Swindon & Wiltshire News
Recipients of first King’s Awards for Enterprise announced
Businesses across the region have been recognised in the first King’s Awards for Enterprise.
The programme recognised 148 firms nationally for achievements in Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity.
In Berkshire, pharmaceutical container specialist Tower Cold Chain added a King’s Award for Innovation to last year’s Queen’s Award for International Trade.
The Theale-based firm, which develops and manufactures temperature-controlled containers for the transportation of life-science and biotech products, has earned the King’s Award for Innovation in recognition of its KTM container – a thermally insulated passive pallet shipping system, with a patented modular construction design, that allows pharmaceuticals to be shipped all over the world without degrading.
“To win any King or Queen’s Award requires the highest standards, so for Tower Cold Chain to receive awards in two consecutive years is a fantastic achievement,” said Niall Balfour, Tower Cold Chain’s CEO.
“With our industry-leading product, it is an incredible honour to receive such recognition for the KTM range as we continue to work with global pharmaceutical manufacturers, airlines and third-party logistics customers to deliver products to patients in a robust, reliable, reusable method.”
Meanwhile, Maidenhead-based Dog Rocks Distribution, which offers a natural solution to stopping lawn burn marks from dogs’ urine, and Ascot-headquartered Frog Bikes, which designs and manufactures bikes in the UK exclusively for children, won King’s Awards for International Trade.
Jerry Lawson, the co-founder of Frog Bikes, said: “Winning the King’s Award for the second time for International Trade is a really significant achievement for us.
“The past few years have been especially challenging for British exporters, and for Frog Bikes to have delivered consistently strong growth overseas is a testament to the quality of our bikes and the strength of our brand.”
And Benchmark Woodworking, which creates furniture with sustainability at the forefront of its business, won a King’s Award for Sustainable Development.
In Bristol, digital learning specialist LearnSci won a King’s Award for Innovation.
The company was founded in 2007, pursuing a collective mission to transform science education and empower teaching teams to inspire the next generation of STEM graduates. The team now supports over 200 university departments across the world with their digital learning solutions.
Employing 30 scientists, web developers, designers and learning specialists, LearnSci develops interactive, problem-solving lab simulations and advanced digital worksheets that enable self-led learning and skills development.
Its learning technology accelerates teaching innovation, helps prepare graduates for industry careers, and widens access to science across the world.
“We are honoured to have our work acknowledged in this way with the King’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2023,” said LearnSci’s founding directors, Bill Heslop, John Eastman and Tony Baldwin.
“This Award belongs to the whole team at LearnSci and we are immensely proud to make a difference to the lives of so many science students and educators around the world.
“It’s especially pleasing to be recognised for innovation in education as this underpins everything we do in the company to create better and more inclusive opportunities for teaching and learning.
“We want to thank all of our customers and partners for putting their trust in us and we look forward to continuing our amazing journey together.”
And in Wiltshire, Coombe Castle International has won its fifth Enterprise award – this time for International Trade.
Melksham-based Coombe Castle International is a family-owned specialist producer and exporter of high-quality British and Irish dairy brands to 45 international markets.
The award recognises growth in company turnover of 46 per cent against the very challenging international trade conditions of the last three years.
“This has been a very successful period for the business,” said managing director Darren Larvin.
“The award recognises our accomplishment and the invaluable contribution made by the team here to that success. Together we have grown our presence and reach in the US and Canada markets.
“We have also expanded in new markets including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dominican Republic, and Belgium. With the continued investment, in people, marketing and system processes, we are well-placed to grow further as we open new markets for the great British brands we export.
“We are thrilled to receive our fifth Award for Enterprise in International Trade. It is a great honour for all our employees who have worked so hard over the years to grow our business. This award is recognition of their effort, their dedication and the loyalty of our suppliers and customers around the world.”
Latest: Business excellence celebrated in second King’s Awards for Enterprise
