West Midlands firms shine in Queen's Awards for Enterprise list

Tech firms, component manufacturers and automotive engineering specialists all feature among 220 companies across the 海角视频 which make the 2020 list

Staff from Addmaster 海角视频 in Stafford which is among 15 West Midlands-based winners of a Queen's Award for Enterprise

Tech firms, component manufacturers and automotive engineering specialists all feature among the West Midlands companies to receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise.

A total of 15 firms across the region have been named among 220 winners nationally in this year's list which again celebrates business excellence in four areas - innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility (see below for full West Midlands list).

The annual awards were first made in 1966 and allow the recipients to use the Queen's Awards emblem for the next five years.

Among the West Midlands winners for innovation is Addmaster 海角视频 which uses antimicrobial technology to protect products from bacteria and viruses.

It develops additives for the plastic, paper, textile, paints and coatings industries and has been recognised after using its technology to improve hygiene and preserve the environment by encouraging safer use of reusable products.

The Stafford-based company, which turns 20 this year, counts major household names such as Dulux, Dyson and Marks & Spencer among its client roster.

The award also recognises the firm's contribution to eliminating waste by working on a range of reusable plastics including a coffee cup and bag for life.

Around 30 million bags have now been treated with Addmaster's 'Biomaster' technology while the firm has been supplying the NHS and new Nightingale hospitals with Biomaster-protected items such as coatings, screens and other PPE equipment during the coronavirus crisis.

Queen's Award winners 2020 - full lists

Founder and chief executive Paul Morris said: "This prestigious accolade recognises our commitment to developing innovative solutions that are ahead of the curve and meet real life needs in healthcare, retail and industry.

"Our reusable 'bag for life' and coffee cups are just two examples out of hundreds of antimicrobial products we have developed

"They all demonstrate the important role our technology plays in giving the public additional hygienic protection when reusing plastics and textiles."

Coventry-based aerospace supplier Arrowsmith Engineering has been recognised for its overseas operations after it recorded a surge in its exporting activities over the past three years.

The company, which employs 76 people, supplies precision components for use in engines and landing gear to global manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce, GKN and Siemens.

It is now looking to expand further in countries such as Brazil, Germany, Singapore, Spain and the US.

Jason Aldridge, managing director of Arrowsmith Engineering

Arrowsmith Engineering has also joined the fight against covid-19 by manufacturing critical parts for ventilators after being invited by Rolls-Royce Control Systems and Rolls-Royce in Derby to join their ventilator supply chains.

Managing director Jason Aldridge said: "This is the highest honour a company can achieve and is a fitting tribute to the strides we have made to become a global aerospace supplier.

"To be able to display the Queen's Award logo will definitely generate new opportunities in overseas markets.

"Importantly, the award is a massive 'thank you' to our staff who continue to go above and beyond in meeting the exacting standards of the aerospace sector and, in recent weeks, the NHS ventilator push."

The team at Drive System Design in Leamington Spa

Warwickshire engineering group Drive System Design develops, engineers and tests driveline systems for electrified and conventional vehicles.

The company employs 82 staff at its base in Leamington Spa and has been recognised for its sustained growth in overseas markets in recent years as it supplies vehicle manufacturers worldwide.

It is also expanding its reach into new fields such as defence, off-road and aerospace and has increased its US operation in Michigan with just under 拢2 million worth of investment.

Managing director Mark Findlay said: "The Queen's Award for International Trade is a wonderful reward for our teams around the world and, in particular, at our 海角视频 headquarters.

"Drive System Design has worked strategically to expand its global reach, focusing on the future needs of the automotive industry and their customers and evolving its capabilities to address the challenges arising in the rapidly changing industry.

"As a result, a growing proportion of our revenue has come from exports.

"The automotive industry has never experienced such a need for accelerated development of, in many cases, clean-sheet drivetrain technologies."