Yorkshire-based engineering business Haith has been awarded its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.
Haith, which designs and builds vegetable handling equipment at its Doncaster factory, has been recognised for developing a unique and market-leading machine for emptying vegetable storage boxes – the Rota-Tip box tipping system.
First manufactured in 2011, Haith’s Rota-Tip Up-Eject is used at the start of food processing lines and produce grading systems to transfer fresh vegetables onto washing, sizing and packing lines.
The Rota-Tip Up-Eject is the second Haith machine to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation. The company’s Root Veg Polisher was recognised in 2010.
Says Duane Hill, Haith’s MD: “Haith was established in 1964 by the late George Geoffrey Haith, who, as a very talented engineer, always tried to find a way to help his farming customers to do things more effectively. He was a fantastic problem-solver and a great innovator. These traits have been an integral part of the business ever since and have formed the foundations of the company’s growth. Today, our company is renowned around the globe for our innovative vegetable handling systems.
“Today’s recognition is excellent news for our team, a reward for their hard work, and a testimony to our customers who involve us in their businesses and trust us to develop solutions to enhance their business. Everyone at Haith is very proud to be recognised by the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for a second time.”
Haith’s Rota-Tip Up-Eject was designed at the request of food packers and processors who experienced oil leaks, high energy use and instability when using traditional hydraulic box tipplers. Haith innovated the design by replacing the hydraulic motors with all-electric drives, which use less power and prevent oil leaks. Haith also developed a new, safer, and more effective rotating system that can handle larger box volumes than older designs.
Incorporated as a limited company in 1964, Tickhill Engineering, which trades as Haith, is one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of vegetable handling equipment. The company employs more than 120 people in Armthorpe, near Doncaster, who design and manufacture a comprehensive range of vegetable handling machines, spanning grading, washing, bulk handling, weighing, pre-pack systems and water treatment solutions. Haith’s machines are relied upon by some of the world’s largest food producers and packing companies, along with farmers of all sizes in the UK and overseas.
