Gill Instruments of Lymington and The Silver Crane Company Ltd of Ringwood win King’s Awards for enterprise
TWO New Forest businesses have been recognised in this year’s King’s Awards.
Lymington based Gill Instruments, which manufactures meteorological equipment, was honoured in the international trade category for outstanding short term growth.
Ringwood based The Silver Crane Company Limited, which designs and supplies decorative tin packaging and shelf-ready seasonal food gifts, also won an award for enterprise in international trade.
The winners will be invited to a royal reception at Windsor Castle and will be entitled to use the King’s Awards emblem for the next five years.
With warehouses in Bournemouth and Poole, The Silver Crane Company Limited has been operating for more than 40 years and has earned a number of awards for designing and supplying decorative tin packaging and food gifts.
The company serves brands and retailers in more than 25 countries, and grew from humble beginnings as a market stall at Camden Lock in London. The company now has more than 50 staff, including an in-house design team of twelve, with a warehousing and logistics team that packs and ships products directly to customers.
Operations director Rob Goodman said: “The King’s Award is a testament to the belief, resilience, and collaboration that runs through our team.
“International growth hasn’t come easily — it’s taken years of hard work, strategic change, and a relentless focus on the people behind the business.
“We’re proud of what we’ve built: not just a strong team and trusted partnerships, but also a range of creative, high-quality products that continue to resonate with customers around the world. We’re excited for what’s ahead.”
Founded in 1985 in Lymington, Gill Instruments began as an engineering company specialising in ultrasonic air flow measurement.
Today it supplies advanced ultrasonic wind sensors and weather stations to customers in more than 73 countries, and was recognised for its “outstanding” growth over the last years.
Chief executive Alan Brooke said: “We are extremely honoured to receive the King’s Awards for enterprise in international trade for outstanding short term growth.
“This recognition, which comes at a particularly significant time as we celebrate 40 years in the business, is a testament to the dedication of our team and our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality products and services to our customers around the world.
“We have grown from a family business into a global organisation, but our core values have remained unchanged. This award will serve as both a proud milestone and continued source of inspiration as we move forward.”
Now in its 59th year, The King’s Awards programme celebrates the “success of exciting and innovative” UK businesses which are leading the way with “pioneering” products or services across international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
The two New Forest winners are among 197 organisations nationwide to receive this year’s honour. The King’s Awards for enterprise, formerly known as The Queen’s Awards for enterprise, were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty’s desire to continue the legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in celebrating outstanding UK businesses.
