Paul Morris, Founder of Addmaster, has been awarded an MBE for his firm’s services to export and championing the UK’s manufacturing capabilities to clients throughout the world.
Under his leadership, the company’s performance-enhancing additives are being used to give products and touch points greater hygienic protection against the spread of bacteria and viruses, with a client base featuring Asda, Dulux, Dyson, M&S and hundreds of hospitals and healthcare facilities.
The company says the last twelve months have been its best yet, with sales up over 60 per cent as the impact of Covid-19 is making customers and their consumers more conscious about improved hygiene.
“When I first received the email from the Cabinet Office to tell me about the MBE I thought it was spam and only realised it was real when an online search revealed that Covid restrictions meant notifications were being sent to winners virtually,” explained Morris, who set up the business after borrowing £5000 off his nan 21 years ago.
“I am tremendously proud and honoured to win this award, but for me it is a real testament to the hard work and innovation of the team at Addmaster. What we’ve achieved from a standing start and being new boys in a complex sector has been phenomenal and we’ll use the MBE, alongside our third Queen’s Award, to grow our market share across the world.”
Addmaster, with its sales, technical and R&D facility based in Stafford, currently supplies customers in 55 countries through its rapidly expanding distributor network.
Its Biomaster technology, in particular, has been in high demand and has been adopted by everyone from toy makers, paper producers, on shopping trolleys and the aviation sector to prevent bacteria/viruses growing on airport trays and aircraft interiors.
In a recent development, the technology has also completed extensive testing and has been found to be active on both porous and non-porous substrates against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
He concluded: “It’s a far cry from when we first started 20 years ago, leaving my job as Director of a specialist plastics company, with my first child due in 3 months. Things were so tight we had to buy second-hand baby clothes and live on whatever was the 2-4-1 deal at the supermarket, but at no time did my belief waiver that we would succeed.
“I realise now I was asking a lot of my wife at this time. Starting a family is scary whenever you do it, but it also made us stronger together to survive whatever came our way and so this award is also for her too and for the unwavering backing and support she has provided, every step of the way.
“2020 has been the strangest of years on so many levels and, as we enter 2021, I am excited at the plans we have in place to maximise our advantage and cement our position as the world leader in antimicrobial protection.”