A leading figure at one of North Staffordshire’s biggest pottery companies has won a special accolade to mark his decades of service to the industry at a global awards ceremony.
Steelite International’s VP Design Andrew Klimecki was presented with The Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 at Tableware International’s Awards of Excellence event.
The ceremony took place at Ambiente, a world-leading annual consumer goods trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany.
Hosted by Tableware International’s editor Mairead Wilmot and publisher Paul Yeomans, winners were chosen by an international panel of industry experts.
Presenting the award to Andrew, Mairead said: “This year’s lifetime achievement award has gone to somebody who has been at the coalface of design for one of the largest hospitality suppliers of tableware for 30 years.
“It must be quite something to walk into a restaurant and have a meal served on a plate that you have designed yourself, I think this has happened hundreds of times for this man.”
“He has designed for the likes of Wedgwood and Royal Crown Derby, but it has been at Steelite where he has made an indelible mark.
“He has been responsible for all aspects of design since 1993 and his work is in daily use in over 160 countries worldwide. Ranges from Organics, Spiro, Willow and Craft these are all market defining, industry-recognised collections and they’ve been designed by him.”
Andrew said: “It’s challenging to create new innovative tableware designs. It’s not the work of one person it’s the work of a whole team of people.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with a team of very dedicated and talented professionals that pull everything together.”
View a video of Andrew receiving his award here: Andrew Klimecki Lifetime Achievement Award 2023
