Porvair Filtration Group, an international leader in filtration and separation with a plant in Caribou, has been honored with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade — the United Kingdom’s highest accolade for business success.
The award was publicly conferred on Porvair on April 21, coinciding with Her Majesty’s birthday.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise provide an opportunity to celebrate and encourage excellence in U.K. business; given only to companies or individuals who are outstanding in their field, they recognize achievements across three categories: international trade, sustainable development and innovation.
Each category has a separate judging panel which makes a recommendation to the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee. The committee then makes a final recommendation to Queen Elizabeth II, who decides the winners.
This award is made in recognition of Porvair’s substantial growth in overseas business, achieving increased year-on-year growth in sales of exported products over the past three years. Since 2011, the company has seen its export sales rise by 140 percent, amounting to 69 percent of its total sales from its U.K. operations.
The significant increase in export has been due to the company’s success in markets such as coal gasification in Asia, bioscience and nuclear in the U.S.A. and general industrial process filtration in Europe.
The group’s top export markets have been identified as: U.S.A., India, South Korea and Germany.
Porvair’s Managing Director Tom Liddell said: “It is an honor for our company to receive this award and to be recognized for our success in exporting our products manufactured in the U.K. Whilst growing international business can be challenging, we have found a significant appetite for quality products manufactured by our skilled and dedicated staff in the U.K.”
“We believe the award represents a significant milestone for the business, one that will serve to enhance our reputation at home and overseas. We anticipate further, sustainable growth in the years to come,” said Liddell.
Two Porvair representatives will be invited to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace on July 14. The presentation of a Grant of Appointment, symbolized by a crystal bowl, will also take place at Porvair’s head office later in the year.
