Queen's Award for borough family-run stamping foil business

Foilco, a Lowton firm which supplied stamping foils to the print industry, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category.

The company is one of 201 organisations to be recognised with the gong, which amounts to a royal seal of approval for the UK’s most outstanding businesses.

Now in its 53rd year, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning companies able to use the esteemed Queen’s Award emblem for the next five years.

Paul Hornby, Foilco’s managing director said: “We were recommended to enter for this award by the Department for International Trade due to the great strides we have made into exporting to new international markets in recent years.

“This award is a tribute to the hard work every member of the Foilco team put in to ensuring we give our customers the best possible products matched with an unrivalled level of service.

“Foilco will be shouting proudly about this amazing achievement and using it as a tool to help us expand even further into international markets.”

The firm was founded in 1987 by the now-CEO David Hornby, and today employs a workforce of 36.

Realising the need for a service driven foil supplier with an extensive range, the Directors of Foilco brought together their experience and knowledge in ink technology and packaging sectors with a strong emphasis on quick supply, product range, technical backup and support.

They create stamping foils, which create the brightest metallic finish in printing.

Its main applications are on whiskey labels, perfume bottles, book covers, greeting cards, luxury shopping bags and even wheelie bins.

It is used by everyone, every day, but most people wouldn’t even realise what it is.

Foilco have distributors strategically located in seven countries around the world and ship goods from the North West site to more than 1,850 businesses and printers globally, on a daily basis.

Foilco is based in Enterprise Way in Lowton.