Morland named Powys Business of the Year after ECO2 panel line wins technology award

Morland, the Welshpool manufacturer of laminated panels and doors for offsite and fit-out customers, has been named Powys Business of the Year 2026 after its automated ECO2 production line won the awards' Technology & Innovation category.

The company said it first collected the Technology & Innovation Award, sponsored by SudoCyber, at the ceremony on Friday 23 October before being announced as overall winner of the Business of the Year title, sponsored by Powys County Council.

The awards are organised each year by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group (MWMG), which held the dinner at The Infantry Battle School, Dering Lines, Brecon. The organiser said 28 businesses and organisations were shortlisted this year, and the overall award is decided from the category winners.

Ed Coomber, speaking on behalf of the judging panel, described Morland as "a worthy standard bearer for business in Powys". He said the company had demonstrated excellence across all 12 areas of the judging criteria and that there was more it wanted to achieve, with a clear sense of how it intended to get there.

The ECO2 line

Morland said the technology award centred on its investment in automation, in particular the ECO2 line. The company said the line had expanded what it can make, allowing production of wrapped-edge plasterboard panels and internally laminated doors with more flexibility across materials and panel thicknesses.

When Morland unveiled the line in June 2026, it described ECO2 as a fully automated, roll-fed, high-speed lamination system with edge-wrapping capability. According to the company, it processes plasterboard, plywood, MDF and particleboard substrates, applies microlaminate, PVC and paper-backed vinyl decors in high volumes, and can laminate panels from 2mm to more than 44mm thick.

Morland said the project started in response to demand for wrapped-edge panels from customers in the off-site construction sector. The line will also be used to produce its stocked lightweight furniture plywood range, the company said.

Morland has given two accounts of the project's timescale. Its award announcement said the automation project was developed and implemented over the past two years, while its June launch article said the ECO2 project had been in development for more than three years.

The company said the judges highlighted employees' contribution to the technology project and the advanced manufacturing skills developed within the workforce. Robin Hawkins, Operations Director, said at the June launch that investing in advanced automation ensured Morland remained competitive, resilient and ready for future growth.

A run of investment

The ECO2 line follows a series of plant upgrades recorded in Morland's company history. In 2022 it invested in robotic-fed CNC technology for its high-volume door set customers, and in 2024 it upgraded its door-processing plant, lifting output to 2,000 doors and door sets a week. The company describes the fully automated, high-volume panel laminating line installed in 2025 as its largest investment yet.

Morland started in 1972 making timber panels for caravans and is family-run. In 2015 it brought all operations together on a single site with 200,000 sq ft of production space, and James Morris, the founder's grandson, became Group Managing Director in 2018. The company says it serves construction, leisure and marine fit-out markets.

Its website puts the workforce at 110 skilled staff across three sites; the awards organiser's article gives a figure of 106 employees.

The awards

Morland was shortlisted for the Technology and Innovation Award alongside Cleobury Project Management Ltd of Knighton and Beacons Business Interiors Ltd of Brecon. The Judges Special Award, sponsored by MWMG, went to Machynlleth company Dulas.

Ceri Stephens, MWMG group manager, said when the finalists were announced in July that the organiser was delighted with the calibre and volume of entries this year.

Rachel Jones, Morland's Director of Corporate Administration, said: "This is a real surprise to us but we are thrilled to have won this award. We are very grateful to the judges."

She added that the staff would love winning the award and that the company looked forward to continuing to grow. Morland published its own account of the win on 27 October, four days after the ceremony.