Belfast-based electrical and mechanical engineering company, PAC Group, has received royal recognition for its innovative carbon-fibre preforming technology.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK, with winners personally approved by her Majesty the Queen. The Group were the only company from Northern Ireland to receive the award for the Innovation category in 2021 and were the first Innovation category winner from the province for three years.
L-R: Gordon Burns, Services Director; Darren Leslie, Business Development Director; the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle; Gavin Rankin, Technical Director; and Iain Parkhill, Operations Director.
Photo by Francine Montgomery / Excalibur Press.
The Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle, presented the company with the award. She said: “Northern Ireland has a rich and vibrant history of enterprise and innovation. Famous historically for linen and shipbuilding, today it is companies such as PAC Group that proudly carry the innovation torch. This company’s commitment to research and development, and to future-proofing its technology, will ensure its longevity and continued success.”
“The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious and rigorous business awards in the UK, with international regard and recognition. Invariably, it is seen as a highly significant achievement and landmark in any company’s history.”
Founded in 2018, the company has enjoyed a remarkable growth journey, now employing over 40 people at its headquarters in Dargan Crescent, Belfast.
Holding 42 patents on the hardware and software, the company’s Hot Drape Formers and Performing machines have been purchased by globally leading aerospace and automotive companies such as Spirit AeroSystems and McLaren Automotive.
PAC Group’s Business Development Director, Darren Leslie, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation. It is a fantastic endorsement for our company to be recognised as world-class, and it is a welcome recognition of our team’s capabilities and hard work.”
PAC Group’s Technical Director, Gavin Rankin, added: “Innovation really is the lifeblood of PAC Group, and this award recognises just how innovative our carbon composite preforming technology is, which brings significant benefits to industries seeking to lightweight their structures to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change.”
The Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle, paid tribute to “the people who are the heart of, and makeup, PAC Group”.
She added: “This award is about your joint success, your belief in the spirit of enterprise and entrepreneurship, and your contribution to creating a more stable, sustainable, and prosperous economy for Northern Ireland.”
“PAC Group is a Belfast company and a Northern Ireland success story. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is indeed a milestone, but it is also a signpost to future success and even greater achievement.”
For more information on PAC Group, go to pacgroup.co.uk
