Markes Receives Two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

Photo Credit: Markes International

Markes International Ltd (Llantrisant, Wales, UK) were officially awarded two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in September 2019. Markes is one of only 10 Welsh companies to receive an award and one of only six British companies to be recognized in two categories.

“I was absolutely delighted to present the Awards on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen,” said Lord Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan, Professor Peter Vaughan, QPM, CStJ, DL, as he presented the awards. “It truly is a pleasure to see such an innovative, hard-working, and successful company be given the acknowledgement they deserve.”

Markes received the prestigious awards in the “Innovation” and “International Trade” categories, on the back of their valving technology used in its instruments, as well its continued achievement in growing overseas sales. The pair of awards follow on from success in 2015, when similar business growth led to them receiving a Queen’s Award for International Trade.

The switch-valve, which is the subject of the Innovation Award, was developed and patented by the company in the late 1990s, and is used to regulate flows of gas into and out of a precision-engineered “focusing trap”, with the ultimate aim of collecting, concentrating, and identifying the volatile chemicals present.

The combined operation of the valve and trap allows tiny amounts of chemicals (as low as parts per billion) to be detected routinely, making Markes’ instruments applicable to a wide range of situations. These include forensics and security applications, the monitoring of breath for disease diagnosis, analysis of food and perfume aromas, and testing for toxins in everyday materials and the environment.

The Llantrisant workforce went to the presentation ceremony, which was held at nearby Hensol Castle. “Winning these two awards simply couldn’t have been achieved without the dedication and hard work of all our employees, so we wanted to be sure as many as possible were part of the formal presentation,” said Tim Hawkins, Markes’ Managing Director.

For more information, please visit: www.markes.com