Yorkshire businesses among the best of British
TEN Yorkshire businesses have been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
Eight companies have won awards for International Trade, one for Innovation and a Yorkshire businessman has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion, nominated by peers for his efforts to encourage UK entrepreneurship.
Enterprise officer at Calderdale Council, Eric Binns, was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion for his work around helping people to create new businesses. Since 2009, as business enterprise officer within the Council, he has been responsible for running a successful programme offering advice, guidance and support in self-employment.
Meanwhile, Rotherham-based Roy Hatfield secured an Innovation Award for creating a process for recycling waste gypsum. The company, which employs 26, developed methods for stripping the substance from ceramics and plasterboard.
In the International Trade category, Leeds-based Turner & Townsend, which employs 1587 people, was among the winners. It has increased its number of UK employees over the past three years by 393 to 1587. Twenty-three new offices have been established in the last three years and its top markets in overseas sales are the US with 22%, Australia 20% and South Africa 11%.
The Alco Valves Group in Brighouse, which employs 105 people, was also awarded the Queen’s Award for International Trade for outstanding growth in overseas earnings over three years.
Other winners in this category were Melett in Barnsley, which designs, manufactures and sells replacement turbocharger repair parts for automotive and commercial engines. It has grown overseas earnings by 334% over the past six years since it won its previous Award. The company has seen rapid growth with employee numbers also rising from 15 to 69 in the period.
Normanton-based Harvard Engineering, which designs, develops and manufactures control products and LED drivers for the lighting industry, has also celebrated. The company has an aggressive export growth strategy and plans to increase export sales from 25% of turnover at the end of 2011, to 50% by the end of 2015.
Sheffield-based Dismatec – a provider of engineering and technical services to the world’s glass manufacturing industry- received the award, as did can making machine manufacturer CarnaudMetalbox Engineering in Shipley, manufacturer of fixed polymer/plastic barrier protection systems A-Safe (UK) in Elland, and Abbey Forged Products in Sheffield – a manufacturer of bespoke steel products for the oil and gas industry.
Across the UK, 162 businesses has been recognised. 110 companies have won Awards for International Trade; 39 for Innovation and 13 for Sustainable Development, benefitting the environment, society and the economy.
Secretary of state for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable said: “Companies that are growing, innovating and championing UK business overseas deserve the recognition that these awards bestow.
“With more than 100 international trade winners this year, it is clear that Britain is emerging as a leader in selling its quality services and products throughout the world.”
Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock added: “The Queen’s Awards are a prestigious honour for a company to receive and the extent of this year’s winners shows what an enterprising nation we are.
“The fact that small businesses can share these honours with large household names illustrates that they are the backbone of our economy and deserve to be recognised as such. I would encourage every UK business to consider entering next year’s historic 50th year.”
