The Max Rainey OBE Memorial Award

August 22, 2022

(Pictured Left To Right: Dr. John F. Rainey MBE and Aidan Hawkins)

Max Rainey was born in 1921 in Belfast, which was then one of the most important industrial cities in the United Kingdom. He followed in his father’s footsteps by joining Mackies as an apprentice toolmaker, progressing through the drawing office and eventually management of the Plastics department. For extra income he taught Industrial Administration at the Belfast College of Technology on Friday evenings. The course transferred to the Ashby institute at Queens University when it opened in the mid-1960s. Having left school at 15 there was a real sense of pride and irony that he was now lecturing at a University.

Later in life many business owners commented on the inspiration he had given them in terms of running a company. As he was always keenly interested in education and training, especially for young people and in trying to attract them into manufacturing industry it was thought appropriate that we should create a bursary aimed at encouraging the study of plastics.

The prize is awarded each year to a Stage 3 or Stage 4 student on the undergraduate Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Product Design Engineering pathways who achieves the highest mark in their individual research project on a topic related to the design and manufacture of polymer products or the development of polymer materials.

Max Rainey’s passion for plastics, best business practice and principles and commitment to education in industry lives on in the Denroy Group and as the medal reads on the back -

“VISIONARY, ENTREPRENEUR, INVENTOR, MAX RAINEY OBE DISPLAYED A LIFELONG PASSION FOR POLYMER ENGINEERING. HE COMBINED A PIONEERING SPIRIT WITH HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND THE BEST OF FAMILY VALUES, LEAVING A RICH LEGACY.”