Achievements in international trade have been celebrated with four businesses in and around York being awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Business editor LAURA KNOWLSON takes at look at the local recipients in the 50th anniversary year of the awards.

ACHIEVEMENTS in international trade have been celebrated with four businesses in and around York being awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise.

Business editor Laura Knowlson takes at look at the local recipients in the 50th anniversary year of the awards.

YORK, North and East Yorkshire are being put on the global map thanks to innovations in export by businesses in the area which have ventured into overseas markets selling home-grown products and services around the world.

Such achievements were marked yesterday when four local businesses joined 105 others across the country in being named recipients of a 2015 Queen's Award for Enterprise, for International Trade.

The announcement marked a Queen's Award hat-trick for York software firm MooD International.

Founded in 1997, the York Science Park-based business develops software to manage business performance for people-intensive operations.

Building on the recognition achieved through Awards in 2004 and 2010 for Innovation, the company has now been recognised for its contribution to International Trade after seeing a 114 per cent increase in export earnings over the last three years.

To do this, according to the Queen's Award assessment, MooD has demonstrated "substantial growth in overseas earnings and in commercial success, sustained over not less than three years, to levels which are outstanding for the goods or services concerned and for the size of the entrant’s operations".

MooD International chief executive George Davies said: "Winning a Queen’s Award is the most prestigious tribute a UK business can receive: they are only awarded to companies that demonstrate the highest level of excellence.

"We are honoured by the award for International Trade, which demonstrates our success in developing international sales based upon our previously-celebrated innovative products.

"This third award is particularly important to us as it demonstrates both our continued evolution and our ability to drive value in a period that has been extremely tough for many businesses."

As a Queen’s Award winner, the company can expect an invitation to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace with HM The Queen later this year.

Mr Davies added: "This is a very exciting time for MooD International. We have experienced an extraordinarily successful start to the year, and as a company we are going from strength to strength."

Mr Davies said he expects to recruit in excess of 20 new people to his 83-strong team over the course of the year, with plans for a summer party to celebrate the award.

MooD International’s software use business language and visual perspectives to help senior managers understand what’s happening, and to identify and evaluate options to improve business outcomes.

Its performance and governance systems are configured using award-winning technologies that have delivered efficiency gains and savings to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds to the British Government and to the economies of major enterprises, including E-On, DWP, BP and Shell.

The timing of Pocklington-based Detectamet's Queen's Award for International Trade comes just one month ahead of the company opening a subsidiary in the USA through which it will be able to service its growing list of North American customers more efficiently.

Over the past three years the business, which employs a team of 39, has continuously increased exports achieving a growth of more than 80 per cent.

Founded in East Yorkshire only 12 years ago, Detectamet products are bought and used by food and pharmaceutical companies around the world to help to protect their products from contamination.

The company designs, manufactures and distributes products that are made using metal and X-ray detectable plastics, meaning if pieces of this plastic end up in the food they will be identified and rejected by the metal or X-ray inspection systems used by many food manufacturing companies.

The company makes and distributes more than 300 products to more than 100 countries, with products including detectable pens, detectable protective clothing, processing and handling equipment.

Detectamet chief executive Sean Smith said: "Our business is founded on the dual policies of continuous development of products and an undaunted drive to expand our markets.

Managing director Angela Musson-Smith added: "When my husband and I started our business in 2003 we could only dream of being honoured by an award such as this.

"Sean and I are so grateful to our staff, suppliers and local service companies who have helped us to fulfil our hopes and make our dreams come true."

Exporting a service rather than a product is Harrogate-based training and leadership development specialist Primeast, which has received a Queen's Award as it looks to expend into new markets in Indi and Latin America.

Primeast engages a 100-strong network comprising employees, facilitators and coaches operating from offices across the UK, USA, Czech Republic, and Southern Africa, and specialising in leadership, organisational change and teamwork.

Launched in 1987, the company delivers training and consulting solutions to boost the performance of clients including Cape plc, BASF, Novartis, Arqiva, M+W, Lloyd’s Register, National Grid, Maier Group, Atlas Copco and several major energy businesses.

Primeast also works with the United Nations and its various agencies in Southern Africa.

Managing director Russell Evans said: "The last three years have been particularly transformational in terms of our development, and the Queen’s Award not only reinforces the collective commitment and collaboration of our global team, but also the breadth and depth of expertise we deliver across four continents.

"Two thirds of our turnover is attributed to export sales and we’re looking forward to the next three years as we roll out our strategy to expand into India, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region."

Institute of Export director general Lesley Batchelor, who is on the judging panel of the International Trade category, said: "Congratulations to Primeast on a well-deserved achievement.

"Winning a Queen’s Award provides worldwide recognition and shows that a company is outstanding in its field. This bodes well for their future too as 76 per cent of previous winners reporting that the accolade brought added commercial value to their business."

As the only UK company in its field, Scarborough-based Unison is used to representing "team GB" when pitching for contracts to supply its tube bending machines around the world.

Its Queen's Award for Enterprise comes as the engineering business look to expand its operations in the US and the Middle East.

Founding in 1973, Unison is a design and innovation led company, and has invested in research and development facilities, technology and the skills of its workforce.

Marketing director Peter Wilkinson said: "We've won two awards previously for export, but a Queen's Award really is the icing on the cake.

"It means such a lot to the company, but also to our engineers and technicians who travel world wide.

"The on-going support we receive from UKTI is unbelievable and we expect this to enable us to win new contracts in addition to around 70 per cent of our production which already goes abroad."