Dunlop Aircraft Tyres presented with Queen’s Award
DUNLOP Aircraft Tyres has been presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise at a ceremony held at the company’s manufacturing site in Birmingham.
The award was presented to the company’s chairman Ian Edmondson by the Lord-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Paul Sabapathy.
The award, in the international trade category, reflects six years of consecutive growth in global sales.
“It is an honour to receive this award. We had a fantastic centenary last year, which included a visit to the factory by HRH The Duke of York and I’m delighted that we can now celebrate our successful international expansion with this prestigious award,” said Mr Edmondson.
“Our achievements would not be possible without the hard work of the people here, and I would like to thank every single one of our employees for their contribution in helping the company to succeed despite intense international competition and tough market conditions.
“Geographic expansion is essential for our future success and the investments we are making in facilities, equipment and new product development will place Dunlop in a strong position to further increase its international presence in the years ahead.”
Overseas earnings now account for almost 80% of the company’s turnover, with Air Nostrum, Compass Airlines, Egyptair, Kenya Airways, Lion Air, Lufthansa, QantasLink, and Saudi Arabian Airlines among the growing list of operators using the firm’s products.
The company’s export market also includes military operators and airframe manufacturers as well as leading maintenance, repair and overhaul companies.
In 2009, the company underlined its commitment to geographic expansion by developing a joint venture aircraft tyre distribution and retreading facility in China to effectively serve the expanding Asia Pacific marketplace.
In addition, investment in new products for aircraft including E-Jets, the Q400 and the CRJ NextGen family, plus development of radial products, have helped DAT sustain its export growth.
