(L-R) John Short, NMHG vice president, Europe human resources ; Ralf Mock, NMHG managing director, EMEA.

The NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc (NMHG) European Headquarters has been awarded the Investors in People Standard. The standard covers various elements from business planning and leadership, to management effectiveness and performance measurement and offers different outcomes for companies to work towards. It is a benchmark for best practice and recognises a company's commitment to developing its people. Investors in People is a business improvement tool offering recognised standards for employers to help improve business performance. It is owned by the UK government, managed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. NMHG's divisional headquarters at Irvine, Scotland and the NMHG Engineering Concept Centre (now located in Frimley) have been awarded Investors in People Silver and the NMHG production plant in Craigavon, Northern Ireland has achieved the Gold Standard. The higher levels of accreditation (silver and gold) are based on demonstrating best practice by meeting additional evidence requirements. NMHG has achieved a number of awards in the past. The Craigavon site was awarded the NI Quality Award from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) in 2011 and the NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey Platinum Award in 2013, by Irish News, Best Place to Work. NACCO Materials Handling BV in the Netherlands has been awarded Milieuprijs Westenweurt, which recognises the environmental performance of the plant as the best in the greater Nijmegen area. This is an initiative of the municipalities of Nijmegen and Beuningen and carried out by TPN West. The Dutch production plant also achieved Excellence 4 Star by the EFQM. The NMHG production plant in Masate, Italy, was awarded OHSAS 18001, Certification, first received in 2013. "Achieving this prestigious award was a tremendous way to end 2013, and I would like to thank each and every employee for their support in reaching this Standard," says Ralf Mock, the NMHG managing director for the EMEA region.