The King’s Award means a lot to Yorkshire companies like ours - Adam Foy
As CEO of Ideal Heating, I’m incredibly proud that we’re among a select number of companies to receive a King’s Award for Enterprise this year. It’s an honour shared with hundreds of colleagues across our business, which is rooted here in Yorkshire.
Our headquarters are in Hull, where we have invested £60m in new manufacturing, distribution and research and development facilities to ensure our business is fit for the future.
Our entry for the 2026 The King’s Awards was in the Innovation category. That’s because we wanted to focus on the scale of change and transformation in our business as we shape an exciting future at the forefront of the UK heating industry.
The King’s Award reflects the scale of ambition and commitment our team has shown in transforming not just our own business, but in leading the evolution of the wider heating sector.
Specifically, it recognises our comprehensive, end-to-end heat pump delivery package that is reshaping how the UK adopts low carbon heating technology. This is the fourth Queen’s or King’s Award we have received, so we know how well regarded the awards are, how rigorous the judging process is, and the positive impact being an award winner has on the business.
Holders of The King’s Award are acknowledged as among Britain’s best businesses and leaders in their respective industries. It sends an important message to our customers, partners and stakeholders that Ideal Heating has been independently assessed and recognised as a beacon of business excellence.
Receiving The King’s Award is great, too, for our people right across the business. They share a deep sense of pride in being part of a company worthy of royal recognition. It tells them that what they do, day after day, makes a real difference.
It also recognises the partners, customers, installers and suppliers that we work so closely with, highlighting the role they play in the development of our business and the wider heating industry.
The King’s Award is also a welcome recognition of the importance of manufacturing, especially here in Yorkshire, where the sector accounts for around 10 per cent of the region’s workforce. Manufacturers like ourselves, and others on The King’s Award honours list, are flying the flag for building in Britain. Many of the other manufacturers recognised in The King’s Awards also share our commitment to investing in innovation, to ensure that, in an ever more competitive business environment, they continue to keep pace with technological and market changes.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise have honoured more than 8,000 companies since their inception in 1965. They include hundreds of Yorkshire-based businesses, like ours.
Hopefully, our success can inspire others within the region to follow suit and I would encourage more companies to look at entering The King’s Awards next year. I know The King’s Awards team are always on the lookout for companies worthy of recognition and they would love to hear from brilliant businesses with a great story to tell.
As we celebrate receiving The King’s Award, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the other businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber who have been recognised.
Adam Foy is CEO of Hull-based Ideal Heating.