Beacons of success in Wales win royal awards
SIX businesses from Wales have been named as winners of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise as the Queen celebrates her 91st birthday.
The Welsh winners include businesses leading the way in a broad range of industries, from a remote water leak monitoring system and an apprenticeship scheme in the construction industry, to the development and manufacture of environmental packaging systems and a sea salt manufacturer.
The six businesses have been recognised for their contribution in the three categories of sustainable development, international trade and innovation.
Anglesey Sea Salt won in the sustainable development category. The company, which trades as Halen Mon and is based in Llanfairpwll, is an artisan sea salt manufacturer which has reduced its environmental impact by installing solar panels, not using chemicals to clean, recycling heat from processes, planting a wildflower meadow and buying second-hand smokers.
In the innovation category, HMWWater of Cwmbran has been recognised for developing a remote water leak monitoring system that reports over the mobile phone network.
Monmouth-based Siltbuster, which provides water treatment equipment for construction sites, has also been recognised for a set of patented technologies and fleet of equipment that can allow the rapid treatment of waste water.
And Cyfle Building Skills, of Ammanford, won an award for its collaborative approach to apprenticeship schemes, connecting 140 placement organisations including small builders which would not be able to employ an apprentice on their own.
Of the international trade award winners, Green Light International from Cardiff is a manufacturer of environmental alternatives to polystyrene packaging, with a fastexpanding network of distributors in 25 countries.
SPTS Technologies Group, based in Newport, is involved in the manufacture of semiconductor wafers. It has seen its overseas sales grow by 70% over the past three years, with export sales now making up 90% of all sales.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said: “From Anglesey to Monmouth, the Welsh companies awarded today are beacons of success, demonstrating that every corner of Wales is open for business.
“They can all be rightly proud of their achievements. I hope their successes will become the inspiration for other Welsh businesses to strive for this prestigious award.”
Business Secretary Greg Clark added: “I’m extremely proud to see such a wealth of businesses across Wales being recognised today. Through our Industrial Strategy, we will be building on the successes of these award-winning businesses, helping to build a stronger, more outward-looking and prosperous global Britain.”
Now in its 51st year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are one of the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning companies able to use the Queen’s Awards emblem for the next five years.
According to research by the University of Strathclyde, 73% of international trade award-winners between 2012-15 directly attributed increased international sales to winning a Queen’s Award.