The UK’s most prestigious business honouring, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, has been awarded to dozens of manufacturers this year, with a record number granted for international trade.
This year’s winners were recognised for their contribution to four main categories: international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity.
A record 152 companies, from industries including agricultural technology, innovative software and healthcare, received awards for international trade.
The winning businesses will also be able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem for the next five years.
Some of the ‘Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade’ winners are:
Photocentric
The award was given in recognition of Photocentric’s three-year growth in overseas sales success.
Paul Holt, the company’s founder, said: “We have always tried to innovate with new product ideas and being in a niche sector has meant that we have had to export to gain sales growth.
“Over the last five years, we have seen our sales grow from £2.5m to £5.7m, with exports rising from £1.7m to over £4m – over 70% of total sales. Our US subsidiary has further sales of over $3. Our innovation in photopolymer for all areas of our business and the expansion in our range of 3D resin printers mean that we are very excited for the future worldwide growth of the business.
Holt added, that following the footsteps from our Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2016, the company is truly proud to accept this second accolade.
The Manufacturer MX Awards – Exporter
The TMMX Awards is the biggest annual celebration in the industry’s calendar, attracting more than 1000 attendees.
They are the culmination of a rigorous programme designed to provide valuable business improvement advice and feedback from an expert panel of judges.
The Export award recognises how through exporting activity the company has been able to increase international sales; demonstrate a commitment to expanding international business; and demonstrate the value and contribution of exporting to the future of the business.
The company’s exports as a proportion of total sales will be taken in to account.
Enter now! Entry deadline is the 22 June.
For further information, click here.
Cobra Biologics
The company has been awarded in recognition of Cobra’s commercial success in providing services to its global customer base.
Cobra has a 20-year track record of supporting the life science industry with contract development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, from pre-clinical through to clinical trials and commercial supply and currently exports more than 85% of its services from its facilities based in the UK and Sweden.
Cobra’s UK based GMP approved facility is a globally recognised centre of excellence for the development and production of biological material to support both gene- and immuno-therapy.
In April 2017, Cobra announced a £15m gene therapy expansion plan, to meet the increased demand from both plasmid DNA and viral vectors for Phase III and Commercial supply to support both existing and new customer requirements in the development of revolutionary disease therapies.
Peter Coleman, Chief Executive of Cobra Biologics, commented: “International Trade is vitally important for Cobra and the work that we do is challenging and requires a committed work force whose skills and dedication attract business from all over the world.”
Addmaster
The award was given in recognition of the company’s sales reaching a record high for the financial year with both domestic and export markets expanding rapidly.
Paul Morris, Addmaster Founder & CEO, commented: “Having just completed another record financial year with exports again growing strongly, it is a testament to the staff and all their efforts that we have been recognised again”
Although sold throughout its worldwide distributor network, Addmaster still manufactures all of its main products, including Biomaster antimicrobial technology, Scentmaster fragrance technology and Verimaster security technology, in the UK.
Frog Bikes
The makers of lightweight children’s bicycles have been recognised for its outstanding achievement in international sales, supplying independent bike shops in over 40 countries worldwide.
The family-run company was set up just 5 years ago by cycling parents Jerry and Shelley Lawson, who struggled to find lightweight, well designed bicycles for their two small children.
Now with its own factory in Pontypool (South Wales) and offices in Ascot (Berkshire), the firm employs 50 people in UK and supplies families with affordable, lightweight aluminium bicycles all over the world.
Shelly Lawson, co-founder of the company, said: “Despite recent uncertainty in the UK’s trading position, we export an increasing number of bicycles each year, and are determined to continue our export growth. We have seen a surge in demand in North American markets and throughout Europe in recent months.”
Frog is also celebrating winning a coveted Red Dot design award for the newest additions to its range: the MTB 69 Mountain Bike.
Co-founder Jerry Lawson said: “We put scientific research at the forefront of our bike designs, to ensure they are built optimally for smaller riders. We are delighted to combine cutting edge research from Brunel University with British design and manufacturing, to create jobs in the UK and export our bikes globally.”
Wild & Wolf
Wild & Wolf has been recognised for its excellence in International Trade, demonstrating substantial international growth in overseas earnings and commercial success within its sector.
Founded in 2005, and now employing 150 people globally, Wild & Wolf creates design-led gifts and lifestyle products across a wide portfolio of popular licensed and own IP brands.
From homewares to stationery, and toys and games, their innovative product collections combine form and function with exceptional design.
Paul Taylor, CEO at Wild & Wolf said “We’ve experienced tremendous growth in our international trade, particularly in the last 3 years. Once a predominantly UK driven business, by the end of 2018 two thirds of our business will be outside of the UK, with the USA being our single biggest market.
“We hope that winning this award will further drive prosperous international growth in markets such as Asia and in the EU. This coveted award is testament to the fantastic team we have here at Wild & Wolf, and we’re proud of our contribution in raising the global profile of great British design.”
Brose UK
Brose UK manufactures window regulators and seat structures for Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota.
The company has been recognised for growing sales grow significantly after pursuing a strategy focused on providing technology-based solutions dedicated customer facing teams and delivering on-time and to the highest possible quality.
It has been an approach that has worked, with international orders secured for OEM plants in China, France, Spain and Brazil and more than 300 jobs created in the last three years alone.
Juergen Zahl, managing director of Brose UK, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for everyone connected with the business, from the near 1,000 staff at Coventry to the many colleagues in our international plants that have contributed to our expansion,” explained Juergen Zahl, Managing Director of Brose UK.
“We have had a really strong five years, bouncing back from the global recession to achieve £289m in sales in the last financial year. There has also been approximately £70m invested into the latest technology to incorporate remote laser welding and a state-of-the-art paint plant.
“This level of spending – combined with a deep-rooted culture of continuous improvement – has created manufacturing plants in Coventry that can compete against international competitors to win business on new models and platforms.
“The Queen’s Award for International Trade is a global stamp of approval that is recognised all over the world, which makes us extremely proud to receive it.”
The current factories in Colliery Lane and in Courtaulds Way produce over 2 million seat structures and more than 4.6 million window regulators every year, supplying 17 different car models across 20 global plants.
Expansion has been based on its ability to ramp up volumes, achieve on-time deliveries, reduce shipping costs by eliminating waste and packaging, shortening lead times and having locally trained people on the ground.
Thomas Spangler, Chief Technology Officer of Brose Group, commented: “I have watched Coventry grow significantly over the last five years, becoming not only a critical supplier to the UK automotive sector but also to a number of international plants.
“The Queen’s Award is testament to the hard work of all the staff that make up the Brose family here and, importantly, it marks another step in our continuous improvement journey.”
