Brandon lighting the way after picking up top business honour

Brandon Medical, based in Leeds, is one of 11 firms based in Yorkshire and the Humber to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

The awards are presented in three categories: Innovation, International Trade and Sustainable Development.

Brandon Medical is one of four companies highlighted in the Innovation category

It invented and developed HD-LED lighting, which eliminates the traditional blue tint present in ordinary LED lights and allows the accurate representation of natural daylight enabling visible colours to be vivid and vibrant. As a result, surgeons can easily distinguish the most minuscule differences in tissues.

Managing director Graeme Hall said: “Providing innovative solutions for our customers lies at the heart of Brandon Medical. To be awarded the most prestigious accolade in our field is an absolute honour.”

Other recipients in the innovation category include bio-science specialist Ecosyl Products, based in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, which has developed friendly bacteria that aims to increase food production, save water, improve harvest efficiency and reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses that cause global warming.

Harvard Engineering, based in Wakefield, is awarded for its Leafnut system, which is helping over 40 councils to cut energy usage and reduce carbon emissions by providing monitoring, switching and dimming controls for street lights.

Seven companies are highlighted for outstanding achievement in the International Trade category.

Seal manufacturer AESSEAL, based in Rotherham, has received its 12th award since 1988. Over the last six years, the company’s overseas earnings have more than doubled and three-quarters of its output is now exported to its markets in more than 100 countries.

Deep Sea Electronics, based in Filey, North Yorkshire, which manufactures and supplies electronic control solutions for standby power generators and engines, is recognised for trebling its overseas earnings in six years to over £15m per annum and selling more than 70 per cent of its output overseas.

Industrial demolition firm EDS Group Holdings, based in Sheffield, was highlighted for growing its overseas income four-fold over three years to £76m.

Hull-based Microguard, which designs, develops and distributes limited life industrial clothing, received its award after more than doubling its overseas earnings to nearly £9m over three years and exporting more than 75 per cent of its production.

Laser designer and manufacturer Rofin Sinar, based in Willerby in East Yorkshire, was recognised for increasing its overseas earnings from £7m to £14m over six years of sustained growth and selling virtually all of its production overseas.

Rotherham-based Speciality Paperboard Containers, which produces containers for the food processing and packaging industry, wins an award for growing overseas sales by 261 per cent over three years to over £3m.

Trio Healthcare Group, based in Skipton, which has developed a range of innovative skin care products for use in the ostomy, incontinence and wound care sectors of the healthcare industry, has almost quadrupled its export earnings over the past three years.

Other companies highlighted in this category include engineering and consultancy firm Haskoning, which is headquartered in Peterborough but has a base in Leeds; Advanced Electronics, which is based in Newcastle but has its engineering centre of excellence in Barnsley, and The Severn Glocon Group, which is headquartered in Gloucester but has its Severn Unival division in Hudders- field.

Accolades handed out

A total of 156 Queen’s Awards have been announced this year. Overall, 102 companies won awards for international trade, 44 for innovation and 10 for sustainable development. Eleven individuals received The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion for encouraging UK entrepreneurship. Winners enjoy a visit by a Royal representative during the year, a reception at Buckingham Palace and are entitled to use The Queen’s Award Emblem for five years.