South Yorkshire manufacturing specialist joins industry elite

A Rotherham-based entrepreneur has been named as one of the most inspiring business leaders currently working in the manufacturing sector.

Adam Bradley was named as one of the top 100 most influential people by industry publication The Manufacturer during a special event that took place at the Birmingham NEC. 

Chosen by a judging panel comprising academics, senior business leaders and established industry bodies, The Manufacturer’s Top 100 list was launched in 2013 in response to academic studies and parliamentary reports that identified a lack of visible role models within the manufacturing sector.

Adam secured his place on the list after overseeing a significant period of growth at Corrosion Resistant Materials. Since becoming a director of the business in 2020, Adam has successfully seen the company enjoy significant year-on-year growth, which has seen the business export its products to 38 countries across the world, where it supplies goods and services to the advanced technology, energy and food and drink sectors.

Corrosion Resistant Materials secured a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2022, and since that time both Adam and the company he oversees has secured a number of prestigious industry accolades. In the same year, Adam was awarded Business Person of the year by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber and since that time, both Adam and Corrosion Resistant Materials have been presented with a number of prestigious industry awards including Business of the Year and the coveted Made In Sheffield award for Exporting.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Adam is a regular speaker to schools across the region, where he speaks about the career opportunities within the manufacturing sector. In recent years, Adam has played a key role in the development of the South Yorkshire-based Island Networking group, created to forge stronger links across the region’s SME sector.  He is also currently vice chair of the British Stainless Steel Association and a board member of the British Valve and Actuator Association.

Adam Bradley, Director, Corrosion Resistant Materials, said:

“The Manufacturer’s Top 100 list is a prestigious industry accolade, which is often referred to as the Who’s Who guide of British manufacturing, and I feel incredibly honoured that the work I have delivered has been recognised in this way. 

The manufacturing sector plays a vital role in Britain’s economy, yet for the sector to truly prosper, we must inspire and educate the next generation about the many different career opportunities available. We all have a part to play in realising this, and I feel truly humbled that my efforts have been recognised in this way.”

Joe Bush, Editor, The Manufacturer, said:

“Over the last decade, those who have been inducted into The Manufacturer’s Top 100 have used their experience to highlight the amazing opportunities that exist for the next generation of UK manufacturers.  To be part of it means each person has been nominated, and judged, to be an outstanding role model for the young people we all want to encourage into careers in our sector

All 100 are catalysts for change. They will continue to strive for innovation, champion the latest technologies and pioneer new business models. They will pivot and plunge forward as the markets and competition around them evolve. They are the driving force behind the country’s manufacturing renaissance, and to understand their journeys is to understand why it is truly exciting to be manufacturing in Britain today.”

Corrosion Resistant Materials was founded by Chris Williams and Lee Perry in 2015 after spotting a niche in the supply of specialist materials to industry. The company provides a comprehensive range of services including heat treatment, machining, testing and forging.

Today, Corrosion Resistant Materials successfully exports more than 70 different grades of specialist materials to 38 countries across the world and since securing the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the company has continued to enjoy significant year-on-year growth.