Hereford's only specialist sports car manufacturer is the latest business in the county to be awarded the Baker Tilly/Hereford Times Trailblazer Award for Business & Education

The bi-monthly award that recognises the contribution made by local businesses goes to Raw Engineering based in Hereford. Set up by Mel Coppock, the company manufactures a specialist sports car called the Striker.

Raw Engineering's manufacturing and distribution centre at Shelwick produces sports cars as self-build kits or as the finished product which can be performance re-engineered and tuned to the customer's own specification for either the racetrack or the road.

Mel won the business award after setting up a modern apprenticeship scheme with the Herefordshire College of Technology giving would-be mechanics the opportunity to have hands-on experience while completing their academic qualifications in motor mechanics.

Practical skills

Seventeen- year-old, William Riece is the latest student benefiting from the scheme, which allows him to build cars, prepare and electronically set up ignition systems.

Mel says he's delighted with William's progress so far.

"He is intelligent and also practically minded who deserves the chance to strengthen his practical skills before widening his academic qualifications."

Thanks to the successful start to the apprenticeship scheme, Mel encourages other local businesses to follow suit and take on an apprentice.

He added: "This a great opportunity for a student apprentice and is proving to be a real asset to my business. We have learnt that by joining forces with a local college we can get specialist training that is tailored to our needs. It just a great opportunity for the business and the student to do some knowledge-sharing."

Baker Tilly partner Mike Horwood, who was on the judging panel alongside Hereford Times editor Liz Griffin and members of the editorial team, said: "Raw Engineering is a fine example of a businesses that is prepared to give something back to the community by giving our youngsters the encouragement to be ambitious. These days it is so important to nurture our home-grown talent and let it flourish in the region."