A Sussex factory has won two awards for manufacturing excellence.

BOC Edwards' Eastbourne site took the awards at MX2000, the UK's premier awards for manufacturing.

Organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the awards ceremony and dinner was held at London's Cafe Royal.

David Pulley, operations manager of BOC Edwards, received the Process Innovation and the Resource Efficiency awards from Professor Kumar Bhattacharrya, chairman of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' judging panel.

Mr Pulley said: "These awards recognise the contribution made by everyone at BOC in Eastbourne over the last few years.

"It's a great achievement."

The Eastbourne division of BOC manufactures electronics for the vacuum and semi-conductor industries.

It has a workforce of more than 250 at its plant in Hampden Park.

Trade Minister Richard Caborn described the firm as an excellent example of a British manufacturer managing change effectively.

He said: "I am delighted that these awards are honouring such companies.

"Contrary to what we hear so often, there are manufacturers up and down the country displaying a dynamism and flexibility that is securing success at every level."

A member of the BOC Group, BOC Edwards is truly global in terms of markets, management, technology and production.

The company is a fully integrated supplier of process products to the global semi-conductor industry, as well as being a leading producer of vacuum pumps for industrial and scientific applications.

In selecting BOC Edwards for the two awards, the assessors described the company's operation as "the very definition of hi-tech".

In particular, they singled out the way in which the company combines a highly vertically integrated operation with judicious use of often locally-based suppliers, with whom they work closely in long-term relationships.

Christopher Simpson, chairman of the Manufacturing Industries Division at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: "BOC Edwards' MX2000 entry demonstrated how the company has become the world leader in its sector.

"It has a determination to provide customers with incredibly short response times.

"The double win for the company in both process innovation and resource efficiency underlines its total commitment to this objective."