Specac Wins Prestigious Queen’s Award

Specac is delighted to announce that it has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade. Her Majesty The Queen has approved the Prime Minister’s recommendation for the award and the citation reads:

Specac Ltd is based in Orpington, Kent and has been in business since 1971. They design and manufacture accessories for spectrometers used in science and industry. In particular, they supply sample-analysis accessories, high-specification equipment using mirrors and crystal materials to direct infrared light. They sell to 70 countries across five continents, including the United States, China, Germany, Singapore and Japan. Innovation in new product development is key, with a target of three new products a year. Export represents 90% of their sales and the remaining 10% is often exported by original equipment manufacturers. Export has been the heart of the business since 2008 when they first travelled overseas to actively manage relationships, visit trade shows and boost sales. With growth in overseas sales, total sales and percentage overseas sales, whilst turning losses into profit, Specac Ltd wins the Queen's Award for International Trade for Outstanding Continuous Growth in overseas sales over the last six years.

Specac sell into the forensic, life science, pharma, research and quality control application industries and their products are used by scientists in laboratories; whether that be in academia, government institutions or in industry, enabling users to determine the chemical make-up of liquid, solid and gas samples. The application areas are vast, from pharmaceuticals and forensics to food and beverage, oils and lubricants and quality control.

Their motto is, Enabling Great Science, and they take pride in increasing awareness throughout the world of how

their products can help scientists find solutions to their applications. They believe that for every 10 people that

have heard of Specac, there are another 100 that they wish had heard of them so will continue to travel the globe telling the story.

David Smith, Managing Director of Specac said: “I’m deeply honoured that the business I’ve had the privilege to lead for the last ten years has won such a prestigious award. I believe it represents recognition at the highest level for a good commercial strategy, high quality in everything we design and make and mostly, the hard work over a long period of an amazing team.”

Rodney Appiah, Investment Director from Specac’s majority shareholder, Foresight Group said: “To have been recognised for the Queens Award for International Trade is a testament to the dedication and effort of David and the talented staff at Specac. With the benefit of Foresight’s support, Specac has continued to innovate and refine their offering both at home and abroad. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership over the coming years.”

Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, Minister of State at the Department of Transport and until recently, Minister of State for Universities and Science commented: “It is fantastic news that Specac has been recognised for its considerable contribution to international trade at the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. This prestigious award is an outstanding achievement of which the company and its employees should be very proud.

We would like to place on record our appreciation of our key partners, both suppliers and customers, without whom this award would not have been possible. We are a hugely ambitious business and we consider the success we’ve achieved as merely a beginning. We welcome new, collaborative partners as we expand our horizons and try to help more scientists to resolve their application needs.”