News and Press Releases

22 September 2005

Johnson Matthey's Tracerco business celebrates Royal honour with staff

STAFF at Billingham company Tracerco, part of Johnson Matthey Catalysts, officially received their prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise this week, at a celebration attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Durham.

Tracerco, a global oil and gas service provider, received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2005 in the International Trade category.

The award, which is given to only a small number of companies nationwide, is in recognition of outstanding export and growth in sales over the past three years.

Invited guests and staff enjoyed an informal lunch and drinks at Tracerco’s headquarters in Billingham and watched as Pelham Hawker, Division Director, Process Catalysts and Technologies, Johnson Matthey Catalysts, accepted the award on Tracerco’s behalf from the Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sir Paul Nicholson.

Tracerco exports its range of products and services into all of the key oil, gas and petrochemical markets globally from its headquarters in Teesside. In the past three years, it has exported to international markets such as Brazil, Nigeria, China, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Middle East and throughout South East Asia.

Tracerco managing director Andy Hurst said the award recognised the efforts of every single member of staff at Tracerco. “Winning the Queen’s Award is a tremendous achievement - a royal seal of approval for our business and employees. It positions us as one of the top performing businesses in the UK and we will continue to strengthen our resources to develop further international sales.”

“This is a day of celebration for all of us. It’s a way of saying thank you to the staff and to praise the dedication and commitment they have shown. The award is something we are very proud of and epitomises the innovation and creativity which exists in our region.”

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious awards for business performance. The awards are made each year by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister and industry, commerce and the trade unions.

Representatives from the company also attended a winner’s reception with the Queen at Buckingham Palace in July this year.

This latest success is the company’s second prestigious Queen’s Award in only three years. The first of Tracerco’s Queen’s Awards came in 2003 in the Innovation Category for its multi award winning instrument; The TRACERCO Profiler™.