THE widow of the late Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire has presented a Queen’s Award for Enterprise to a company in Hampton Lovett.

Angela Brinton, wife of Michael Brinton, former chairman of Brinton Carpets, gave the award to Claire Brown, of Kiddemrinster, marketing manager of Winsted at Hampton Lovett Industrial Estate, on behalf of the firm.

Winsted won its Queen’s Award for outstanding achievement in the International Trade category, with growth in overseas sales, year on year, and an overall increase of 82 per cent over the past three years.

The Queen’s Awards are made annually by the Queen to honour outstanding companies and encourage the development of British business and are granted for the highest levels of excellence demonstrated in each category.

“We are extremely proud to receive the Queen’s award for dramatically increasing export sales,” said Ms Brown. “This award is testament to the outstanding efforts of the entire workforce of our organisation.”

The presentation was followed by a reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by the Earl of Wessex and Prince Michael of Kent.

Since it was set up in in the United States in 1963, Winsted has pioneered console design and development. The company’s product concept and design is driven by industry needs and demands, with many ideas suggested by customers and developed with their input.

Winsted expanded into overseas markets in 1975, primarily in England, and in 1976 began concentrated efforts to establish distribution in the Middle East.

Its international distribution was established in 1984 with the formation of Winsted Ltd in the UK. Since then, Winsted Ltd has become a design and manufacturing facility serving the European, Middle East and African markets.