Export growth leads to Queen's Award for Prima Dental

World-leading dental manufacturer Prima Dental has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in recognition of its substantial growth in overseas trade.

World-leading dental manufacturer Prima Dental has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in recognition of its substantial growth in overseas trade.

A global leader in the design and manufacture of dental drills and precision dental instruments, Gloucester-based Prima Dental engineers over 20 million dental drills a year and exports to over 85 countries.

Bucking the UK downturn in export growth, the manufacturer has achieved continuous growth in overseas earnings of 129% over the last six years. Prima Dental’s export success is down to innovative global marketing, engineering world-class products and developing tailored product ranges to match customers’ specific requirements in each market and region.

Richard Muller, managing director at the 138-strong Gloucester manufacturer, comments: “We are honoured to win a Queen’s Award for International Trade. It is the UK’s most sought-after endorsement of business success so this is a hugely significant and proud moment for Prima Dental. It is testament to our skilled and loyal workforce who have all played a part in our success.”

“We are looking forward to welcoming Lord-Lieutenant of the County, Dame Janet Trotter to our base at Waterwells Business Park and attending a celebratory reception at Buckingham Palace in the summer. It is a fitting coincidence that winning a Queen’s Award falls on our 40^th anniversary in Gloucestershire – giving us twice the reason to celebrate.”

Prima Dental’s growth strategy is based entirely on developing international trade, which accounts for over 85 per cent of its turnover. The last five years have seen a total of over £8m capital investment into the business, including a larger, purpose-designed £3.5m factory to enable a significant step-up in production output.

With over 35 years’ continuous experience of exporting for British manufacturing, Richard Muller, 57, has been the architect of the firm’s growth. Richard comments: “My fascination for export started when I was 21 in my first exporting job at Marley Tiles. The company won a Queen’s Award for Export during my first year there and it’s been an ambition of mine to win another ever since!”

Today Richard holds ambassador roles for GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), supporting Gloucestershire’s growth as a member of its Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Group. He is also an export ambassador for Business West, the Chambers of Commerce network. Richard comments: “There are many impressive small and medium manufacturers in the region and the work that LEP and other bodies do to champion their growth and inward investment in Gloucestershire is invaluable.”    

Richard concludes: “The Queen’s Award comes at a very exciting time for Prima Dental as we are about to see a surge in trade in developing markets such as Latin America, China and India. The demand for health and dental care is growing in these regions as the populations grow more affluent. We’re exploring new distribution channels, joint ventures and manufacturing partnerships to tap into the growing demand.”

The Queen’s Award is the most prestigious business awards, designed to recognise and encourage the achievements by business in the UK. Approximately 160 Queen’s Awards have been announced this year for outstanding business achievement in the fields of International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development. A Queen’s Award is valid for five years and winners are entitled to use the Queen’s Award emblem on stationary, advertising and goods.

As a winner of the Queen’s Award, Prima Dental can expect an invitation to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace. An award presentation ceremony will also shortly be conducted at Prima Dental’s production facility at Waterwells Business Park by the Lord-Lieutenant of the County, Dame Janet Trotter.