Cream of Midlands business recognised in Queen’s Awards
COMPANIES from across the West Midlands were today (Wednesday) recognised for their outstanding contribution to business with the announcement of this year’s Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
The awards, considered the business ‘Oscars’, are recognised as the UK’s most prestigious accolade for business success.
Nine firms from the region have been recognised ranging from a three-employee company that supplies software solutions to craft industries to a 250-staff engineering business serving some of the largest construction projects in the world.
However, big names such as excavator giant JCB – which has won 25 awards over the years – are missing from this year’s list perhaps reflecting the tough year endured by firms in the manufacturing sector.
The region’s academic community is also recognised.
Dr Ederyn Williams, of University of Warwick, has played a key role over the last 18 years developing knowledge transfer from universities to business. He is recognised with an award for Enterprise Promotion.
In all, 143 awards have been announced this year. In the category of International Trade, 95 companies have won awards with a further 38 honoured for Innovation and ten for Sustainable Development.
Of the winners from the West Midlands, six business fall into the International Trade category with the other three winning for Innovation.
Dr Williams is joined by ten other winners in the Enterprise Promotion section.
Winners of The Queen’s Awards enjoy widespread respect from their peers, a company visit by a Royal representative during the year to present a crystal bowl and a special reception at Buckingham Palace in July.
They are also entitled to use The Queen’s Award Emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for a period of five years as a symbol of their quality and success.
Leading the way for the West Midlands is three-time award winner The Binding Site Group.
The Kings Heath-based firm, which employs 336, manufactures immunodiagnostic kits which are used for the diagnosis and monitoring of certain blood cancers and immunodeficiency diseases.
The products are used, primarily in hospitals and research laboratories, and the firm has been recognised for increasing its export revenues by 74% to more than £42m per annum in three years, and selling more than 90% of its production overseas.
Aggregate exports over the period have totalled £96m and 29 new jobs have been created.
Industrial Penstocks, of Netherton, manufactures penstocks and sluice gates for water and fluid control and it supplies six main industrial sectors: drinking water; sewage and sludge treatment; manufacturing and factory services; oil storage and refining; power generation; and civil engineering.
A successful marketing strategy has seen the company, which employs nine staff, develop global markets, mainly in the United States, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Falklands.
The company, established in 2004, plans to open an office in the Middle East soon.
Despite strong overseas competition export earnings have risen steeply over the last three years and despite recession, last year exports represented 78% of the company’s output.
Kingswinford-based Midsteel manufactures carbon and stainless steel flanges, forged pipe fittings, butt weld pipe fittings and other ancillary piping related products for the oil, gas, power and petrochemical industries.
Between 2007 and 2009, the company’s export earnings have quadrupled with customers in 51 countries worldwide. Major markets in 2009 were Germany, Greece, The Netherlands and Iran.
The company, which has 52 staff, has also developed new markets in Scandinavia, Egypt, Portugal and Canada.
Proto Labs, of Telford, only started trading in 2005. It manufactures injection moulded thermoplastic components for prototype or low volume production and CNC machined plastic and aluminium one-off prototypes.
It exports across Europe, with Germany its largest market – accounting for 70% of sales – followed by Italy, Netherlands and France.
The company, which employs 76 staff, has increased overseas sales by 173% between 2007 and 2009 – 56% of its total business.
Its strategy has been based on branch offices in Germany and France; attendance at trade fairs and the use of a multilingual website.
Overseas sales increased by an impressive 173% between 2007 and 2009. Total exports for the same period amounted to over 56% of total sales.
Aldridge-based RMD Kwikform, which employs 252 people, provides formwork, shoring and temporary work solutions to the international construction industry.
It has been recognised for its achievement in increasing its export sales by 185% over six years to £154m. Over three quarters of its turnover is now derived from overseas.
It is aided by a network of yards around the world and agency agreements to ensure products are delivered as quickly as possible.
Vectric, of Redditch, operates in a niche sector supplying software solutions to craft industries, including woodcarvers, sign makers and engravers.
The firm, which employs just three people, has managed to increase exports five-fold to £1m over three years.
Exports to customers in 75 countries now represent over 90% of its turnover. Its largest market is the United States – accounting for 58% of business.
A well developed and effective marketing strategy is based primarily on the internet with strong after-sales support.
Birmingham-based Delcam is recognised in the Innovation category for its work in the field of dental restoration software.
The listed company, which employs 218 people, has designed two software products to aid the automated manufacture of tooth caps, crowns, bridges and implants.
The first is a computer-aided manufacturing package, which encapsulates practical dental knowledge to generate paths for automated cutting tools.
The second is a computer-aided design package, incorporating a range of visualisation tools and a comprehensive knowledge base.
Using the products together leads to lower waste, shorter manufacturing times, better fits and higher levels of predictability in dental restoration compared with alternatives.
An Innovation award is also bestowed on Herefordshire company Dyecor for developing its Thermacor packaging.
The product has been specially designed for the postal transportation of liquid, medical diagnostic samples, particularly blood and urine.
The packaging meets strict storage standards and is resistant to leaks and fluctuations in temperature and pressure.
Worcestershire firm Malvern Instruments, which has almost 200 staff, has been recognised for Innovation for the continuous development of its Zetasizer Nano range of instruments.
Incorporating patented light scattering technology, the instruments measure three properties of particles in suspensions or emulsions – size, molecular weight and zeta potential; the latter being the level of attraction or repulsion between particles, which is important in controlling dispersion.
The versatile instruments are used in many industries, including minerals processing, water treatment, pharmaceutical, ceramics and brewing.
Compared with previous instruments, they are more sensitive, easier to use and provide more information per measurement.
Dr Ederyn Williams is recognised for the key role he has played in Enterprise Promotion.
For almost two decades he has encouraged closer links between universities and business.
Prior to joining Warwick, he spent nine years managing a technology transfer company at the University of Leeds.
In 2000, he founded Warwick Ventures, the university technology transfer office of the University of Warwick, which he is still running.
Besides propelling both universities into the business sector, he has also undertaken with other practitioners and has helped establish several professional bodies.
He has also helped regional development agency Advantage West Midlands develop its innovation strategy and chairs the Advisory Board of the Advantage Growth Fund.
