The UK’s leading manufacturer of hot melt adhesives, Beardow Adams, has for the fifth time won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the international trade category.
Last year the Milton Keynes-based company was named one of the UK’s 100 fastest growing companies, partly as a result of its successful expansion into markets such as Australia, Chile and South Africa.
“It’s a great boost for our 85 staff and something they richly deserve,” says Nick Beardow, the company’s sales and marketing director.
“The company started thirty-five years ago and to win our fifth Queen’s Award in that time and have a turnover of £50 million shows that we, all of us, must be doing something right.”
Beardow Adams already sells to Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines but it plans to become a more significant player in the Asia-Pacific markets, targeting China, Japan and Korea especially.
The company sells to major global names including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Colgate and Unilever, and claims its glues are more efficient and more environmentally friendly than traditional products and can be used in extremes of temperature and humidity.
“We’re not the cheapest player in the market nor are we the biggest,” says Nick, “but where we win is that our products are specifically developed for the customer’s needs and they’re really reliable so there’s no chance of production being stopped because the things aren’t working properly.
“Interestingly, the Queen’s Award has a big impact outside this country. The Queen is still held in high esteem and that Royal recognition counts for a great deal in many places.
“[The award] proves that Britain really can compete. We’re delighted to be a part of the export drive and greatly honoured by this award.”
Nick Beardow of Beardow Adams with examples of product packages that utilise the company's adhesives
