RSS celebrates first Company Awards with Gala Event in Swansea

Stephen Litter (centre) was a headline winner, collecting both Manager and Depot prizes from Steve Hutin (left) and Alan Varney.

Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS) recognized exceptional employee achievements at its inaugural company awards, held at the Village Hotel Swansea last month.

The event, which also marked the company’s annual festive celebration, saw 140 staff and guests come together to honor outstanding individuals across 11 categories.

The awards were the vision of RSS Managing Director Steve Hutin, who wanted to ensure that the contributions of staff in the company’s rapidly growing workforce were properly celebrated. “Expansion and growth require exceptional performances, and we wanted a way to acknowledge those efforts,” Hutin said.

Over 30 nominations were submitted by RSS directors, with winners chosen based on various criteria. Key award recipients included Stephen Littler, named Manager of the Year; the Depot of the Year went to the Warrington facility; and Team Player was awarded to Jack Sleeman.

In other categories, Rising Star went to Carl Coysh, and 19-year-old Morgan Wright won Young Person of the Year. Lacey Brown received the Trainer of the Year award for her leadership in Sage accounting software, while Digitalisation went to Jake Folkes for his work with RSS’s Live365 system.

Erin Thomas, Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Manager, won the Safety award, and Derryl Godwin was named Lifting Engineer of the Year. Paul Smith, depot manager, took home the Outstanding Impact award, and Andy Hawkins received a special recognition for earning the Most Nominations across all categories.

Hutin concluded, “Despite a challenging year, our winners reflect the strength and potential of our team. We look forward to continuing our growth in 2025 with their support.”