CRAIGAVON generator-maker AJ Power and Devenish Nutrition International in Belfast are among 243 businesses across the UK to receive the new Queen’s Award for Enterprise, recognising their contribution to international trade, innovation and sustainable development.
They are the only two Northern Ireland recipients of the gong, revealed today to coincide with Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday and which rewards their outstanding growth in overseas markets.
“The Queen’s Awards are a great way of celebrating the best of business. Whether you’re a disruptive start-up making life easier for your customers or a large company with a blockbuster product, these awards recognise your contribution to enterprise," British Businesses Secretary Sajid Javid said.
“We are a country full of exciting and innovative businesses that deserve to be celebrated, and I commend the winners for their hard work in creating jobs for people and driving our growing economy.”
AJ Power, founded in 2003 by its current managing director Ashley Pigott, manufactures diesel generating sets and associated equipment.
The company has aligned itself with major brands including Massey Ferguson and Scania, enabling it to combine product skill-sets with distribution strength.
Its generating sets are operating in a wide variety of applications including villages in the Andes, airports in Scandinavia, construction sites in the Middle East, mines in Myanmar, and a hospital in New Zealand.
It has sold products to 67 countries across five continents and over the last three years overseas sales have grown by 66 per cent.
Devenish Nutrition International began trading in June 2012 as the international arm of its parent company Devenish Feeds, which was founded in 1952.
Employing just eight staff, it provides nutritional solutions and expertise to the intensive livestock industry outside the UK, Ireland and the USA.
Devenish now trades in more than 25 countries and in the last three years its overseas sales have soared by a whopping 300 per cent.
The group's executive chairman Owen Brennan said: “It's a great honour to be recognised through this prestigious award, and I would like to applaud the efforts of our international team and the Devenish group as a whole, all of whom have contributed to the phenomenal growth of our export business.
“We spend over £30million each year on innovation and this has proved to be a solid foundation for business growth, both locally and internationally. The company is committed to providing a world class, value-added offering for our customers worldwide and we are excited about future growth.”
