Midton aims to grow by 20% a year after a £429,000 technology investment at the Argyll foundry.

An Argyll-based manufacturing company is targeting 20 per cent year-on-year growth in the global awards sector after investing almost half a million in new manufacturing technology.

Midton, headquartered in Lochgilphead, has installed a biomass-powered autoclave as part of a £429,000 upgrade designed to increase output and improve efficiency at its site. This move strengthens its position as one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of cast acrylic products and a number of professional acrylic innovators around the world.

The new autoclave significantly increases the level, speed and complexity of simulations the company can perform, allowing it to meet the growing demand from the international events and awards industry.

Midton works with high profile clients including the Royal Television Society, Universal Music Group, Irish Recorded Music Association and Gay Times. Its products are used in a series of prestigious awards and commemorative pieces.

A key pillar of Midton’s growth strategy is sustainability. The company has developed “Remade”, a range of recycled acrylics produced from reclaimed scraps. The material reduces reliance on pure plastics while maintaining visual clarity and design flexibility.

The company says the sustainable offering resonates most with environmentally conscious customers and award recipients alike.

Directors Graham Ramsay and Craig Cameron said the investment marked a turning point. “The new large autoclave changes the level and quality of casting work we can do,” they said. “Sustainable manufacturing is not only a responsibility but an opportunity, and Remade allows us to offer a unique, circular economy solution.”

Beyond manufacturing, Midton provides end-to-end design support, enabling bespoke colours, embedded objects and professional broadcast effects. Additional services include custom packaging, repeat orders and hybrid digital-physical rewards that include QR codes.

The foundry traces its roots back to 1982, originally established as Midton Crafts in Paisley before moving to Argyll and switching to acrylic moulding. In forty years, it has expanded from giftware to corporate commissions, barware for breweries and financial “tombstones” in the banking sector.

Investments in 3D design, laser cutting, UV printing and advanced finishing techniques have expanded its capabilities into timber, metals and recycled materials.

With increasing global demand for premium, sustainably produced awards, Midton believes that its combination of high-tech production, in-house craftsmanship and environmental innovation positions it for rapid growth in the international events market.