Shahid Sheikh, the Ugandan-born managing director of Clifton Packaging in Leicester, has been awarded an OBE while Mike Peters, managing director of UPL, has received an MBE.
Sheikh’s award is for services to business in the Midlands, where he has played an instrumental role in building Leicester-based Clifton Packaging, the flexible packaging and contract packing business that his family founded after being expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin’s regime in 1972.
He said he was “absolutely elated and totally humbled” by the award. In a statement, he said he wanted to dedicate his OBE to “my late parents, my wife, children and all of the family and friends that have supported me throughout my life”.
“The OBE is a far greater honour than I ever expected and I know that it means a great deal to my family and even members of the local community. It has filled me with a sense of pride and hopefully will inspire others to strive for their goals,” Sheikh said.
Peters runs personal care and toiletries contract packer UPL and his MBE is in recognition of his services to industry in the North West. He said: “It is an honour to be recognised in this manner for doing something I really love.
“I feel privileged toreceive it on behalf of everyone at UPL, and to be a part of one of the best manufacturing teams in the UK.
“We set ourselves very high standards and the whole team has worked incredibly hard to maintain this. I am proud to be associated with each and every member of a highly talented and committed team of people.
“We believe that British manufacturing is crucial to the economy of the UK and it is alive and well in the North West”.
