Firms make history at top business accolades

COMPANIES across Derbyshire have been rewarded for their outstanding business achievements after they were named winners in this year's King's Awards for Enterprise.

- By TELEGRAPH REPORTER

Four firms - Heraeus Electro-Nite (UK) Ltd, David Nieper, Garnalex and Upbeat Clean - have triumphed in the national awards, which are recognised as the highest honour which can be bestowed upon a British company.

A fifth company, Cosy Direct, which began life in Derby but is now based on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border in Fauld, also picked up a King's Award, joining 199 other winning firms across the UK.

There are four different King's Awards on offer - Excellence in Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility - and this year's local winners have made history by achieving a clean sweep of all four.

Garnalex, an aluminium extrusion firm based in Nether Heage, won the King's Award - its first - for innovation. Garnalex is the trading name of Garner Aluminium Extrusions Ltd and was founded in early 2018 by Roger Hartshorn.

Its 100,000 sq ft factory is regarded as the most modern aluminium facility in the UK and the firm has just announced new expansion plans, promising to create hundreds more jobs in the coming years.

Luxury women's clothing manufacturers David Nieper, based in Alfreton, won the sustainable development award, renewing its commitment to helping the environment after winning the same award five years ago.