Four Welsh companies – who between them have seen overseas sales grow by a staggering 1,300% over the last three years – were congratulated this week by Economy Minister Edwina Hart on their success in winning the Queen’s Award for International Trade.
Speaking at a business lunch to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements of all Welsh winners of the 2014 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise the Minister said:
“These Awards are the UK’s highest accolade for business success and highlight some quite remarkable achievements by Welsh companies and individuals in terms of international trade, innovation and promoting enterprise.
“International trade, innovation and the promotion of enterprise are key ingredients for developing a robust and dynamic economy and I am delighted to see Wales is represented in these three areas
“All are very worthy winners of these prestigious awards which provide an excellent platform to promote the expertise of Welsh companies working across the sectors. It also illustrates that size is no barrier to achieving outstanding success and growth in both home and overseas markets.
“I am also pleased to see that several companies have benefited from Welsh Government support to grow their business and congratulate all on their achievements.”
The winners of The Queen’s Awards for International Trade are: Dawnus International, Swansea; Lumishore, Swansea; Orangebox, Hengoed and Plas Farm, Anglesey.
Concrete Canvas, Pontypridd, was the only Welsh winner in the Queen’s Awards for Innovation and Mrs Christine Atkinson, Deputy Director of Entrepreneurship, University of South Wales, was one of only eight individuals in the UK to receive the Queen’s Award for Achievement in Enterprise Promotion.
Over the last three years Dawnus International, a civil engineering and building company has seen its overseas sales increase by 373%; Plas Farm Ltd which produces natural, zero fat and low fat frozen yoghurt has increased overseas sales by 495% and Swansea based Lumishore Ltd which manufactures high output, underwater LED lighting systems for the leisure marine industry has grown overseas sales by 332%; Orangebox has seen outstanding overseas earnings growth of 105% over the last three years, while employee levels have grown from 220 – 300.
The Queen’s Award for International Trade
Dawnus International
Dawnus International, which is headquartered in Swansea and has offices in Bangor, won the Queen’s Award for International Trade for outstanding growth in overseas sales of 373% over the last three years. It increased export sales as a percentage of total turnover from 23% to 47% and boosting employee numbers from 495 to 700.
The company has been delivering major civil engineering schemes in Africa since 2010 where it has provided employment and training opportunities to over 1,500 local people. It has seen its international turnover increase from £14.2m in 2010 to £86.3m in 2012.
Since its establishment in 2001 it has become one of the key Welsh Construction sector companies. Its growth has been recognised in the Times Profit Track (ranking system for Britain’s 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits, based on their latest 3 years of available accounts); finishing 37th in 2013 and 6th in 2014.
Lumishore Ltd
Lumishore Ltd, which is headquartered in Swansea, employs ten people and was founded in 2008. It manufactures high output, underwater LED lighting systems for the leisure marine industry, targeting the super yacht market.
It has a US division, Lumishore USA, based in Sarasota, Florida, although all its products are designed, developed and manufactured in Wales.
It wins the Queen’s Award for International Trade for outstanding overseas sales growth over the last three years having grown overseas sales by 332%, predominantly to the US, EC and the UAE.
Orangebox Ltd
Established in 2008 and based in Hengoed, Orangebox designs and manufactures innovative seating tables and pods for corporate offices. It employs 220 people.
The company has committed to building its international presence by licensing the manufacture of its products across Australia, China, North and South America to service those markets locally. Europe and the Middle East are serviced from its UK manufacturing plant.
It won the Queen’s Award for International Trade for outstanding overseas earnings growth over the last three years which have increased by 105% while employee levels have grown from 220 – 300.
The company has a range of clear and comprehensive international trading strategies, identifying new business in Denmark, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which has resulted in the growth of jobs from 188 to 220.
Orangebox has used a number of Welsh Government’s trade support services including the International Trade Opportunities programme to explore opportunities in the USA.
Plas Farm Ltd
The company, based in Gaerwen, has seen its overseas sales grow by s 495% over the last three years – the company exports to ten countries across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Founded in 1989, Plas Farm Ltd which employs 20 people, produces natural, zero fat and low fat frozen yoghurt in a range of flavours.
It has developed a powdered product to overcome the high transportation costs of food products to develop its Middle Eastern and Asian markets, which has quickly achieved significant success with newly entered Pakistan now its fourth largest market.
The Queen’s Award for Innovation
Concrete Canvas
Concrete Canvas Ltd received the Queen’s Award for Innovation for the development of a concrete impregnated fabric commercially available worldwide.
When sprayed with, or immersed in, water, the new fabric sets rapidly to give durable concrete surfaces. It has supported major construction projects in extreme environments, including diverting glacier melt water at high altitude in a desert and protecting pipelines at the bottom of the sea.
To date Concrete Canvas which employs 25 people, has had support from the Welsh Government to develop a new waste integration system in to their manufacturing process; for a new production line and support to develop and implement its international trade strategy. Director, Will Crawford has just returned from the Welsh Government trade mission to South Africa.
The Queen’s Award for Achievement in Enterprise Promotion
Christine Atkinson
Mrs Christine Atkinson has had an involvement with and been committed to women’s entrepreneurship in Wales for over 18 years. Her efforts have focused on providing assistance to potential female entrepreneurs, mainly from disadvantaged areas, by creating opportunities for self-employment.
She previously ran her own consultancy business, Praxis, and has been the Deputy Director of the Centre for Enterprise (Head of Women’s Entrepreneurship Hub) at the University of South Wales since 2008.
Through her various activities, Mrs Atkinson has found funding to launch the Vale Women’s Business Network (VWBN) which is now 11 years old and has supported over 300 local women to set up in business.
She has also run a series of training courses for women returning to work, for lone parents via the Sure Start programme and for women in management entitled ‘Breaking the Glass Ceiling’.
