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Top award goes to The Specials Laboratory

Mar 19 2010 by Iain Laing, The Journal

A FAST-GROWING pharmaceuticals business was last night named the Tyneside and Northumberland Company of the Year in the regions biggest and best business awards.

Prudhoe-based The Specials Laboratory took the top title in the second heat of the nebusiness awards, beating outsourcing and distribution firm Spark Response and Connect Physical Health which provides physiotherapy and complementary therapy through clinics and the NHS.

The companys success in the awards, organised by The Journal and Evening Gazette in association with Business Link, comes after the 11-year-old company was sold by its founders 15 months ago to Irish pharma giant United Drug.

The firm, which has more than 130 staff, saw sales for the year to the end of September 2009 rise to s16m from the previous years s12.3m, which in turn were up from s11m in 2007.

And the business, now run by chief executive Sharon Griffiths who started as a part-time credit controller seven years ago, is looking for more than 10% annual growth as it steps up sales and moves further into the Irish and European markets.

Specials, which has more than 6,000 customers worldwide, makes unlicensed medicines for the retail pharmaceutical and hospital markets.