Pictured above: Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Mr Paul Sabapathy CBE, presents the Queen's Award to Dunlop Aircraft Tyres' chairman Ian Edmondson

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres have received the Queen's Award for Enterprise at a ceremony held at the company's manufacturing site in Birmingham.

Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Mr Paul Sabapathy CBE, presented the award, which recognises the company's sales achievements in the international trade category, to Dunlop Aircraft Tyres' chairman Ian Edmondson.

"It is an honour to receive this award," said Ian Edmondson. "We had a fantastic centenary last year, which included a visit to the factory by HRH The Duke of York and I'm delighted that we can now celebrate our successful international expansion with this prestigious award.

"Our achievements would not be possible without the hard work of the people here, and I would like to thank every single one of our employees for their contribution in helping the company to succeed despite intense international competition and tough market conditions.

"Geographic expansion is essential for our future success and the investments we are making in facilities, equipment and new product development will place Dunlop in a strong position to further increase its international presence in the years ahead."

Based in Birmingham with a rich history spanning over 100 years, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres' Queen's Award for Enterprise follows six years of consecutive growth in its international sales.

Overseas earnings now account for almost 80 per cent of the company's turnover, with Air Nostrum, Compass Airlines, Egyptair, Kenya Airways, Lion Air, Lufthansa, QantasLink, and Saudi Arabian Airlines among the growing list of operators using Dunlop's products.

The company's export market also includes military operators and airframe manufacturers as well as leading maintenance, repair and overhaul companies.

In 2009, the company reaffirmed its commitment to geographic expansion by developing a joint venture aircraft tyre distribution and retreading facility in China to effectively serve the expanding Asia Pacific marketplace.

In addition, investment in new products for aircraft including E-Jets, the Q400 and the CRJ NextGen family, plus development of radial products, have helped Dunlop Aircraft Tyres sustain its export growth.