Four Lancashire firms win Queen’s Awards on Her Majesty’s 90th birthday

Businesses across the UK have today received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, recognising their contribution to international trade, innovation and sustainable development.

Of those recipients, four are Lancashire-based firms with one Innovation winner and three receiving honours for International Trade.

Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade

Director Tony Holt said: “It’s a huge honour for everyone concerned with Linemark, HD Signs and N-Virol and great reward for all their hard work.

“This year it’s extra special because it is being announced to coincide with the Queen’s 90^th birthday.”

“We are also innovators, which sets us apart from our competitors. As well as line-marking products, we also offer full stadium branding and we always find solutions for any difficult surface that needs an advert printing on it.”

The Skelmersdale-based company saw overseas sales grow by 350 per cent in three years, leading to them being awarded for international trade.

"The service we offer ensures that the people living and working around forecourts are protected and our environment is safeguarded for future generations. This mark of excellence will help the business increase its market share and open doors into new territories such as India and the Americas, generating further jobs in Lancashire.”

Their export sales grew over the last three years by 49 per cent, a total of £8m, leading to them being recognised for the first time.

Skelmersdale-based Aqua Fabrications receive their award for innovation in rail drainage systems. The Derby glass reinforced plastic product replaces a previous one manufactured in concrete. The product is a modular ring construction to line a catch pit, which is part of the drainage system on the railway. The new material and design reduce the weight of the component from 74kg to 16kg which has a significant effect on reducing the risk of injuries due to manual handling when the product is being installed.