The Co-op has been named among the 20 North West winners of this year's Queen's Awards for Enterprise.
A total of 232 winners have been announced across the country while there are 12 North West recipients in the International Trade category, five for Innovation, two for Sustainable Development and one in the Promoting Opportunity section.
Nationally, awards have been won in the categories of International Trade (141 winners), Innovation (51), Sustainable Development (31) and Promoting Opportunity (nine).
READ MORE: Queen's Awards for Enterprise 2022 - All you need to know
Small Business Minister Paul Scully said: "This country is renowned for its entrepreneurial achievements and there is no greater showcase for it than The Queen’s Awards.
"It’s vital we celebrate the success of our businesses and recognise the contributions they make to communities across the country.
"I congratulate this year’s winners for their hard work and commitment over the last year and I wish them every success for the future."
Applications for the 2023 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise will open on May 1.
Below, BusinessLive has profiled this year's winners who join a select group of firms to have been recognised with a Queen's Awards since they were launched in 1966.
Data8
Category: Innovation
Location: Chester
Data8 Limited, which was formed in 2005, created Duplicare which is software that is integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 to de-duplicate and merge records to improve data quality, save resources, and increase data accuracy.
Duplicare is designed to work within the Microsoft environment and incorporates "fuzzy logic" and custom definitions, enabling the processing of up to 5,000 records simultaneously.
The benefits to the organisations that adopt it are clean and accurate databases which help them be more effective and efficient. In addition, it is a key tool in the management and delivery of GDPR requirements.
Informed Solutions
Category: Innovation
Location: Altrincham
Formed in 1992, Informed Solutions helps public and private organisations transform their digital operations.
The company has addressed the long-standing problem of change management and its slow implementation that organisations are often affected by with InformedTRANSFORM, a service that accelerates and de-risks digital business change.
It starts with a user-centred approach to design the solution rather than considering each business segment separately.
Alteracall
Category: Innovation
Location: Windermere, Cumbria
Alertacall, which was established in 2004, provides people living in sheltered and supported housing with a touchscreen device to control access to daily human contact, confirm everything is okay, report repairs and also receive video calls from others, and door entry systems.
The system, which uses wireless technology, can also be used to replace pull cord alerts and provide internet access to people who otherwise might not have it.
Chimney Sheep
Category: Innovation
Location: Maryport, Cumbria
The company produces The Chimney Sheep device, a chimney draught excluder, based around a thick woollen felt pad with a recycled and recyclable plastic handle.
The device is inserted in the chimney aperture, reducing the airflow by 93%, while still allowing enough flow to combat damp.
The device and the company were launched in 2012.
OneFile
Category: Innovation
Location: Manchester
OneFile was formed in 2002 and previously received a Queen's Award in 2017 for its cloud-based learning and development platform.
Its latest innovation, The Learning Hub, is a cloud-based technology for personalised learning that improves teaching quality and learner tracking and engagement.
It was created to help organisations adhere to the new apprenticeship standards and solve several significant issues facing training providers and colleges.
Based on detailed case studies of customers, the company estimates that an organisation can save between £110,000 to £170,000 a year by using its software to reduce travel time, accommodation, paperwork, and other administration costs.
ApconiX
Category: International Trade
Location: Alderley Edge, Cheshire
Established in 2015, ApconiX Ltd is a consultancy group that advises clients on drug safety, a laboratory that screens new compounds for cardiac safety effects and a target safety assessment (TSA) product that identifies and evaluates potential safety concerns with a new drug target.
Overseas now represents 73% of total sales and the segment has grown over three years by 113.4%.
The company's client base includes many of the world's top pharmaceutical and biotech companies, research institutes, venture capitalists and governmental bodies.
It has associates based in Sweden, Germany, Canada and Israel and has opened an office in Gothenburg.
Its principal markets are the US, Germany, France, Belgium and Switzerland but it has more recently engaged new clients in less traditional markets such as Turkey, Poland, Singapore and Australia.
Bancroft Soft Furnishings
Category: International Trade
Location: Bury
Formed in 2008, the company sells decorative blackouts, textured woven fabrics, sheers, contract linings and FR upholstery fabrics.
Over the last three years its overseas sales have grown by 44% and it is now a supplier of soft furnishings to the hospitality, cruise, education, healthcare, and domestic sectors.
Its main markets are the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Croatia.
Its future strategy is to build sales to £5mi per annum.
IPEC
Category: International Trade
Location: Stockport
IPEC, which has been trading since 1995, has world-leading technology in on-line partial discharge testing of medium voltage, high voltage and extra-high voltage plant, cables, switchgear and accessories.
Products include simple to use instruments to sophisticated permanently installed systems that can be used to monitor every joint and termination on a cable.
It provides leasing, training courses, support packages, testing and value-added services such as installations, warranty and data hosting.
Overseas sales grew by 54% in the three-year period with top markets including Saudi Arabia, Austria, China, the United States and South Africa.
It previously won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2016.
Oliver Valvetek
Category: International Trade
Location: Knutsford
Oliver Valvetek, which has been trading since 1994, s a supplier of high-performance oil and gas valves to the world’s biggest energy companies, providing engineered-to-order gate, ball and needle valves and instrumentation products for subsea applications.
All products are designed, built and tested at the site with remote customer inspection, before being shipped to locations across the globe.
Overseas sales grew by 101% in the three-year period with top markets including Malaysia, Singapore and Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Norway and Europe.
It previously won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2012.
Xpel Marketing
Category: International Trade
Location: Widnes
Xpel Marketing, which was established in 2008, manufactures household and personal care products for both UK and international markets.
Over three years to March 2020 overseas sales have grown by 306%.
With manufacturing in both China and the UK, the company supplies the majority of discount and pharmacy retailers in the UK.
Overseas, it sells predominately via distribution networks and currently has live listings with: Normal (Denmark), NOZ stores (France), Postie (New Zealand), Viva (Dubai), Dealz (Poland), DI (Belgium).
Export turnover now accounts for approximately 20% of the companies turnover and is growing each year.
Cheese Matters
Category: International Trade
Location: Garstang
Cheese Matters was founded by John Carr in March 2017.
With over 30 years’ experience in the speciality cheese industry, the company has successfully grown export businesses for numerous small producers.
Over the three years from 2018 to June 2021 overseas sales have grown by 80% with exports growing on average by 35.2% per annum and making up 100% of all sales.
It aims to maintain its existing wide supplier base and develop sales primarily through its Dutch subsidiary to increase the company's EU market penetration.
It is introducing a range of vegan dairy substitutes, and has also created a new limited liability subsidiaries for two UK based companies in the USA.
Idem Safety Switches
Category: International Trade
Location: Wigan
Idem Safety Switches, which has been trading since 2003, designs, develops and manufactures a range of safety switches, guard machine interlock switches, emergency stop switches and monitoring devices.
It also produces trapped-key interlocks and the world’s largest range of grab-wire rope safety switches and belt alignment switches for use on conveyors.
Sectors include factory automation, robot cells, food production, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, automotive and aerospace.
Overseas sales grew by more than 200% in the six-year period with top markets including the United States, the Netherlands, Brazil, Sweden and Germany.
It remained open throughout the pandemic to serve "essential" products for use in pharmaceutical, food and beverage and the packaging industries.
Samuelson Wylie Associates
Category: International Trade
Location: Lancaster
Established in 2010, Samuelson Wylie Associates is a PR and events agency that specialises in the automotive sector.
Overseas sales have increased over three years by 158% and now account for 63% of total sales.
The company concentrates on premium automotive brands operating in the UK, Europe and US.
Starting with car manufacturers and their offices in the UK and then Germany, followed by the US, SWA is now also working for Swedish and Czech car brands.
Microbiological Solutions
Category: International Trade
Location: Bury
Microbiological Solutions trades as MSL and has been in business since 2001.
It specialises in the microbiological testing and regulatory compliance of cosmetics, personal care products and biocides.
Its customer base spans five continents, including manufacturers, brand owners and raw material suppliers.
Expertise include claims substantiation, auditing, consultancy, user trials, disinfectant testing, US food, Coronavirus testing on textiles, and Drug and Cosmetics Act compliance service with regard to both EU and UK Cosmetic Regulation that came into force in January 2021.
Overseas sales grew almost 100% in the three-year period with top markets including the United States, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
Acting for European and US companies requiring testing and regulation of products sourced from China it is evaluating opportunities and market entry costs in China.
S+B UK
Category: International Trade
Location: Swinton
S+B UK has been trading since 2006 after a management buy-out.
It designs. manufactures and installs modern educational, laboratory, office furniture and accessories.
Educational supplies are its biggest sector and it provides science laboratory and food technology fittings to every educational authority in the UK as well as many independent schools and colleges.
Overseas sales grew by over 400% in the three-year period with top markets including Dubai, Thailand, Hong Kong, the United States and Vietnam.
It previously won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2016.
Global Beauty Products
Category: International Trade
Location: Garston
Established in 2015 Global Beauty Products trades as Beautiful Brows and Lashes.
The company is a specialist cosmetics company which develops, manufactures and sells a range of products to professionals in the beauty sector.
Its products include a range of eyebrow and lash products for professionals to carry out beauty treatments, including microblading, brow lamination, and lash lift. It now sells its products to more than 200 brands around the world.
The beauty industry has been using PPE and hand sanitiser long before Covid-19.
Overseas sales have grown by 159% and they currently export to 27 countries.
During the past three years, it has identified and established 15 new overseas markets which include: USA, Mexico, Sweden, Slovakia, and Greece.
Roberts Recycling
Category: International Trade
Location: Huyton
Roberts Recycling, which was established in 2012, is an exporter of used clothing, buying and selling unwanted apparel and textiles.
Initially trading within the UK market selling to exporters, the company developed its own international trade by exporting goods directly into Europe.
Over three years to August 2021 overseas sales increased by 327% with exports now representing 82% of all sales.
Poland provides by far the most demand for its products. It previously won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2019.
Procure Plus Holdings
Category: Promoting Opportunity
Location: Old Trafford
Procure Plus Holdings was founded in 2006 and previously received a Promoting Opportunity Award in 2017.
This commercial, not for profit company supplies goods and services to registered housing providers.
The surplus generated from the business is used to train and develop people from disadvantaged backgrounds, work with local communities, and help individuals into worthwhile employment.
As well as supporting individuals into employment, the company also works with candidates and employers to provide ongoing in-work support for up to three years.
Over the past five years, it has supported 2,534 people into employment, with 90% from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The individuals supported are people on low incomes, long-term unemployed, those not in employment, education, or training (NEET), Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), and ex-offenders.
The Co-operative Group
Category: Sustainable Development
Location: Manchester
The Co-op Group is the UK’s largest consumer co-operative, with over four million active members in every postal area in the country.
It is a food retailer and wholesaler; the largest funerals provider in the UK; and a major provider of consumer legal services, and life planning and insurance products.
The Co-op was founded in 1844 with a clear social purpose that has grown and spread through the wider co-operative movement. Its headquarters is Manchester and it has over 65,000 employees across the UK.
The Co-op Group is awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development because it has provided evidence that sustainability is embedded in its governance and business processes, it can demonstrate commitment to change, it provides numerous examples of collaboration and partnership, and can demonstrate that it has had a positive impact.
Used Kitchen Exchange
Category: Sustainable Development
Location: Widnes
Used Kitchen Exchange is a B-Corp founded in 2015 and has ten employees.
It is an online only, buy/sell platform for pre-owned/pre-installed kitchens, appliances and household fitted furniture. These are sold on behalf of homeowners and industry partners, including; photography, measurements, conditional survey, removal and delivery.
The company has normalised reuse in a notoriously wasteful sector where landfilling complete kitchens was usual, and they have built the business to become the preferred digital marketplace for buying and selling preowned fitted furniture including, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, conservatories and fitted furniture.
