Six businesses from the Bath area ranging from a cheesemaker to an online publisher have gained prestigious Queen’s Awards for their outstanding achievements in international trade and sustainable development.
BMT Defence Services, which employs 245 people in Bath, has won an international trade award.
The firm, part of the BMT Group, was formed in 1989 and provides naval ship design and consulting engineering support to the Royal Navy and international customers.
It is the first time it has gained the award. A long-term commitment to an international sales strategy has paid off and led to as 600% increase in overseas sales over the past three years.
The strategy, focused on navies of allied and emerging countries, has led to substantial business wins in Turkey and South Korea. BMT said its use of language and cultural awareness training had been key components in forging these new relationships.
Combe Castle, in Corsham, which exports cheese, cream, and butter worldwide, also secured an international trade award. The firm, employing 29 people, has been innovative in product developing, including sticky-toffee pudding flavour cheese and other unique flavours.
It has invested heavily in its exports and over the past three years has entered new markets – India, Russia, Australia, Denmark, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Spain. In Japan and Hong Kong it has 35% of the table chees market and half the imported clotted cream market.
As scooping an international trade award for the first time is MH High Tech Projects, which has 108 staff in Chippenham and part of the German-owned M+W Group .
Established in 2004, the engineering and construction company has increased export sales by 475% over the past three years and has a business plan to treble annual turnover by 2015.
This includes widening its exports from the EU and US and targeting engineering and construction services at North Europe’s nuclear sector.
SelectScience, which employs 22 people at Corston, has also won an international trade award. Set up in 1998, it is an innovative online publisher in the science industry providing technical information to scientists worldwide which enables online conversation about scientific products and accelerating critical research. It has more than 50 large clients and 230,000 subscription members and has successfully penetrated the European and North American markets and plans to expand into emerging markets. Exports represent 85% of turnover and overseas sales growth has been 72% over the past three years.
EIP, a firm of Intellectual property attorneys and solicitors with an office in Bath, has won the award for international trade in recognition of having increased its overseas sales by 136% over the last three years.
Attention has been given to winning business both in the US and Japan, which together now account for 81% of overseas sales.
The firm opened its Bath office in 2007 and has increased its presence in the city steadily, winning local clients including the University of Bath. It has seven staff, including patent attorneys and support staff, based at offices in Circus Mews.
Partner Jerome Spaargaren said: “EIP began as a single practitioner firm in 2000, so to receive this award in only our thirteenth year is a real achievement for such a young company.
“Since EIP opened its office in Circus Mews six years ago, the firm has evolved considerably in terms of the services it provides, and the breadth of technology areas it covers. EIP will continue to expand, and we expect to move into larger premises in the city to accommodate further planned recruitment in 2013.”
The Queen’s Awards for International Trade recognises in overseas earnings by UK businesses. Winners can expect to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace, and can use the Queen’s Award emblem as a symbol of their quality and success for a period of five years.
Wessex Water Services has gained an award in the sustainable development category for embedding sustainability throughout its management and operations.
The firm, with 1,650 staff is the first in the water industry to establish catchment management agreements with farmers directly in managing the use of nitrates and pesticides. Since winning a previous Queens Award, it has adopted a sustainable procurement policy and a climate change plan.
