Shakespeare® Marine was crowned the winner of the ‘most innovative marine antenna manufacturing company’ at this year’s British Made Awards.
The awards were hosted by SME News, a leading business network committed to supporting small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. This year will be the third annual British Made Awards, recognising British businesses at the forefront of innovation for the manufacturing industry across the country and beyond.
Shakespeare® Marine won the title in recognition of its innovative and impressive development of manufacturing high-performance antennas, and vast company growth, globally.
Shakespeare® Marine brought manufacturing back to the UK in 2022, due to the success and demand of its world-class VHF antennas. This year, Shakespeare® Marine secured its biggest UK manufacturing order to date, totalling five figures. The brand has continued to expand its innovative product range, developing industry-leading antennas that have made waves in the marketplace.
Shakespeare® Marine’s new COMM-LIGHT, a light-up antenna suitable for vessels of all sizes, will be launching at METSTRADE this month. The first of its kind, COMM-LIGHT brings safety and customisation to the forefront, whilst overcoming complex design challenges. It features a new mounting ferrule and a unique design to transfer light from the base, along an opaque tube as strong as fibreglass, emitting light of all colours to shine brightly. In response to industry desires, Shakespeare® Marine’s new COMM-LIGHT antenna model lights up the most prominent and highest point on a boat – the antennas – using modern design tactics in the form of LED lighting, for increased visibility and safety.
Shakespeare® Marine’s new 327-N, also launching at this year’s METSTRADE, is a foldable VHF antenna, suited for light work vessels, smaller power boats and leisure fishing crafts. A two-part design, the 327-N features a bayonet fitting in the centre for easy transport, shipping and storage. Fully extended, the 327-N is 1.45m in length and boasts 3dB VHF connectivity with no extra losses, thanks to its singular cable design. Based upon the world-renowned 427-N antenna, Shakespeare® Marine identified a gap in the market for a foldable equivalent, developing the 327-N in response to feedback from the brand’s valued global distributor network and end users regarding shipping and logistics.
One of Shakespeare® Marine’s most recognisable developments and innovations within the antenna industry, is the 2018 DAME Award-winning, inflatable emergency VHF antenna, the Galaxy INFL8-5 – a seven-time prize-winner. Both the Shakespeare® Marine 5912-DORSAL and Galaxy INFL8-5 were designed, developed and manufactured in the UK, and are now sold across the globe.
Operational from 1 January 2024, Shakespeare® Marine recently announced its new Chinese distribution centre, positioning the brand as the world’s first antenna manufacturer to secure warehouse space across Europe, America and Asia. Following a year of significant company growth and an ever-increasing global presence, Shakespeare® Marine has formed a strategic partnership with Global Marine Associates Ltd, specialist manufacturers’ representatives, for all sales of Shakespeare Marine products across Europe (excluding the UK).
Dave Manasseh, European Sales Manager for Shakespeare® Marine, comments, “I’m very proud of the hard-working Shakespeare® Marine team – we are honoured to receive ‘most innovative marine antenna manufacturing company’, awarded by SME News at the British Made Awards 2023! We are proud of our company expansion, from opening a new warehouse in Asia to widening our valued distributor network across the world. We have been delighted with the success of our latest product innovations, having received fantastic feedback from our dealerships and customers.”
