Three Kent manufacturing plants are in the running for a top factory award.

Cummins Power Generation, Manston, EMS Radio Fire and Security Systems, Herne Bay, and FujiFilm Speciality Ink Systems, Broadstairs, join a shortlist of 14 in a national contest run by Cranfield School of Management and Works Management magazine.

The Best Factory Awards (BFA) have been celebrating excellence for the past 21 years and the shortlist for the 22nd year have been announced a few days after official figures showed manufacturing output in June surging at the strongest pace since 2010.

The Cummins plant constructs diesel and gas powered generators for primary and secondary standby power. EMS Security designs and manufactures wirefree fire detection equipment, while FujiFilm produces digital flexo and screen printing inks.

Dr Marek Szwejczewski, awards director, said: “This year’s awards generated a high number of entries all of a very high calibre. This is very encouraging for UK manufacturing showing the sector is very much alive."

Cranfield academics compared this year’s engineering factories with those that entered the awards last year and the results revealed a sharp increase in productivity and a decline in customer lead times, confirming reports that UK manufacturing has gathered speed this year.

Dr Szwejczewski added: “Our awards aim to recognise the achievements of those factories that are setting the standard for British manufacturing and highlight systems and processes that others can learn from.”

Max Gosney, editor of Works Management, said: "The shortlist is like lifting the lid on a long lost treasure chest. Homegrown factories, widely believed to be buried forever, come screaming out into the light like resplendent gemstones.

“The 14 shortlisted sites tear apart the fallacy that the UK can only compete in high-tech ‘advanced’ manufacturing fields. Here are a group of factories who through a painstaking commitment to quality, innovative process design and outstanding people management have become world class.”

The winners will be announced in September.