Europlaz Technologies, the Essex-based medical device manufacturer whose products help clinicians treat patients and keep newborn babies alive, has been shortlisted for The Vistage Growth Business of the Year Award at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards 2026.
The company describes itself as one of the UK’s fastest growing medical device manufacturers, supporting a global client base to develop and launch new devices that improve treatments and save lives. According to the business, turnover has risen from £6m in 2021 to £16m this year, with a plan in place to reach £20m by the end of 2027, and nearly 30 new jobs have been created over the last twelve months.
Investment through turbulent times
That expansion has been delivered against a backdrop of the pandemic and a series of macroeconomic shocks that produced one of the most volatile trading environments in a generation. The company reports £4m of sustained investment since 2023 alone, alongside new process development and a commitment to sustainable production designed to deliver quality performance while limiting environmental impact. The Europlaz website sets out its ISO 13485 and FDA accredited manufacturing operation in Southminster, where the firm has been producing injection moulded medical components and finished devices for more than four decades. According to the company, its site includes more than 15,000 sq ft of cleanroom manufacturing space, and over half of its customers have partnered with the business for more than ten years.
A family firm with fresh momentum
The recent surge in sales has coincided with Rory and Katy O’Keeffe, son and daughter of founder Eddie, taking more prominent roles in the family business. Their commercial focus has reinforced a close-knit culture while sharpening the company’s growth plans, helping it target new markets that value its outsourced manufacturing, new product development expertise and regulatory knowledge.
All of the firm’s £16.1m revenue now comes from the medical, pharma and life science sectors, according to the entry, with more than 30 long-term clients across the UK, Europe, the US and Far East, including the NHS and blue-chip names such as Johnson & Johnson, Sartorius, Fresenius Kabi and Maquet Getinge Group. Its production credentials include an easy-to-use breath operated inhaler, a single-use plastic speculum and a neonatal flow sensor, and it has worked with Cyted on scaling up manufacturing of Endosign, a capsule sponge used to help detect Barrett’s disease and oesophageal cancer.
In the running on 10 November
Europlaz now joins the shortlist for The Vistage Growth Business of the Year Award, which recognises businesses with revenues up to £25m achieving growth across a range of metrics. The winner will be announced at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House, London on 10 November 2026, where the family firm from Essex will learn whether its life-saving growth story takes the top prize.
