Penryn-based MintMech, represented by co-founder Laurie Thornton, was invited to 11 Downing Street for an SME reception.

Staffordshire-based technical PR agency Stone Junction has secured seven wins at this year’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Midlands Awards, with campaigns delivered for clients including Ovarro, CP Automation, Ultralife, MintMech and WEG recognised by judges. Stone Junction received awards across integrated campaign work, alongside recognition for B2B activity and international delivery, reflecting outstanding work produced by its team. Stone Junction received awards for its integrated campaign work, alongside recognition for B2B and international PR, reflecting the outstanding work done by its team. Campaign activity with CP Automation was awarded Gold for Best Integrated Campaign, while Stone Junction’s work with MintMech also received Gold for Best Public Affairs Campaign. The agency also secured both Gold and Silver recognition in the Best B2B Campaign category, with CP Automation awarded Gold and a campaign for Ultralife receiving Silver. Work delivered for Ovarro received Silver for Best Use of Social Media, while activity delivered for WEG received Silver for Best International Campaign. Lucia Scarano, account executive at Stone Junction, also won silver in the Rising Star category, recognising her work in expanding the company’s media relations activity in Italy and developing relationships with journalists in the region. Scarano’s work forms part of the agency’s wider international activity, supporting client campaigns beyond the UK and contributing to continued growth across overseas markets. > "Taking home seven awards at the CIPR Midlands Awards 2026 is a real > reflection of the consistency the team has shown across very different client > campaigns this year,” said Richard Stone, founder of Stone Junction. > “Companies in the engineering and automation sectors face real pressure to build credibility with the people making purchasing decisions, and PR is central to how they do that. Maintaining that quality across multiple campaigns at once is genuinely difficult, and I'm proud in particular of the lead generation work these campaigns contained, something which isn’t always common in PR." Based in Stafford, Germany and Romania, Stone Junction delivers campaign work across the engineering, science and technology sectors, with recent awards reflecting activity across a range of client projects. The CIPR Midlands Awards 2026 recognise public relations and communications work across the region, with entries assessed on strategy, execution and results. The awards highlight campaigns that demonstrate clear thinking and measurable impact across a range of sectors. #### Enjoyed this story? The Staffordshire Signal is a not-for-profit, community-funded publication. Every tip helps keep local journalism free, independent, and focused on the stories that matter across Staffordshire. Every contribution supports reporting, photography, and storytelling across the county. Explore the heart of our county Use the interactive map above to discover local landmarks, heritage sites, and community-vetted spots. Every interaction helps support **The Staffordshire Signal’s** mission to keep local news free and independent. Support independent local journalism by selecting ****The Staffordshire Signal**** as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google. Help us stay front-and-centre in your news feed.

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