Lord Lieutenant presents King’s Award to Michael Smith Switchgear
Posted by: electime 26th January 2026
- MSSL receives King’s Award at ceremony at carbon neutral Leicester facility
- Lord Lieutenant leads presentation on behalf of His Majesty the King
- One of only two East Midland firms honoured for sustainable development in 2025
Michael Smith Switchgear (MSSL) received The King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development during an afternoon of celebration at its Leicester facility.
The Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire presented the award, on behalf of King Charles III, to managing director Sean Smith and operations and finance director Emily Smith.
Team members and company partners gathered on the shopfloor at the carbon neutral facility to celebrate the handing over of the award – the UK’s highest accolade for business.
MSSL was one of only 27 businesses nationwide to receive the King’s Award for Sustainable Development in 2025 – and one of just two East Midlands-based recipients.
Confirmation of the award came as the company celebrated a milestone anniversary.
“Being told as we marked our 40th year that we were also to receive the King’s Award was a huge moment for the team,” said Emily, who met the King after being invited to Windsor Castle last year.
“It shows that you can grow a manufacturing business, invest in skilled jobs, and still cut your environmental impact year after year.”
The award recognises MSSL’s long-term commitment to embedding sustainability into operations.
It was presented by Lord Lieutenant Michael Kapur OBE CStJ, who used his address to summarise MSSL’s sustainability leadership and company growth over the last 13 years.
Alongside him, Deputy Lieutenant Rob Nixon CBE QPM DL assisted the Lord-Lieutenant by reading the grant of appointment during the presentation.
MSSL achieved carbon neutral status in 2022 and is currently seven years ahead of the Make UK Net Zero carbon reduction roadmap. It has doubled revenue and workforce.
Future initiatives include acting on a recent water audit, exploring rainwater harvesting at the Leicester site, and implementing further energy‑saving measures.
Emily began leading the company’s sustainability journey in 2013, ultimately introducing a series of measures that have reduced carbon emissions by 60% since 2018.
Actions include installing rooftop solar panels that generate more than 35 per cent of the company’s electricity and diverting more than 17 tonnes of waste from landfill since 2021. The company’s full Scope 1-3 emissions tracking is ahead of Make UK’s Net Zero standard.
Sean Smith, managing director at MSSL, said: “Engineering quality and safety have always been non-negotiable for us.
“The King’s Award shows that the same discipline and agility we show in building reliable switchgear can also deliver real progress on carbon, waste, and resource reduction across the whole business.”
Founded in 1985, MSSL grew from a small yard behind a Leicester terrace to a purpose-built site that supplies low voltage switchgear and control panels to hospitals, logistics hubs, universities and other critical infrastructure across the UK.
The King’s Award presentation highlights how long-term investment in skills, safety and engineering standards underpins its sustainability success.
Alongside the King’s Award, MSSL holds multiple RoSPA Gold Medal Awards and ISO certifications, including ISO 14001 for environmental management – further underlining its commitment to safe and responsible growth.
