A firm which has saved thousands of lives by introducing single-use syringes to the developing world has been given a prestigious business award.

Star Syringe is behind the K1 auto-disable syringe which can only be used once and is helping stem the spread of HIV and hepatitis in Africa and India.

It has been awarded the Queen's Enterprise Award.

The syringe, which is backed by the World Health Organisation and Unicef, was invented by Star's founder and owner Marc Koska, who licenses the technology to manufacturers.

All Star's sales are exports. Since the company's launch in 1996 revenues have trebled and now stand at £512,000. The firm, based in Pippingford, Uckfield, employs six people.

Mr Koska said: "As a team we are so thrilled to have been recognised, this time on an international basis with probably the finest corporate recognition available in the world. It really shows what a unique and dedicated team we have at Star and they all really deserve it."

It was one of four Sussex firms to receive awards.

Another was Aerotron in Fleming Way, Crawley which was established in 1973 and provides spare parts and services to airline maintenance companies.

Over three years the company's overseas earnings have more than doubled. Its main markets are in Europe and USA. It also exports to the Middle East and Iceland. New markets include the Emirates, Turkey, Egypt and Greenland. More than half its earnings now come from overseas. William Data Systems in Imberhorne Lane, East Grinstead, also scooped an award.

It employs 19 people and develops and supplies software products.

Customers include financial institutions, manufacturing companies and other large corporations. The company, which started trading in 1993, won the award for increasing its exports twelve-fold over six years. It sells to 21 countries.

Doyle & Tratt Products in Faygate Lane, Horsham, won the Queen's Enterprise Award for innovation rather than its achievements as an exporter.

The firm, which employs 23 people, makes Varilight dimmer switches and decorative electrical accessories. A recent addition is a digitally dimmable fluorescent lamp which can save more than 80 per cent electrical energy compared with normal light bulbs.

There were 145 awards dished out, the most for 11 years.

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise for businesses recognise the achievement of the successful unit as a whole - management and employees working as a team. Winners are entitled to fly the award flag and display the emblem on their products and merchandise.

Sir Digby Jones, director general of the CBI, said: "Such amazing diversity highlights the quality of winners of this prestigious business award, which rewards the commercial acumen of Britain's leading companies, large and small. The sheer inventiveness of winners in the innovation category often takes your breath away."

Tuesday, April 25, 2006