SEVEN of the North East’s best companies have been given The Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2010 – Britain’s highest accolade for business success.
Businesses ranging from a Wearside manufacturer with just nine staff to the Washington-based company which is the world’s biggest maker of hearing aid batteries to a Teesside manufacturer of polyester film were among the 156 winners across the UK.
Overall, 102 companies have won awards for international trade, 44 for innovation and 10 for sustainable development. Orgaisers said the standard of applications has been extremely high this year with 20% of companies applying receiving awards, double last year’s amount.
Winners of annual awards can expect a company visit by a Royal representative during the year to present a crystal bowl and an invitation to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace in July.
The successful companies are Cramlington-based Advanced Electronics, Castle Eden’s Bond Foundry, Newcastle frim Entek International, Sunderland-based Tiger Filtration, Middlesbrough firm DuPont Teijin Films UK, Wallsend-based Soil Machine Dynamics, and Washington firm Rayovac.
There were also two prizes for individuals in the North East.
A Lifetime Achievement award went to Ronald Batty who for 25 years as chief executive of CDC Enterprise Agency in Durham helped to set up more than 3,000 businesses and is seen as an exemplar in helping young, disabled and disadvantaged people get into business.
Alison Brown won the award for enterprise promotion for her years of work at Catcote School Business and Enterprise College in Hartlepool.
As director of specialism she has transformed the college for 120 young people with disabilities into a national centre of excellence for enterprise education.
