Dr Graham Honeyman CEO of Sheffield Forgemasters was awarded Business Person of the Year at the Sheffield Star Business Awards 2011.

Dr Honeyman was among the region's business elite attending the awards at Sheffield City Hall which honored corporate leaders, individual entrepreneurs, new businesses, innovation and international success.

Judges awarded Dr Honeyman with the accolade after recognizing how his exceptional leadership skills brought Sheffield Forgemasters back from the brink of closure in 2003 and transformed it into the organization it is today. SFIL is the world's largest independently owned Forgemasters and one of the most recognized names in global engineering.

Dr Honeyman said that "I am delighted to have been named the Business Person of the Year. These awards represent the finest business talent across the South Yorkshire region and it really is an honor that I was chosen as the winner. A lot of hard work by me and my colleagues has helped to turn Forgemasters around and provide a profitable and dynamic future for our many employees. Now, our business spans 29 countries across the globe, giving us great scope to lead the way in manufacturing and promote the South Yorkshire name."

Both SFIL and its staff have won prestigious awards year on year that underline its importance to the region and the economy.

In 2010, Dr Honeyman was awarded three prestigious accolades, the Overall Director of the Year, Global Director of the Year and the Investing for Growth Award at the Institute of Directors' national finals. The awards were presented in recognition of the leading part he has played in turning Sheffield Forgemasters around and his significant contribution to UK manufacturing.