading supplier for sportswear and accessories for strength sports globally. They have a clear vision on how to meet increasing demand internationally in the coming years, whilst keeping South Yorkshire and the local community at the heart of their operations.”

The business of the year award cannot be entered and is given, at the discretion of the judges, to an organisation which has demonstrated outstanding achievement across all aspects of business. Accepting the award on behalf of SBD, its CEO, Benjamin Banks, said: “I founded the business to design and produce a knee support that could endure my level training and competition. Ten years later, SBD is on a mission to become the world’s leading strength sports brand. Today, thanks to my incredible team and the support of partners like the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, we’ve never been closer to achieving that mission. The move to our new, state-of-the-art facility at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Catcliffe in early 2023 will supercharge our growth and I’m personally extremely excited about the next chapter in the SBD story.”

The judges added: “SBD Apparel’s success and growth over the past years has been recognised earlier this evening – but in the opinion of the judges this company’s achievements and their vision for the future warrant the accolade ‘Business of the Year’”.

“SBD’s commitment to their new premises in Rotherham and to supporting growth through a local employment strategy, and working closely and proactively with a local supply chain, meant the judges unanimously endorsed the decision to make this prestigious award to SBD Apparel.”

ABOUT SBD.

SBD is a premium strength sports brand headquartered in the United Kingdom. Designed and manufactured in Yorkshire, England, SBD’s range of high performance powerlifting, weightlifting and strongman products are sold locally in over 50 countries, shipped worldwide, and relied upon by the world’s best strength athletes.

SBD was born out of necessity in 2013 when its founder discovered that equipment robust enough to endure his elite level of training and competition didn’t exist. Tackling the problem with innovative design, high-grade materials, world-class manufacturing and a refusal to compromise on quality, SBD set a new standard in strength sports and laid the very foundations and values on which the brand was built.

Approved by the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) in 2013 the SBD knee sleeves made their competition debut at the 2013 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championship in Russia. Immediately seen as a game changer by elite athletes and coaches alike, demand skyrocketed and SBD began distributing to Finland, USA, Canada, Norway, Australia and Russia that same year. Then 2016 saw the launch of the SBD belt which, with its patented adjustable lever technology, soon became one of the brand’s flagship products and is now ubiquitous in powerlifting and strongman.

All of SBD’s products are made in England, which means that SBD has full control over the design, material selection, and construction, ensuring superior quality in each one of its products. SBD stands by this commitment to quality with a life-time guarantee on its belts and 12 month warranty as standard on its ever growing product range.

Since its inception, SBD has been a champion of strength sports and committed to driving participationand excellence through its support of teams, individuals and federations. SBD formally sponsors over 130 elite strength athletes, 12 national teams and is the proud partner of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) and The SBD World’s Strongest Man. Through our national sponsorship programmes, SBD is able to work with thousands of athletes globally, alongside support dedicated to grassroots, clubs and schools