NW Masters: Exporter Oliver ‘enjoying boom time’
OLIVER Valves, the family-owned Cheshire-based manufacturer which was crowned winner of the North West Exporter award dedicated its success to its people.
Managing director David Cornwell said the 200-strong Knutsford company set up 30 years ago by engineer Michael Oliver, was a “great success story.”
Receiving the prize at the North West Business Masters Awards, in association with Jaguar, he said: “We are delighted – it has been a great 
week for the business with the Queen’s Award for Export too. This business is all about people and those people we employ getting out into the market place.
“We are trading in a boom market, oil and gas, which is lucky for us, and we are trying to do our bit for engineering through our apprenticeships scheme – sadly it’s not seen as being something sexy to do.”
Mr Cornwell said Mr Oliver, who was away on business in Spain, would be “delighted and very proud” at the company’s success in the North West Business Masters.
The North West Exporter award was sponsored by the North West Fund for Development Capital and presented by YFM Equity partners’ North West MD Joseph Bergin.
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Other contenders were Applied Language Solutions and military bridge manufacturer WFEL.
Joseph Bergin, head of the North West team at YFM Equity Partners, said: “YFM Equity Partners is proud to sponsor the North West Exporter award as we think it is vital to support and encourage those businesses in the region which are grasping the opportunities available in the global market place”.
