Top royal award for couple’sfirm
A FAMILY company run by a Calderdale couple has won the UK’s most prestigious business award after its overseas sales rocketed over three years.
Engineering company Chelburn Precision Ltd – led by Stainland couple Neil and Katie Travis - has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade. The company’s overseas sales have increased fivefold in three years – from £360,000 to £1.7m – primarily to the USA and mainland Europe.
It also estimates that 95 per cent of domestic sales are ultimately exported as many of the company’s UK customers deliver their products overseas. Chelburn’s total turnover is now more than £5m.
The company is based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, and employs people from across the region including West Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Chelburn director Katie Travis says the success is due to its investment in the very latest machinery which, combined with a highly skilled workforce, means it has carved out a niche for its specialised production services both in the UK and overseas.
She added: “Every project we do is unique so it needs great technical and problem-solving skills.”
The family company - founded in Rochdale in 1982 by Roger Travis from Halifax and now run by his son, Neil - is rapidly building a reputation as a global leader in its field. The Queen’s Awards are the highest any business in the UK can receive and the winners are traditionally announced on the Queen’s birthday, April 21, but were delayed slightly this year due to the sad loss of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
They are given for outstanding achievement in the categories of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
ONLINE: For more local news visit www.halifaxcourier.co.uk