Four Cumbrian firms are among the first in the UK to be handed prestigious King’s Awards for Enterprise.
The awards are presented in four categories – innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity – for outstanding achievement and this year, 148 companies have been recognised in the first ever accolades handed out by King Charles III.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise was previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, and the new name reflects the King’s desire to continue the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses.
The award programme, now in its 57th year, has awarded over 7,000 companies since it began in 1965. It is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards emblem for the next five years.
International trade
Fruugo, Ulverston
Employing 170 people, Fruugo is a highly diversified e-commerce marketplace. Founded in 2006, it currently operates in 42 countries. Its platform saw 460 million visits in 2022.
Dominic Allonby, executive chairman, said: “We are extremely proud to be presented with The King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.
“Fruugo has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and to see our achievements recognised with such a prestigious award is a real honour.
“I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their commitment to the company and to our vision; this achievement is a credit to the team’s hard work and determination.”
The firm said it had tripled in size between 2019 and 2021 and increased its revenue tenfold between 2018 and 2022.
OEE Container Technology, Carlisle
OEE Container Technology, based in Carlisle, provides a wide range of engineering and manufacturing services to the food and beverage can packaging industry, working with some of the world’s most famous brands.
The company was started by husband-and-wife team Bruce and Sue Jones in 2018 and specialises in beverage cans, food cans and packaging equipment.
“It is a great honour to be recognised for our achievements in expanding our business overseas and establishing ourselves as a reputable international company,” said Mrs Jones.
“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who have worked tirelessly to provide the best products and services to our clients. We are committed to continuing our success and providing employment opportunities to our local community.”
Mr Jones added: “Our focus on quality, sustainability, innovation, and customer satisfaction has enabled us to build a reputation as a trusted and reliable partner for packaging manufacturers of all sizes.”
The citation says: “It has achieved steep year on year growth in overseas sales over three years with total growth over the period of 199 per cent. Overseas sales account for over 40 per cent of total business.”
Innovation
Clark Door, Carlisle
Carlisle’s Clark Door is one of 47 organisations nationally to be recognised with the prestigious Innovation Award. It won a Queen’s Award for innovation in 2020.
Clark Door has been recognised for its development of the Clark Multigard, a high-performing, security-rated door with acoustic properties. Already the fastest selling new product in Clark Door’s 50-year history, Multigard doors can already be found in prestigious venues such as The National Gallery in London and SGX Centre in Singapore.
Andrew Ashley, managing director, said: “We are thrilled and honoured to receive The King’s Award for Enterprise. This is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and
ingenuity of our entire team, as well as the strong partnerships we have built with our local supplier base and with our customers around the world.
“Following the opening of our £3 million dedicated R&D centre in 2021 we remain committed to delivering innovative, high-quality door solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers, while also driving sustainable growth and contributing to the communities in which we operate.
“This award is a great recognition of our team’s achievements to date, and we look forward to building on this success in the years ahead.”
Sustainable development
First Milk, Aspatria
Founded in 2002, First Milk Limited is a dairy farmer-owned co-operative and employs 220 people at its creameries at Aspatria and Haverfordwest and has around 700 members.
In December, it upgraded its Aspatria creamery with a £20 million investment.
The award citation said: “First Milk has chosen to implement regenerative farming principles across its membership farms because it presents the best opportunity to not only reduce net greenhouse gas emissions but also improve watercourse protection, nutrient cycling, enhance biodiversity and enable farming to become more resilient to climate change.
“The aim is to make real change at farm level, encouraging members to implement regenerative farming practices underpinned by robust data to measure net reductions in their milk’s carbon footprint in a practical, resilient, and socially responsible way.”
His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Claire Hensman said: “Congratulations to all the award-winning companies in the 2023 round. There is a high bar to meet the requirements for a King’s Award. We do have some excellent innovative and enterprising companies in Cumbria, and it is so pleasing to see some in the lists this year. The award brings benefits as it is seen as a gold standard and is internationally prestigious.
“I encourage businesses which are growing their international markets, have an original new product, are making strides in their progress towards sustainability and net zero, or are promoting opportunity in their workforce, to explore the eligibility criteria for an award.”
