The 2009 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise winners have been announced with a customary dominant manufacturing presence.
Overall, Her Majesty has awarded 135 companies for International Trade, 49 for Innovation and 10 for Sustainable Development.
Different factions of multi-engineering firm AESSEAL were represented in all three categories. Its County Antrim mechanical seals manufacturing plant was awarded the Innovation and International Trade awards while its Rotherham-based environmental technology facility was recognised in the Sustainable branch.
Other winners of the International Trade Award include JCB, Leyland Trucks, Nissan’s Sunderland plant, Nisa International and PPI Engineering Ltd of Norwich. Innovation winners included Renishaw plc for its OMP400 ultra-compact strain gauge spindle probe with RenGage™ 3D technology; Smartstak for its load handling system which eliminates breakages when transporting glass bottles; and CGC Technology Ltd for its design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of satellite tracking systems.
Sustainable Development accolades went to Green Building Store, Boss Design Limited and Shotton Paper among others.
Yorkshire based electrical machine manufacturer ATB Morley was another firm that won the International Trade Award, having doubling its direct overseas exports from £4.1m in 2005 to £8.2m in 2007. Its managing director, Ian Lomax, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this highly prestigious award. This award recognises our long standing success in exports which are a routine way of life for engineer-to-order businesses like ourselves. This is a very significant achievement for everyone at Morley.”
Nissan’s Sunderland plant won its award despite announcing 1200 redundancies in January. Senior vice president for manufacturing, Nissan Europe, Trevor Mann said: “The award recognises the long term achievement of Micra and Note as well as the outstanding success that followed Qashqai’s introduction in 2007.
“It also demonstrates that by winning the right models for the plant and reacting quickly to market conditions we have the ability to grow
Summarising, business secretary Lord Mandelson said: “I heartily congratulate all today’s winners of The Queen’s Awards. These inspirational firms have proved they are amongst Britain’s very best businesses. They are flying the flag for British enterprise, innovation and corporate responsibility, both here and abroad. They have achieved the UK’s most prestigious standard of business excellence, and set the standard for other businesses to follow as they help lead Britain out of recession.”
