Prestigious business award winners announced

Kings Awards for Enterprise

Seven businesses based in the South East Midlands are celebrating success today, as the winners of the first ever King's Awards for Enterprise are announced. 

The King's Awards for Enterprise are designed to recognise and encourage outstanding achievements in the fields of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity, through social mobility.  

SEMLEP wishes each and every one of the 148 businesses recognised in today's celebrations many congratulations. 

Award winners based in the SEMLEP area are: 

PALLITE group, (The Alternative Pallet Company Ltd), Wellingborough. 

The Alternative Pallet Company Ltd, trading as PALLITE Group, is a mid-sized company based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. It has developed a paper-based storage and racking solution for warehousing named PIX. It is flexible, can be reconfigured and assembled quickly, and stores flat when unused. The system makes a solid and durable storage unit which can carry up to 500 kg and has protected edges for safety. It uses 80% recycled materials and is itself 100% recyclable. It has been very successful with warehouse operators as it helps them optimise efficiency to meet the changing demands of their business. Sales have grown strongly since its launch, both in the UK and internationally.

Brian James Trailers Limited, Daventry. 

Established in 1979, Brian James Trailers Limited manufactures trailers for a wide variety of applications. These cover many different business areas including forestry, vehicle movement, building and construction, landscape and amenity, motorsport and agriculture. Brian James Trailers has grown from a very small business entity employing 22 people to employing 275 people in 2022. The company is well known in markets around the globe as a premium brand of car transporter and commercial trailers. In the period of the application, between 2020 and 2022, the growth in overseas earnings was 119%, representing 63% of total company turnover. The company's major markets are Germany, Australia, Netherlands, Norway and New Zealand. It is a previous recipient of The Queen's Award for International Trade in 2018. The company receives The King’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years.

Fulkrum Technical Resources Ltd., Corby.

Fulkrum Technical Resources Limited has been providing third-party Inspection, Expediting, Technical Manpower Services, and Specialist QA/QC Personnel to multiple sectors of Industry since 2011. It provides cost-effective and flexible manpower solutions to support the ever-increasing demands of complex projects within the energy, engineering, and construction industries. The company predominantly focuses on welding, coating, engineering, electrical, mechanical, and non-destructive testing (NDT) inspection disciplines, however, its services include vendor audits and client representation, third party Inspection and expediting, site inspection teams and manpower supply at volume. During the period of the application from 2019 to 2021 overseas earnings grew by 68% representing 87% of total company turnover in 2021. The principal international markets are the Americas, Saudi Arabia, Kuala Lumper, Abu Dhabi and Mozambique, and the company has 12 offices overseas. The company receives The King's Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short-Term Growth in overseas sales over three years.

Viridian International Ltd, Daventry.

Viridian International Ltd T/A Viridian Nutrition Ethical vitamin company Viridian Nutrition is based in Daventry, Northamptonshire. Founded in December 1999, the family-run company specialises in the manufacture and sale of effective, ethical and pure health supplements. The multi-award-winning range spans 220+ nutritional oils and supplements, tinctures and topicals, all developed by expert nutritionists using clinically evidenced research. Viridian is dedicated to 100% active ingredients, no animal testing, no GMO, no fillers, no added sugars, colourings, or artificial flavourings. The ingredients in the formulations are carefully sourced to ensure sustainability and minimal impact on the planet. Over the period 2015-2021, overseas sales have grown by 390% with the percentage exported rising to 31%. Its markets range from Iceland to South Africa, to Continental Europe. The company receives The King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, Outstanding Continuous Growth in overseas sales over six years. 

Tinware Direct Limited, Bedford 

Founded in 2001 and based in Bedford, Tinware Direct Limited designs and manufactures a wide range of metal and cardboard products. It produces metal packaging and cardboard tubes available for any size business or budget and can offer custom tins and cardboard tubes in any shape, size, and design. It also offers high quality, ready-to-fill tins or aluminium boxes and cardboard tube packaging which can be ordered in smaller quantities, perfect for small stock holdings. It sells through localised language websites offering convenience of purchase through e-commerce and its top four markets currently are France, Germany, Italy, and Ireland. The company receives The King's Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over three years achieving growth in overseas sales over three years totalling 180%.

Midas Pattern Company Ltd., Bedford

Midas Pattern Company Ltd is an engineering and manufacturing business established in 1989. It manufactures precision medical device enclosures and tooling using Polyurethane and carries out all moulding processes 'in-house'. Customers are mainly in the medical/analytical device and environmental sectors. The company employs 78 people and is based in Bedford. The company has recently embraced sustainable development, but in that short time has developed an impressive strategy and approach. It has integrated its ‘Midas Green Initiative’ throughout the cultures, values and actions of the company and then communicated it to others in the sector and beyond. Midas Pattern Company Ltd has gone beyond compliance and is showing leadership in the industry on sustainable development. It is the first PU moulding businesses to have adopted and reached net zero and is a beacon in the industry both in the UK and abroad.

SunGod Ltd., Willington, Bedfordshire. 

SunGod is a British performance eyewear brand employing 16 people. Founded in 2013 creating a direct-to-consumer eyewear brand that offers high-quality, fairly priced sustainable sunglasses and ski goggles. Ten years later, SunGod has grown into a global brand with a £8m turnover. The main focus is on creating high-performing eyewear for sports and for everyday, that's built to last. Frames are made from a flexible memory polymer which bounces back when squashed, and lenses are made from shatter-proof, triple-layer scratch-resistant polycarbonate or nylon. Products are also backed by a Lifetime Guarantee. If the products break or are broken, they are repaired free of charge across the product range, encouraging customers to repair rather than replace. Recycled product options have been developed and are an increasing part of the range. SunGod has a Supplier Code of Conduct, covering 18 key points from fair wages to the responsible discharge of toxic waste.

The 2024 Kings Awards will open for applications from 6th May, 2023, closing at midday, 12 September 2023. For more information about the Awards, eligibility and the application process, visit the government website: https://www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise