Mitchell Barnes, the founder of RYSE 3D, has been recognized as one of the top business leaders in the West Midlands. At the recent Business Desk’s West Midlands Leadership Awards, Barnes took home two prestigious awards: Company Leader of the Year (for companies with up to 50 employees) and the overall Leader of the Year title.
At just 28 years old, Barnes has achieved remarkable success. He started RYSE 3D in his mother’s garage with a few small 3D printers. Today, his company works with 23 of the world’s leading hypercar projects, and its domestic and international sales have surpassed £5 million. The company also has ambitious plans to invest in automation to improve efficiency and expand its capabilities.
Judges, including Henrietta Brealey, CEO of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, and Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, were impressed by Barnes’s innovative approach and his ability to disrupt the 3D printing industry. They also praised his leadership style, which combines business growth with developing the next generation of technology specialists through an in-house mentoring program.
Barnes, who started the company after offering to 3D print final car designs for his fellow students, expressed his surprise at the awards. “Wow, just wow! Never did I think I would win one award, let alone the Leader of the Year award,” he said. “The accolades show what you can achieve when you have courage in your convictions and are not afraid to push boundaries in the sectors you operate in.”
RYSE 3D has grown rapidly in recent years, doubling its workforce in the past 18 months. Despite the challenges, Barnes emphasized the importance of his team’s hard work and dedication in the company’s success.
In addition to its core business, RYSE 3D has developed a new revenue stream. Last year, Barnes identified the need for a large format FDM 3D printer but faced a significant investment challenge. Instead of giving up, he tasked his engineers to develop the company’s own printer. This led to the creation of the LANDR printer, a high-powered machine with flexible capacity.
The LANDR printer, which is smaller, lighter, and more affordable than its competitors, offers a 500 x 500 x 500mm build volume. It is ideal for creating larger and more complex parts, and it can be used for rapid prototyping and volume production in industries like automotive, aerospace, healthcare, and consumer goods.
Barnes’s company, which has already won a King’s Award, is proud to offer this cutting-edge technology at a price point that is accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), tech disruptors, and entrepreneurs. “LANDR is now producing thousands of production parts every month at our facility in Warwickshire, and external sales are increasing every month,” Barnes said. “It is a triumph for UK manufacturing.”
Looking ahead, Barnes revealed that RYSE 3D is already developing a new suite of LANDR products, set to be revealed in the coming months.