Export successes secure Queen’s Award for leading Birmingham manufacturer

Birmingham-based Industrial Washing Machines Limited (IWM) has won one of the highest honours that can be bestowed on a UK company: The Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade 2014. IWM won the Award after its outstanding export growth and performance in markets worldwide had been subjected to detailed analysis and verification by the Award’s expert judging panel. Having completed these processes and determined that IWM was achieving the highest standards of excellence in exporting, the panel made a recommendation to the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee that the company should receive the Award. After further scrutiny, the Committee passed final recommendations to Her Majesty the Queen who decided on the winners. “Winning The Queen’s Award is a truly fantastic reward for the inward investment and tremendous effort those concerned at IWM have put into developing and producing machines to meet the needs of overseas customers” said Carl Hollier, Managing Director of IWM. “We’re confident that the prestige associated with the Award will give a further boost to our success and will allow us to invest even more in product development and our manufacturing facilities to ensure a continued expansion to our export drive around the globe.” IWM is one of the UK’s leading developers and manufacturers of washing and sanitising equipment and has been operating successfully from its Birmingham base for over 30 years. In 2009, the company’s directors took the decision to make a major investment in increasing its export market penetration in order to open up new growth opportunities. This investment, combined with IWM’s commitment to understanding and addressing the specific needs of users in each of the markets it serves, has led to outstanding success in overseas markets, with the company’s export sales increasing by more than 570% over a period of four years. The Queen’s Award specifically recognises IWM’s export achievements over the last three years, which have seen the company successfully penetrate markets that include the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Republic of Ireland, Egypt, Thailand, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Finland. IWM carefully researches each new market and adapts its equipment to ensure full compliance with local requirements and standards. In addition, the company, in conjunction with its agency partners in each country, carries out extensive research to ensure that its products are competitively priced compared with similar products from other suppliers active in the region. For 2014, IWM will, in conjunction with its agency partners, be exhibiting in Chicago (USA), Dubai (UAE) and Melbourne (Australia). All of these exhibitions will be supported by staff from IWM to ensure that company’s agents benefit from comprehensive support and assistance. Carl Hollier comments, “Although we are putting enormous effort into our export programme, we are always conscious that we must never lose focus on our home market. We have, therefore, also invested heavily in a new purpose built demonstration area at our main facility and we will be exhibiting at two major UK shows this year at the NEC in Birmingham.”

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