Tim Morgan, off road wheelchair inventor, receives Silver Medal award

25th June 2013

Tim Morgan entrepreneur receives Silver Medal for outstanding commercial success

Entrepreneur, Tim Morgan responsible for an all-terrain wheelchair business, has been awarded a Silver Medal.

The Royal Academy of Engineering celebrates the strength and diversity of UK engineering with the presentation of its coveted Silver Medal to four outstanding British engineers and Tim Morgan from Mountain Trike is one of these winners. Winners must have achieved significant commercial success in their fields and be recognised for advancing the cause of engineering in this country; a cause that is especially important to the Academy with the recent launch of its Enterprise Hub and Engineering for Growth campaign.

Tim Morgan’s exceptional achievements are detailed below. The medals will be presented at the Academy's annual awards dinner at London's Battersea Power Station on 17 July.

Entrepreneur Tim Morgan’s patented systems for an all terrain wheelchair enables wheelchair users to enjoy the countryside independently.

For the final project of Tim’s Masters in Innovation and Engineering Design from the University of Bath, which he completed in 2007, he identified the need for an all-terrain wheelchair that would allow users, to reach places previously inaccessible to wheelchairs. Securing financial backing and developing the project in his spare time while working as a Design Engineer at Bentley Motor Cars, Tim founded Mountain Trike Co in 2008.

Tim led the design, engineering and product development, manufacturing and commercialisation of the Mountain Trike All Terrain Manual Wheelchair, which is built in Nantwich, Cheshire in the UK. It has a patented innovative drive as well as inventive steering, braking and chassis systems and has won a number of accolades, including ‘best new product’ awards at mobility shows and a rare five star rating from Able, the UK’s largest mobility magazine. Selling directly to customers, the wheelchair quickly attracted a following with the first deliveries beginning in August 2011. The company is cash positive and making a profit on a monthly basis with international sales accounting for nearly 40% of its overall turnover.

Further detail about the award winners can be found in The Telegraph article here:

The Silver Medal was established in 1994 to recognise an outstanding and demonstrated personal contribution to British engineering, which is resulting in successful market exploitation, by an engineer with less than 22 years in full time employment or equivalent on 1 January in year of award and who will normally be Chartered. Up to four medals may be awarded in any one year.
Founded in 1976, the Royal Academy of Engineering promotes the engineering and technological welfare of the country. Our Fellowship – comprising the UK’s most eminent engineers – provides the leadership and expertise for our activities, which focus on the relationships between engineering, technology, and the quality of life. As a national academy, we provide independent and impartial advice to government; work to secure the next generation of engineers; and provide a voice for Britain’s engineering community.