Agency tribute to winners of awards

Jun 19 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

RECIPIENTS of prestigious “corporate knighthoods” have been recognised at an event hosted by One North East.

The regional development agency organised the event at its Stella House base to celebrate the achievements of the North East companies and individuals to receive Queen’s Awards during 2008 and 2009.

The winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, International Trade were Sunderland-based transport giant Arriva, Stockton manufacturer Cleveland Cascades, Jarrow electrical parts maker HVR International, Sunderland crane-maker Liebherr Sunderland Works, Ashington bolt equipment firm Torque Tension Systems and the Washington plant of carmaker Nissan. Northumbrian Water won the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development.

The event also marked the achievements of Greenstar WES, Tracerco and IHC Engineering, which each earned Queen’s Awards in the field of innovation.

The founder of Durham University’s small business centre Professor Allan Gibb OBE won the Lifetime Achievement Award and David Irwin, a partner in Northumberland’s Irwin Grayson, which launched Project North East as one of the first enterprise agencies in 1980, was given a Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion.

One North East chairman Margaret Fay said: “In these difficult economic times it is a genuine pleasure to have the opportunity to recognise successes in business and celebrate the outstanding achievements of some of the region’s blue chip companies.”