PlaceEXPO: Queen’s Award winners celebrated
North West manufacturers Cygnet Group and Heat Trace have received Queen's Awards for Export & Innovation. Their success was celebrated at an event during IFB held at PlaceEXPO organised by Cheshire West & Chester Council.
The event took place at PlaceEXPO, the property pavilion for the UK's International Festival for Business, which is taking place at No 4 St Paul's Square, Liverpool. The event was arranged to coincide with the IFB's Manufacturing, Science & Technology week.
Cygnet Group was named winner of the Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade; Heat Trace won a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
Cygnet Group is an export-led manufacturer based in Northwich, Cheshire. Founded in 1974, the company delivers advanced engineering solutions to some of the fastest-growing industries in the world. It manufactures specialist machinery to process technical fibres and fabrics used in the automotive, aerospace and wind energy sectors, and patented safety connectors for the subsea oil and gas market.
In the last three years, family-owned Cygnet Group has exported over 95% of its UK-manufactured machines to 30 countries worldwide. In the same period, the company opened new offices in China and the US, and saw revenues triple to £23m.
At the event managing director for Cygnet Group, Matthew Kimpton-Smith, shared the story of the company's success as a UK manufacturer competing on a world stage. He revealed how the decision to target some of the fastest-growing niche markets in the world with its British-engineered machinery has meant that, even in times of recession, Cygnet Group has enjoyed considerable growth and international recognition.
Helsby-based Heat Trace manufactures innovative heating cables used in a wide range of industries throughout the world, including oil and gas, petrochemical, food processing, power generation, railway and transportation and automotive.
The company, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, was recognised by the Queen's Awards for breaking new ground in the field of semi-conductor heating elements and self-regulating heating cables.
At the event Heat Trace managing director, Dan Berrisford, considered why innovation is so important to his business and explained how Heat Trace's commitment to invest in new product research and development is paying off for this trailblazing company and shares his experiences of actively pursuing true business innovation.
