Enterprising results: Companies win Queen’s Award

Margaret Gibson with some of the businesses she has helped. Picture: Malcolm Cochrane

Eight Scottish companies were today named as the latest recipients of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Individual accolades were also given to business angel investor Nelson Gray and Women’s Enterprise for Scotland chief executive Margaret Gibson, who both won awards for enterprise promotion having been nominated by their peers for their efforts in encouraging entrepreneurship.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the awards, and 105 firms across the UK were recognised for their contribution to international trade.

Winners north of the Border include Perth-based aviation consultant Air Service Training and Consarc Engineering of Motherwell, a maker of vacuum furnaces.

A trio of companies that are focused on the oil and gas sector – materials technology specialist Aubin, offshore engineer Balmoral Comtec and fellow Aberdeen group Global Pipe Components – also picked up awards, as did Glasgow-based raincoat maker Mackintosh and tour company Rabbie’s Trail Burners of Edinburgh.

Calnex, the Linlithgow-based maker of kits for testing mobile phone networks, was another winner and chief executive Tommy Cook said: “We have built a solid reputation of doing difficult things well, delivering pioneering products aligned to our customers’ ever-changing needs.

This combination of attributes has been pivotal in enabling us to establish a global reputation for market-leading products and it is 
an honour to receive this award in recognition of our success.”

GARETH MACKIE