A Day at the Palace 2001

Sam McCrea, Managing Director of SAM Mouldings received an MBE from HRH The Prince of Wales at an investiture in Buckingham Palace during May 2001. The award is in recognition of service to small business and is a reflection of the role model status that SAM Mouldings has achieved in the business world through its commitment to Excellence and putting the customer first.

Sam and his wife Julienne founded the company 10 years ago on the basis of a project Sam carried out whilst working for his MSc in Manufacturing Management at the University of Ulster.

The project involved designing a product which would find a ready market in the construction industry.  Sam's studies uncovered the potential of fibreboard as a material that would readily accommodate a production system for the manufacture of architectural mouldings.  Within 6 months of completing his degree his design project became a reality and the family business was born. 

Working with well-formulated strategic planning, in conjunction with Quality Standard ISO 9002 (awarded in 1991), Investors in People recognition (awarded in 1998), the Business Excellence Model and the Theory of Constraints, has provided a solid foundation on which the company has grown to become one of the most successful businesses in the UK. 

SAM Mouldings won the National Parcelforce Worldwide Small Business Award 1998, closely followed by the Northern Ireland Quality Award 1998. In October 2000 Sam and Julienne received the UK Business Excellence Award 2000 from HRH The Princess Royal at a gala ceremony in London.

Following on from his success story since completing his masters degree, Sam now lectures annually to the current students at the University of Ulster hoping to follow in his footsteps.  He is also a member of the Northern Ireland IiP Recognition Panel and for the past two years has been a judge of the Northern Ireland Quality Award.  Presentations, conferences and workshops at local, national and international level have also featured largely in Sam's diary as he shares the company's journey to excellence with the wider business community.

Sam was accompanied to the investiture by his wife Julienne and daughters, Jenny, Debbie and Catherine. Sam said "It has been a very proud day for the family and I and a wonderful vote of confidence for everything that SAM Mouldings is trying to achieve."