Global manufacturer Fort Vale Engineering has received a King’s Award – its fifth such award – in a prestigious ceremony attended by a royal representative.
The business, based in Simonstone, Burnley, was presented with the King’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short-Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years by Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire Amanda Parker, King Charles III’s representative in the county.
Over 200 people, including employees and invited guests, gathered at the manufacturer’s premises on Tuesday to witness the presentation.
Making the presentation, Mrs Parker said: “It is incredibly difficult to win a King’s Award and in Lancashire we had just three winners in 2024. The scrutiny every application goes through is immense.
“There’s something to be said for East Lancashire’s corridor for manufacturing. There are a number of companies, and Fort Vale is at the top, that are in really niche parts of the industry. You are supplying something so specific and this allows Lancashire to be a centre for manufacturing excellence. This s something I am delighted to see and I am incredibly proud of you. Congratulations on your first King’s Award.”
The 360-employee business, the world’s leading precision manufacturer of valves and fittings for the tank container, road tanker and rail industries, has previously received four Queen’s Awards for its trading success – the first of which was in 1981.
The latest award, officially presented during a ceremony on Tuesday, was given after the business grew overseas sales by 59 per cent over a three-year period, taking total overseas sales to 97 per cent of all sales.
Ian Wilson, managing director of Fort Vale was delighted with the achievement, which he said was down to the hard work, dedication and innovation of the team.
He said: “Our strength is in our team and this award is a testament to their efforts, which is why we made sure as many members of the Fort Vale family could attend this prestigious event.
“We work closely with customers to ensure we are continually innovating our portfolio of products, identifying new opportunities to add value to our end users, and we’ve sent our British designed and manufactured products to 69 countries in the last three years.”
The day involved a tour of the factory and facilities, ending in the business’s purpose-built sports hall with a presentation and buffet celebration.
Ian Wilson said: “Unlike many companies in Britain today who import goods, increase the price and sell it on, we create value. When you pick up a piece of metal and work on it you add value.
“This award is not won by any one person. It has been a team effort. We have a great team here and I really appreciate all the work you have put in to help us achieve this King’s Award. It’s something we should all be very proud of.”
Fort Vale, which has a manufacturing subsidiary in China and warehouse and sales support in the Netherlands, the US, Singapore and Australia, designs, manufactures and distributes safety equipment for the ISO container market comprising tank containers, road tankers and rail wagons for the bulk chemical and food industry.
Established in 1967, the business has placed a continual focus on apprenticeships. Six were appointed over summer to take the total number currently in training to 34 and three members of the board of directors started out as apprentices.
