Queens Award for Enterprise goes to Paragon Inks

Paragon Inks, manufacturer of UV inks and coatings for the web packaging and product-decoration markets, has won a 2014 Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Paragon Inks gains Queens Award

The Queen's Award for Enterprise is split into three categories of Innovation: International Trade and Sustainability are the most prestigious accolades for businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom.  

The winners are announced each year on 21st April, Her Majesty The Queen’s birthday.

The process is highly competitive and out of the thousands of entries in 2014 a total of 162 awards were granted. Winners are presented with a crystal bowl and are invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace.

Cited in the award to Paragon was the company’s integrity and partnership with staff, customers, global distributors, suppliers and co-suppliers, along with the company’s values and strategies. Commenting on the award, chairman Gerry Merten said: ‘Paragon’s business strategy for the last five years has placed an emphasis on the continuous development of our people, processes and products to create an efficient and effective company in a very competitive marketplace.  Being honored with the Queen’s Award confirms to me that we must continue our commitment for the next five challenging years.’

Added managing director Shaun Bennett: ‘I’m absolutely delighted and very proud that we have achieved such a high accolade in the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and massive thanks has to go to our staff, customers and suppliers.’

An independent, privately owned company, Paragon Inks has been Investor in People accredited for many years. Its strong affiliation with Scottish Enterprise and the Royal Bank of Scotland has led to funding support for, amongst other things, the provision of manufacturing equipment, external and internal training courses for staff and web site development.

The sole manufacturing site based in Livingston, Scotland supplies not only their national market, but also direct sales to international and European customers, combined with a distributor network which covers 35 countries.