Five Welsh businesses have been named winners in Queen’s Awards for Enterprise today.
The five companies were listed among more than 200 businesses around the UK in four categories which celebrate UK businesses.
Four of the businesses were recognised for their excellence in international trade, while the fifth was selected for its innovation.
The Welsh winners included 4 Mental Health, an organisation in Conwy providing mental health training courses worldwide, which won in the International Trade category.
Cardiff firm CatSci, an innovation partner for medicines development was also listed in the International Trade category, along with Purolite in Llantrisant Business Park, whose overseas sales grew by 1,030% over three years to December 2020.
Empower Translate in Chepstow was the fourth Welsh business to be named in the International Trade category. The company provides localisation services to the market research industry in the USA and Europe and more recently, Australia, Romania and Singapore.
Small Business Minister Paul Scully said: “Organisations like 4 Mental Health are providing a valuable service, bringing UK expertise on the vitally important subject of mental health to organisations around the world to help them save lives.
“We’re celebrating the achievements of all of this year’s winners and recognising their hard work and commitment to producing innovative products and services.”
Caerphilly-firm Colour Tone Masterbatch, which manufactures and distributes colour and additive masterbatches for plastics, was the only Welsh business to be named in the Innovation category.
The company patented a cost-effective black plastic masterbatch concentrate resulting in black plastics that are detectable at post-consumer recycling sorting facilities.
Awards have been won in the categories of International Trade (141 winners), Innovation (51), Sustainable Development (31) and Promoting Opportunity (9).
Winners’ awards are valid for five years and winners are permitted to fly The Queen’s Awards flag at their main office.
The winning businesses are also given a Grant of Appointment and a commemorative crystal trophy.
Applications for the 2023 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise will open 1 May.
