Ecotile Flooring Ltd is delighted to announce that we have been named the winner of two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise; the most prestigious business award in the UK which represents the highest accolade for business success.
Ecotile are one of five companies to receive not one, but two awards in 2017. We have received an award for outstanding achievement in Innovation & another for our contribution & accomplishments in International Trade. As winners of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, we were visited by a Royal representative and presented with a commemorative trophy to mark of our achievement! We were also invited to a Royal reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by Her Majesty The Queen.
What is The Queen’s Award For Enterprise?
- Established in 1965, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise celebrates the UK’s small and medium sized businesses.
- Only 167 businesses across the UK have been recognized for their contribution to international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity.
- Ecotile are one of only five firms who will receive two Queen’s Awards
- Entries are open as of today for the 2018 awards.
Established in 1996, Ecotile Flooring design, manufacture & supply sustainable interlocking tiles to many industrial & commercial businesses. We recently began a concerted push to grow our international business, which has proven to be very successful & export sales now account for over 40% of turnover.
CEO James Gedye said:
“To be awarded the Queen’s Award for both Innovation & International Trade is the ultimate accolade for Ecotile and something that makes me immensely proud of all the hard work, enthusiasm and commitment everyone at the company has put into growing the business from a one man business started in a North London bedroom into what we are now. A total and absolute commitment to ensuring the very best quality standards in everything we do and outstanding customer service has been the foundation of our success. The Queen’s Awards are an amazing achievement and will make a massive contribution towards growing the profile of the company and our ambitions to significantly increase our export sales.”
All of us here at Ecotile Flooring are so proud to be part of this wonderful award. You can learn more about the Queen’s Award for Enterprise here.
An appointment with the Queen
Moving forward to July 2017, Ecotile was invited to the Queen’s Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Attending were James Gedye, our CEO, along with Marketing Director, Lucinda O’Reilly, Senior Sales Export Officer, Vera Turner and one of our long-standing Team Leaders in Production, Derek Sparrow. The ceremony was hosted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Phillip, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Duke & Duchess of Kent.
Held in the Green Room (next to the Throne Room) all the members of the Royal Family individually took the time to speak with their guests to find out about what each company does and the special achievements that had won them the awards. Generous servings of delicious canapes and champagne ensured the evening went with a swing!
Lord-Lieutenant continues the praise and celebrations
A couple of days later, the official awards were presented at Ecotile’s HQ in Luton. The Queen’s Award ceremony was conducted by HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Helen Nellis accompanied by Deputy Lieutenant, Chris Kilroy. The Mayor of Luton and his wife also attended, and gave a speech about Ecotile’s success. The entire Ecotile team were present to see Vera and Alex collect the beautiful awards from the Lord-Lieutenant.
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire also left this message for us prior to the event:
“I was delighted to receive news that Bedfordshire businesses have again received recognition in the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise this year. The three awards demonstrate the excellence of the businesses and their ability to innovate, flex and be adaptable in a rapidly changing global market. Bedfordshire is an outstanding place in which to do business with a convenient geographical position, excellent national and international transport links, and access to a skilled workforce and a culture which encourages a modern, entrepreneurial environment. My sincere congratulations to Ecotile Flooring Ltd for achieving such great success”
After the ceremony, we all tucked into some Lebanese food from a local restaurant – a perfect way to end a perfect day!
To conclude, it was a grand week and a brilliant way to enter the third decade of Ecotile. As our CEO likes to say, owards & upwards!
To see how Ecotile can help you, fill in our online form, call us on 0800 808 1806 or email [email protected]
David Bryant-Pugh is sales and marketing manager of Ecotile Flooring. A Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM), David divides his time between creating strategy and tactics for the modular flooring business, and meeting customers to better understand their needs and specific marketplace. Operating across multiple industry sectors (every business has a floor, right!) David’s experience ranges from manufacturing to retail, and everything in between.
Prior to Ecotile, David managed the marketing team at Argos for Business. He previously built a wealth of experience in the foodservice and construction industries as marketing lead. You can find David on LinkedIn
