In the North East, Awards have gone to five companies, with three winners in the International Trade category, one for Innovation and one for Sustainable Development.
This is the fourth year of The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion (QAEP), an Award for individuals who have played an outstanding and significant role in promoting the growth of business enterprise and entrepreneurial skills and attitudes in others. There are ten standard Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award. John W Eversley MBE, Director and Vice-Chair of Tyne and Wear Enterprise Trust, Newcastle receives the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Michael Leithrow, Executive Director of Northern Pinetree Trust, Birtley, County Durham receives a standard Award.
The Queen's Awards for businesses honour outstanding UK companies. Three Awards go to firms with only three employees and another goes to an international giant that employs 106,200 people.
The Awards are made in three separate categories: International Trade, Innovation, and Sustainable Development. Winners include a 106 year old family business that creates and exports exclusive fabric and wallpaper collections, a small company that restores and exports the finest antique violins and cellos, an international design consultancy whose portfolio includes the world's tallest building (Burj Dubai Tower), a web-based service designed to assist farmers manage their herds of dairy cattle, a medical risk assessment system used by providers of travel insurance and the promotion of sustainable development through re-using, recycling and re-manufacturing office furniture.
North East winners are:
International Trade
Cummins Ltd, Darlington Engine Plant, Darlington, County Durham, manufacturer of diesel engines and componentsfor automotive, construction, power generation, military and marine applications.
DUCO Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, which designs and manufactures subsea umbilical systems for the offshore oil and gas industry.
TRW Occupant Safety Systems, Peterlee, manufacturer of automotive occupant safety systems including seat belts, airbags, electronic control units and remote crash sensors.
Innovation
DuPont Teijin Films UK Ltd, Middlesbrough , manufacturer of Melinex(r) polyester films, suitable for portable banner stands used at exhibitions or conferences to display information.
Sustainable Development
Shared Interest Society Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, provides ethical financial services solely to fair-trade producers.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:
"Queen's Award winning companies are standard-bearers for the very best of British business. These firms embody the spirit of enterprise and innovation that is so vital to the future of Britain's economy. Whether large or small, every one of this year's winning organisations has achieved outstanding success in its field. I congratulate them all on their diverse and remarkable achievements.
"I also congratulate the individuals receiving The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion. Each of them has played a vital role in helping unlock Britain's entrepreneurial talent. They have given their time and energy to equip others with the skills, knowledge and attitude to succeed as entrepreneurs. I applaud and admire their efforts."
John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said:
"I congratulate all of this year's Queen's Award-winning businesses and the individuals who are recipients of The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion (QAEP).
"We want more new and growing businesses in the UK and more companies and people acting on their enterprising ideas - and these outstanding Award-winners are all great examples of that.
"I'd urge other British-based businesses which can prove outstanding success to apply for the prestigious Queen's Awards. Winning companies of all sizes as well as individual entrepreneurs are great examples of British business success and it is an accolade I believe all successful businesses should aspire to."
Products and services from winners in the International Trade category range from the design, development and manufacture of luxury powerboats and yachts, 4x4 vehicles and electronic equipment for in-flight entertainment systems that are used primarily on commercial passenger aircraft, production of digital set-top boxes and home entertainment equipment, the design, manufacture and integration of innovative defence services to counter terrorism, the provision of top quality fresh farmed salmon and a highly specialised service for the disposal of unexploded ordnance and land mine clearance.
Awards in the Innovation category recognise a broad spectrum of outstanding achievement. Products and services include the composing, recording and digitising of 15,000 music tracks and 50,000 sound effects for the television industry, facilities launched to aid customers arrange car sharing, the creation of a revolutionary horse feed made from sugar beet and the development of a system for securing wheelchairs in coaches.
Winners in this year's Sustainable Development category include a business recognised for its continuous achievement in its worldwide delivery of multimedia materials, providing practical information to enable people to reduce their carbon footprint and live more sustainable lives, continuous achievement in the provision of fresh-cut fruit, prepared at source, and aimed at maximising the sustainability benefits created for local producers, the production of sustainable construction materials, using power station ash output to manufacture products, including blended cements, grouts and waste stabilisation materials; and providing financial services solely to fair-trade producers.
In the fourth year of The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion (QAEP) a Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Mr John Eversley MBE, Director and Vice-Chair of Tyne and Wear Enterprise Trust Ltd (ENTRUST) who has a thirty year track record of pioneering and supporting enterprise in the North East.
One of the Recipients of the QAEP at a standard level is Mr Michael Leithrow from Birtley, County Durham.
