In our last blog we applauded the innovative success of the winners of the prestigious The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. Now we are taking a closer look at some of these remarkable businesses – spanning the length and breadth of the British Isles and across a range of industries – to see how they have successfully developed an exporting market.
Cambridge Manufacturing Company Limited manufactures and distributes the Cambridge Weight Plan around the world and is based (along with CWP) in Corby, Northamptonshire, England. Currently employing around 150 full-time staff, CMC has doubled dry powder capacity to meet the demands of rapidly increasing sales during the past two years. In 2009, CMC won a Food Manufacture Excellence Award (Ambient and General Food category).
A1 Pharmaceuticals Plc, based in Rainham in Essex, is the leading name in supplying discounted surgical dressing and medical devices in the EU. The company has forged a reputation for being a fast and reliable service providing extra profit opportunities to pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers – and has seen a 139% growth in overseas sales over the last three years.
Scottish preserves and sauces manufacturer Mackays Ltd in Angus is the only remaining producer of marmalade in the UK. The family owned company was founded in 1938 by the Mackay brothers and today is run by father and son team Paul and Martin Grant. Mackays’ range of products including jams, curds and conserves are created from the freshest berries from central Scotland and can be found both on supermarket shelves across the UK and in over 50 countries.
Down in Cornwall Allen & Heath Limited has been causing a buzz right across the globe with its professional audio mixing consoles. The company has supplied hand-built consoles for bands like Pink Floyd and The Who and is now hitting the right notes with its top of the line mixing desks with theatres, nightclubs, TV and radio stations and recording studios all over the world.
Rayovac Micropower, based in Tyne & Wear, is the manufacturer of the World’s No.1 selling hearing aid battery. The business has been developing innovative technology to produce the best possible products for the hearing industry for over 70 years, including the first wearable vacuum tube hearing aid in 1937. Rayovac opened its first production facility in the USA in 1963 with a second hearing aid battery production facility opening in the UK in 1989 to serve the European market. It now has offices across Europe and in Singapore and Japan.
ISCA UK is a leading manufacturer and distributor of speciality chemicals and raw materials for the paints, inks, plastics and construction industries. The Caerphilly based manufacturer’s comprehensive range of products is also used in textile coatings, carpets, personal care products and adhesives. The company boasts extensive warehouse facilities throughout the UK and Europe, custom-built laboratories and a full export service.
Spinning up a storm, King Cole Ltd in Keighley, West Yorkshire, supplies top quality knitting patterns and knitting yarns to retailers and wholesalers/distributors worldwide. The family business is an innovator in yarn production, design support and point of sale material and is proud of its traditional values and dedication to the industry.
This is just a snapshot of some of the 151 deserving winners of The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise International Trade category. We would like to extend our congratulations once again to all who were honoured this year and hope they are an inspiration to those looking to develop their export markets.