Mitchell Barnes, the 28-year-old founder of RYSE 3D, has been named West Midlands ‘Leader of the Year’ after clinching two major accolades at the Business Desk’s West Midlands Leadership Awards.

Recognised for his trailblazing work in the 3D printing industry, Barnes walked away with both the Company Leader of the Year (up to 50 employees) and the prestigious overall Leader of the Year award. His win underscores a remarkable journey—from starting RYSE 3D in his mother’s garage to becoming a key player in global hypercar manufacturing.

The Warwickshire-based company, now turning over more than £5 million, supplies parts to 23 of the world’s leading hypercar projects and has doubled its workforce in the past 18 months. Judges praised Mitchell’s visionary leadership, commercial strategy, and commitment to mentoring future engineering talent through in-house training schemes.

A standout moment in RYSE 3D’s recent growth was the development of LANDR—a powerful, in-house engineered large-format FDM printer that delivers industrial-grade performance at a fraction of the cost and footprint of its competitors. Born from necessity, LANDR not only supports RYSE 3D’s own production but is now available commercially, offering SMEs and innovators access to high-quality, large-scale additive manufacturing.

LANDR’s 500x500x500mm build volume enables rapid prototyping and end-use production across sectors including automotive, aerospace, healthcare, and consumer goods. Its UK-built design has helped RYSE 3D gain momentum as a technology manufacturer in its own right, with external sales of the printer growing monthly. Mitchell added:

With accolades in hand and innovation at the core, RYSE 3D is poised to continue disrupting the 3D printing industry—pushing boundaries and proving what’s possible through bold leadership and homegrown talent.