Member Article

Principle Healthcare gains Queens Award and IiP Gold

Celebrating its 10th birthday, Principle Healthcare International is proud to announce it has been awarded one of the UK’s most prestigious business accolades.

A dynamic healthcare business that has become a global supplier of vitamins, minerals and supplements, has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade 2012.

The mark of excellence reflects Principle Healthcare’s investment in innovation and sustainability, its outstanding achievement on the international stage and its ability to provide proactive solutions in the competitive world of health supplements.

At a special event held at Principle Healthcare’s headquarters in Skipton, Lord Crathorne presented CEO Mike Davies with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which is seen as the ultimate, prestigious endorsement of this company’s global success to date.

Delighted to receive Royal recognition, Mike said: “We are a great company with exceptional people and we are very proud of our achievements.

“Each aspect of the business comes under scrutiny for this award. We had to demonstrate how we conduct our business in international markets, our financial progress and how the company has developed and the barriers we have overcome.

“We also had to demonstrate our sustainability, our environmental systems, how we work with customers on an international level and what we do in the local community – it’s a very rigorous procedure and we ticked all the boxes.”

As well as presenting the Queen’s Award, Lord Crathorne also presented the Investor in People Gold Award to Principle Healthcare as well as officially opening a new manufacturing facility, Health Innovations, across the road from its headquarters at the Airedale Business Centre.

Mike, who lives in Grimsargh in the Ribble Valley, set up Principle Healthcare in 2002 making the 2012 Queen’s Award extra special as it is the company’s 10th birthday this month.

Initially supplying some major retailers in the UK with private label vitamins, minerals and supplements, the company went on to establish Principle International in 2006, supplying branded products to over 20 markets abroad.

In 2008 it established Innopharma, a Slovakian manufacturing facility, which Mr Pal Lang the Executive Director has further expanded the company’s international business connections to another 20 countries.

Employing 60 people in Skipton and 75 in Slovakia, the Principle Healthcare Group formulates, produces and markets an extensive range of vitamin, mineral and supplement products to some of the world’s largest retailers.

Fiona Wiseman as Executive Director for principle business is responsible for marketing the products, which range from everyday multi-vitamins, award-winning chewable tablets, vitamins to specifically promote healthy skin, bones, brain, heart, and general wellbeing under the ‘Everyday Vitarenew’ name, as well as calcium and dextrose energy boosters, herbal products and ‘Vit Heroes’ children’s vitamins.

Manufacturing, marketing and retailing such products on the international market is not without its complications but Principle Healthcare International has consistently demonstrated that its ingredients are ethically sourced and the international registration and regulatory requirements are strictly adhered to.

“We attend exhibitions throughout the world and consequently do business with people across the globe. Each country has its own regulations – some countries will class vitamins as pharmaceutical products while others class them as a food product,” explained Mike, who was recently invited to Downing Street to discuss the Government’s initiative on apprenticeship schemes.

Principle Healthcare, which has its own apprenticeship scheme, also has an active programme working closely with Leeds Metropolitan and Northumbria Universities, taking placement students and international MBA students who undertake specific development projects for the company.

Following Mike’s trip to Downing Street, Principle Healthcare has also been able to network with various government bodies which have helped and advised on trading, investment and working overseas.

“The government contacts and departments have been incredibly helpful,” added Mike, who is also keen to balance his entrepreneurial skills with philanthropic leadership.

In 2011 Mike set up the Principle Trust which has provided holidays for around 180 disadvantaged children and their families. He encourages his workforce to get involved in the local community raising money for the Trust.

“Having the Principle Trust and seeing all the wonderful letters we receive from those underprivileged children and their families makes the hard work and challenges we face as a business all worthwhile!”

Reflecting on 2012, which has been an eventful and memorable year for the group, Mike concluded: “We visited Downing Street last December, we were visited by the Mayor of Skipton, had discussions with our local MP, developed apprenticeships, won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, achieved Investors in People Gold Standard then developed and invested a further £2 million in a new manufacturing facility in the UK. When you put all this together our 10th year has been rather eventful – not forgetting the Principle Trust and all the great letters we have received from the children and their families.

“But we are always looking forward and thinking about tomorrow - not what has been. There is no room for complacency or resting on yesterday’s glory. As for the rest of 2012 and next year - watch this space! There is more to come.”

If you are interested in finding out more about Investors in People and how it can mean business for your organisation, visit the idg website as the official partner for Investors in People in the North of England.

Pictured: Mike Davies, CEO and Jeff Law, Investors in People Specialist

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by idg .