South West & West Midlands King's Awards for Enterprise announced
The recipients of The King’s Awards for Enterprise have been announced today, celebrating the achievements of UK businesses.
This year, 252 businesses across the UK and from a diverse range of sectors have been recognised by His Majesty The King as among the best in the country. A total of 257 Awards are made with five companies being recognised with two Awards.
161 businesses were recognised in the International Trade category, 59 for Innovation, 29 for Sustainable Development and 8 for Promoting Opportunity through social mobility.
Businesses like these are central to delivering on one of the Government’s five priorities to grow our economy – from creating new opportunities and supporting people into work through to developing new innovations and exporting the best of Britain around the world.
Minister for Enterprise Kevin Hollinrake said: “I congratulate the recipients of this year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise, who exemplify the talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of British business.
“I wish them every success and commend the invaluable contributions they make to communities both at home and overseas, helping to grow the UK economy.”
This year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise are given for outstanding achievement in:
- Innovation (59)
- International trade (161)
- Sustainable development (29)
- Promoting opportunity through social mobility (8)
His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants will be presenting the Awards to businesses locally throughout the year.
Eligible businesses are free to apply for one or more categories. The recipients pass a robust assessment process, judged by experts from industry, academia, the voluntary sector and senior officials in Whitehall.
On that basis, each year, The King’s Awards for Enterprise recipients are recommended by the Prime Minister.
Across the South West and West Midlands the following companies received King's Awards:
International Trade
Arrowsmith Engineering, Coventry. Aero engine component manufacturer.
The company, which is part of the rapidly growing ASG Group, has seen overseas sales rocket by nearly 400% following the pandemic, with orders now accounting for 35 per cent of the firm’s annual £7.6 million turnover.
Precision components manufactured at its Bayton Road factory in Coventry are sent to global customers in China, France, Germany, Singapore and Spain for end use in aerospace engines, landing gears and air frames.
Jason Aldridge, Managing Director of Arrowsmith Engineering, commented: “It has been some turnaround from the very depths of despair during Covid to the renaissance we are seeing now and in the future.
“Civil aviation – a major market for us – literally dropped off the cliff (40 per cent reduction) with the pandemic and we had to show good old-fashioned resilience and a fair bit of business innovation to get through it.”
He continued: “We also moved with changes in the sector with the location of customer production facilities switching. Thanks to our technical expertise, our ability to add value in design and the financial strength of the ASG Group, we were able to secure contracts in new countries, as well as securing one of the biggest orders to supply parts for the German-built jet plane project called ‘Pearl 700’.
“All of these reasons have contributed to our outstanding short-term export growth and led to us winning the International Trade King’s Award for the second time in our history. It’s a real landmark moment for us.”
The Pitchmark Group, Emerson's Green. Bristol. Manufacturer of products for sports turf, landscaping, amenity and gardening use.
Prima Dental, Gloucester. A world-leader in precision dental products.
3d Technologies. Warwick. Develops innovative solutions for accurately measuring motion in 3-dimensions using inertial sensors. The company also won a King's Award for Innovation, making one of a very few to win two King's Awards in one year.
The Lawton Tube Company. Coventry. The UK's leading independent manufacturer and distributor of copper tubes, copper pipes, fittings and accessories.
BG Automotive. Swindon. Pioneers in the research and development of OE quality automotive aftermarket parts and components.
AeroGlow International. Salisbury. Designs and manufactures HaLo, the world’s leading emergency escape lighting for armoured vehicles.
Fermoie Ltd. Marlborough. From highly pigmented paint to printing fine textiles. Fermoie was the natural progression for Farrow & Ball founders, Tom Helme and Martin Ephson.
Jamie Shawcross, Commercial Director, Fermoie, said: "“We’re thrilled and honoured to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise. We’ve worked incredibly hard to build our company and develop our export business, which has grown eightfold in just four years and now accounts for over half our annual turnover. There’s a real appetite among international customers, particularly in America but also across Europe and further afield, for beauty in design and print. We’re delighted that our hand-drawn artwork, distinctive colours and beautiful fabrics, all manufactured entirely in-house here in the UK, have found such a receptive audience right across the world.”
OOSC Clothing. Worcester. Designs and manufactures ski suits, pants and jackets using recycled plastic bottles. Worcester and London-based company OOSC Clothing Limited has been recognised for their significant short-term growth in overseas sales over three years. Known for its retro-inspired and sustainably produced activewear brand, OOSC Clothing Limited is determined to become a leader in this field. OOSC’s Co-Founder & Director, Nick Marsden, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Kings Award for International Trade! OOSC is now sold to over 110 different countries worldwide and it's truly awesome to get Royal approval for all our efforts in selling our sustainably made skiwear. We put so much effort into the business and to have this kind of recognition is amazing! We look forward to the Royals wearing some OOSC on the mountain soon!"
Slicker Recycling. Stourport-On-Severn. Slicker Recycling has been awarded for providing a sustainable solution on an international level for recycling waste oils. Laura Carter, Joint Managing Director, said: “This is without a doubt one of the proudest moments of my career. As joint managing director, I have the pleasure of seeing the difference our team makes every single day. They constantly push innovative ideas, whilst grasping and adapting to constant change in the global market – helping to make us a leader in the collection and re-refinement of used lubricating oil.”
Innovation
Aberlink. Based at Eastcombe, near Stroud. Aberlink is the largest UK-owned manufacturer of Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM), vision systems and 3D measurement software.
Multifleet Vehicle Management, Henley-in-Arden. One of the leading leasing and fleet management businesses in the UK.
3d Technologies. Warwick. Develops innovative solutions for accurately measuring motion in 3-dimensions using inertial sensors.
Aston Martin Lagonda. Gaydon, Warwickshire. Luxury car design and manufacturer.
RYSE 3D, Shipston-on-Stour. Specialists in production 3D printing. Formed by Mitchell Barnes in 2017 after printing 3D models for fellow University students, has been recognised for its commitment to ‘Innovation’ after developing 3D printed mould tools that allow UK manufacturers to compete with low-cost overseas operations.
The solution involves developing new materials that work with the additive manufacturing process to create moulds that can be used to make components in production volumes.
Mitchell said: "This has been some journey. From replacing my mum’s washing machines in the garage with a few DIY 3D printers to create models at university, to setting up a world class 3D printing factory in Warwickshire and winning one of the hardest to achieve business awards in the world. 40 per cent of our work is now going overseas and this figure is set to grow, with interest coming from five different continents."
One Big Circle, Bristol. At the forefront of Intelligent Video, AI and Machine Learning within the rail industry.
Sustainable Development
Horiba Mira. Nuneaton. Vehicle engineering, test and development consultancy.
Triton Showers, Nuneaton. Shower manufacturer.
Apetito. Trowbridge. Meals for hospitals, care homes, nurseries, independent schools and other settings.
OCO Technology. Avonmouth. Pioneering Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) to treat Air Pollution Control residues (APCr), predominantly from Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities, with carbon dioxide gas.
O.C.O Technology’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Greig, said: “We are hugely proud to be awarded such a prestigious honour, cementing our reputation as the clear UK market leader in carbon mineralisation.
“Our patented technology offers real sustainable solutions in helping the Energy from Waste (EfW) industry manage the disposal of waste materials, turning them into carbon negative manufactured limestone aggregate which is in high demand from the construction sector.
“To have our hard work acknowledged at the highest level is incredibly rewarding and we look forward to flying the flag for British success and the circular economy as we continue to develop our partnerships on the world stage.”
