The Queen's Awards for enterprise have been announced for 2021 and include 19 companies from across the South West.
The annual awards are for outstanding achievement by a 海角视频 businesses in the fields of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
The scheme was first established as 'The Queen's Award to Industry' by a royal warrant of November 30, 1965. The first accolades were handed out in 1966 and are presented by the Queen on behalf of the Prime Minister of the day.
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The awards are usually announced on the Queen's birthday but were delayed this year following the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Here, BusinessLive takes a look at all the brilliant South West Winners for 2021.
Gympanzees, Bristol
Innovation
Stephanie Wheen is a physiotherapist who has been working with disabled children for 19 years. She set up Gympanzees in 2017 after struggling to find any leisure or soft play centres that were suitable for disabled children.
The company has a pop-up facility in a special school, which is converted during school holidays. It includes a gym, indoor playground, outdoor playground, soft play, music room, trampolines, calm and active sensory rooms, exercise and therapy studios, and a social cafe run by adults with disabilities and their carers.
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The organisation has disability-trained staff in each room to facilitate activities and assist with specialised equipment, but the emphasis is on families playing together.
Gympanzees’ facilities are not disability specific, but operate on a timetable where sessions are organised around different needs. Parents and carers can choose which session will best suit the complex needs of their child.
Ms Wheen said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured that we have received this incredible award. I’m so happy for all our staff, volunteers and plethora of other supporters that their hard work and pure dedication has been recognised like this.”
SelectScience, Bath, Somerset
International trade
Arif and Louise Butt set up digital publishing company in 1998 after identifying an opportunity to provide online peer-to-peer information to scientists and sell online advertising to scientific manufacturers.
Today, SelectScience employs 40 staff and provides cutting-edge science technology news and information to a global audience of more than five million.
The company scooped an award for outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales over the last three years. In that time, the business has seen growth across all geographic regions with new markets including New Zealand, Singapore, Republic of Korea and Israel.
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Overseas sales have grown by 96% and the percentage exported has also risen from 88% to 91%. The company has also adapted to the challenges of Covid-19, moving its major events online and attracting more than 700,000 scientists worldwide.
SelectScience chief executive Kerry Parker said: “What an incredible honour and proud moment for all of us at SelectScience. I’d like to thank every member of our outstanding team for their passion and commitment to delivering high-quality information, great content and exquisite service.”
Sky Demon, Frome, Somerset
International trade
Somerset-based Divelments, which trades as SkyDemon, develops and offers software-on-a-subscription basis for pilots to use to plan and navigate their flights, mainly in Europe.
The process of safely planning a flight involves collating information from different sources to assess whether the flight will be safe. The business, which was founded in 2005, brings together all the necessary information together and presents it in an intuitive way.
Sky Demon was awarded an International Trade award for its growth.
Over the last three years overseas sales have risen by 58%, with the percentage exported also increasing to 66%. Most of the growth in sales over the last three years has been in established markets including Germany with new territories entered including Georgia and a number of African countries.
Lovehoney Group, Bath, Somerset
International Trade
The 海角视频's leading sexual wellness brand has received The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for outstanding continuous growth in overseas sales during the past six years.
Since 2015, overseas sales have grown from £12million to £56million, an overall rise of 365%.
The award - described as “the highest accolade for business success” - allows Lovehoney to use the Queen’s Award emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for a period of five years as a symbol of quality and success.
Lovehoney is the 海角视频’s biggest online adult retailer and has eight other websites globally including US, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, EU, Canada and New Zealand. It has a global customer base of 2.2million people and a 300-strong workforce.
Lovehoney’s global expansion was boosted by winning the official licence to make all official Fifty Shades of Grey pleasure products.
It has created several ranges with EL James, author of the trilogy, including new collections to celebrate the books’ 10th birthday this year.
This is the second time Lovehoney has won a Queen’s Award from Her Majesty. It received the Queen’s Award for International Trade five year ago and founders Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford and other winners met the Queen and Prince Philip at a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
ALS Mechatronic, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
International trade
Cheltenham’s ALS Mechatronic specialises in the design, build and installation of bespoke factory automation systems, control systems, container handling machinery, vision inspection systems and robotics.
The company was set up in 2002, and it now employs 24 people.
Over three years ALS Mechatronic’s overseas sales have grown five-fold and now make up 25% of all sales. The firm’s biggest markets are Qatar, Mexico, Ireland, Poland and the US, which is becoming the company’s “most important” in terms of growth.
ALS Mechatronic has had detailed support from the Department for International Trade as it looks to develop its understanding of a currently untapped market in India.
Andrew Steward, founder and managing director of ALS Mechatronic said: “It is an honour to have our company recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise and following a year that has created untold damage to many companies due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Against the odds, we have managed to maintain support and continue delivery of solutions to our international customer base, as well as at home - ranging from dairies to pharmaceutical companies."
ACH, Bristol
Promoting opportunity
ACH - formerly Ashley Community Housing - is a refugee-led social enterprise which has been operating since 2008. It provides housing, support and integration services to refugee and migrant communities across Bristol and the West Midlands, supporting 2,500 individuals a year.
Through its training arm, Himilo, it provides community-focussed training courses and careers advice designed to prepare students for sustainable employment opportunities.
It also has an entrepreneurship team that supports individuals to start and scale businesses. To date, the organisation has worked with 25,000 individuals, with 95% from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, 90% asylum seekers, 30% 16-25 with English as second language, and 20% who were homeless.
Over the past three years its work has secured jobs for 1,059 people and supported 1,183 people into further training, education or employment.
Fuad Mahamed, ACH chief executive, said: “Winning the Queen’s Award is a huge achievement for ACH. We pride ourselves on our accommodation, the support services and training courses we offer to our customers; I’m delighted we’ve officially been recognised for all our hard work with this esteemed award.”
The organisation is just one of 18 companies to be awarded in the category of Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).
Watson Gym Equipment, Frome, Somerset
International trade
The Somerset-based company was started in 1999 by Simon Watson who designed the equipment from a small garage in Wiltshire and made everything by hand before delivering it to customers.
The business, which targets specialist gyms and training facilities, as well as high-net-worth individuals who have personal gyms in homes and on boats or yachts, now employs 50 people.
Watson Gym Equipment has won an International Trade award for outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales over the last three years.
International sales have grown from £1.9m to £2. 7m and now make up 57.5% of total sales. Its top markets are USA, Australia, Netherlands, France and Germany.
The business is aiming to achieve £20m turnover in the next three years by expanding overseas
Ribeye T/A Ribeye Boats and Tenders, Dartmouth, Devon
International trade
Ribeye started in 1998 and designs and manufactures rigid inflatable boats, known as RIBs, in Dartmouth, Devon.
The business is globally renowned for manufacturing premium leisure boats and superyacht tenders.
The company has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years.
It has demonstrated substantial growth in export sales, which accounted for 75% of total growth in revenues in 2020. The company is privately owned, growing organically with profits reinvested into R&D for new product launches.
James Burroughs, managing director, said: “We are immensely proud to be recognised for the Queen's award. Our business has grown as a result of the team’s sheer hard work and determination to ensure we manufacture boats and tenders that are world class.
"We have grown from a small family business to a world-renowned boat builder, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future."
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Collins Aerospace, Plymouth
International Trade
Collins Aerospace, formerly called Atlantic Inertial Systems, started trading in 2007. It is a world leader in the competitive global sector of inertial systems for precision navigation and guidance for aerospace and defence platforms.
The firm focuses on modular design, development and manufacture of micro-machined electro-mechanical systems, inertial technology and predictive ground proximity warning system to international aircraft users.
Working with 海角视频 Government agencies it found new export opportunities, secured export licences and introductions to new customers.
Overseas earnings grew by more than 75% in three years, on large increases in defence spending, with customers in the United States, South Korea, UAE, Sweden, France and Turkey.
The company invests in highly-skilled engineers, operational change, and new machinery whilst maintaining cashflow and delivering record numbers of units year-on-year.
AIS won the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2013 and the company now wins the Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the past three years.
St Eval Candle Co T/A St Eval, Wadebridge, Cornwall
Sustainable Development
St Eval Candle Company is a high-quality, handmade candle manufacturer based on a farm in St Eval, near Wadebridge, Cornwall.
The company started trading in 2002 and employs 40 people. From a dedication to traditional manufacturing methods to transforming its energy use from being a consumer to an exporter of renewable energy, it is committed to renewable energy generation and carbon reduction.
It provides an exemplar of engagement and communication with their supply chain, customers and employees.
It takes a serious and structured approach to performance management and there is a good description of systems used, including KPIs as well as specific long term objectives.
The company is awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development because it has shown that sustainable development and innovation can be integrated into a traditional enterprise and provide leadership and inspiration to other rural businesses.
Glentham Life Sciences, Corsham, Wiltshire
International Trade
Corsham-based Glentham Life Sciences was founded by Sam White and Nicholas Zieleniewski in 2013, supplying fine chemicals and raw materials for research, analysis and production.
It is a previous International Trade Award winner in 2017 and has now demonstrated its ability to continue that success by further building its export sales around the world.
The company has acquired new and significantly larger premises, employed a specialist international salesperson, with more to come, and further developed its in-house developed web-based sales platform, incorporating foreign languages and additional functionality.
Overseas sales grew by 65% in three years and generate 85% of the company’s total revenue. The company has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales during the past three years.
Mr White said: “It is an honour to win a Queen’s Award for the second time. The award is a tremendous achievement for our team, whose hard work has continued to drive sustained growth and success for our company."
Imageholders, Wimborne, Dorset
International Trade
Wimborne-based Imageholders started trading in March 2002 and is now a globally recognised innovator in self-service and assisted service kiosk solutions.
In 2016 the company embraced the increasing availability of touchscreen tablets to develop self-service kiosks at a fraction of the cost of existing solutions and which could be delivered at scale.
It has since invested heavily in new facilities and software, enabling it to both overcome technical and production challenges and grow its sales significantly.
Most of that growth was generated overseas, particularly in the USA. Overseas sales quadrupled in three years and now represent well over 50% of total sales.
Imageholders wins the Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales during the past three Years.
AnTech, Exeter
International Trade
AnTech is headquartered in Exeter and started trading in 1994. It supplies hazardous-area products and drilling services to the upstream oil and gas industry.
The firm, which employs 49 staff, designs, manufactures and tests all equipment in-house, spanning all areas of mechanical, electronic and software design.
It responded to price pressures and a reduction in global demand by investing in a product range that provided a lower cost and increased customer choice.
The US and Australia have been significant areas of growth and along with activity in Russia and China, the company has been able to re-enter the Saudi Arabian market.
As a result it has hired extra staff, expanded operations in Saudi Arabia and the US which has resulted in overseas sales more than doubling in the past three years.
Carly Sugden, finance director for AnTech, said: “Being chosen for a Queen’s Award for International Trade is an honour. As a small company operating in Devon, we are extremely proud to have been selected and to have secured such prestigious recognition.
"This reflects our collective achievement as a team and our growing global presence, being at the forefront of innovation in oilfield technology."
Tellurium Q, Somerset
International Trade
The Somerton producer of audio cable for high end home audio systems and recording studios has been recognised for outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales.
Having grown by 49% over the award’s three-year application period, by the final year exports accounted for 78% of Tellurium Q’s total sales.
The company’s main markets are China, Germany, Poland, Netherlands and USA and it has also established itself in Argentina, Canada and Croatia.
Ocere, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
International Trade
Digital marketing agency Ocere helps clients to grow their businesses online by bringing them greater visibility on search engines.
The Cheltenham-based company was founded in 2009 by University of Gloucestershire graduate turned entrepreneur Tom Parling, a former recipient of the young business person of the year award at the Gloucestershire Business Awards.
The business has grown by almost 70% in the last three years, mostly by increasing its overseas revenue by 245%.
Commenting on its success, the company said: "We are delighted to receive this richly deserved Royal recognition for outstanding international growth.
"Through continuous improvement, innovation and zeal we have expanded into numerous overseas markets, with outstanding success.
"To achieve at this level requires a special dedication and focus. In the midst of a challenging pandemic Ocere has more than doubled revenues and added a roster of top global clients.
"We're overjoyed to be honoured with this prestigious award and will use it as a springboard for the next chapter of our journey."
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The Music Works (charity), Gloucester
Promoting Opportunity
The Gloucester-based charity seeks to transform the lives of young people, who have been disadvantaged, excluded or marginalised by society, through music.
It offers one-to-one music mentoring, small group work, accredited training, apprenticeships and internships, festivals and events, artist and career development and business incubation.
The Music Works has put young people and those with experience of living in challenging circumstances at the heart of decision making in the organisation. Three of the Trustees are young people and a youth advisory group is involved in all strategic decisions.
Alice Caroline, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
International Trade
Purveyors of the iconic floral fabrics produced by luxury department store Liberty London for use in the sewing trade, online retail business Alice Caroline have been recognised for outstanding continuous growth in overseas sales.
Over a period of six years the online retail business saw sales to its global markets, including the US, France, Japan, Australia and Denmark, grow year on year by 206%.
Based near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, the company has collaborated with Liberty to launch several exclusive fabric collections as well as produce a range of ready made goods, including wash bags and accessories.
TruffleHunter, South Cerney, Gloucestershire
International Trade
Due to the short shelf life of the luxurious fungi, which are difficult to find, traders TruffleHunter began producing a new range of longer-lasting truffle products, including preserved truffles, infused olive oils and truffle crisps.
The move has proven to be a great success, with overseas sales growing more than eight-fold in six years and the company’s products found in retail and food service sectors in over 30 countries worldwide, including the US, Canada, Germany and Japan.
The business has now expanded its operations at its site in South Cerney, Gloucestershire, including a £300,000 facility to produce its line of truffle snacks.
Commenting on the company receiving the prestigious award, chief executive of TruffleHunter Nigel Whitehouse said: “Since TruffleHunter began over 10 years ago, we’ve focused on growing the business internationally.
"It’s been a huge challenge to adapt to this way of operating, not to mention the different cultures, tastes and legal aspects of export.
"The growth of international trade has enabled us to reduce the impact of Covid on our business, over the past 12 months.
"A lot of our domestic clients are restaurants, hotels, retailers and travel related business – it’s been a hard year for these 海角视频-based industries, remaining closed for the best part of 2020 into 2021, and so as a supplier, it’s great to see growth in other markets.
"The Queen’s Award bolsters our credibility in the food industry and it goes without saying that we are incredibly proud. We’ll be celebrating with the whole team, who’ve helped to build TruffleHunter into the global business we are today, when we have the opportunity!”
Prolectric Services, North Somerset
Sustainable Development
Set up in Clevedon, North Somerset, in 2002, Prolectric Services provides sustainable lighting, power and security solutions to the rail, construction and infrastructure industry.
It has been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development for its work to encourage other businesses to move away from using polluting fossil fuels, to achieve its carbon-saving commitments and embrace cleaner, sustainable technologies.
In 2011 Prolectric became the first company to introduce permanent solar-only street lights to the 海角视频 and has gone on to install over 6,000 units nationally.
Scanning Pens, Wiltshire
International Trade
Westbury-based Scanning Pens was founded in 2003 by Oxford Brookes graduates Jack S. Churchill and Toby Sutton.
The company supplies text-to-speech devices to people with dyslexia, as well as raising awareness of dyslexia worldwide and supporting people whose lives are impacted by literacy differences.
The business has been awarded for its outstanding year of international trade. In the last 12 months the firm has been exploring what new opportunities it can offer to people with dyslexia during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as continuing to support the markets that rely on its technology.
The firm has expanded in territories such as the US, India, Australia, and Canada, and has been developing new markets in other countries all over the globe.
Mr Churchill said: “To be recognised by the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is the highest honour in business. We’re thrilled that our dedication to literacy and reading accessibility has been acknowledged in such a way that celebrates the commitment of everybody here at Scanning Pens.”