A DELPH company is celebrating after landing one of the country’s top business awards.
But Alphin Pans is about more than just pizza, even though about 500 million of them are cooked on their wares every year!
The metalwork firm, perhaps more familiar for supplying firms – including huge chain Domino’s – with the things that pizzas are cooked on, has scooped the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade after boosting its trade overseas.
The 45-employee firm won the prize, after a 10-month process, after establishing new overseas markets in Ireland, Portugal, Holland, Malta and Slovakia over the last three years, which it did by a staggering 482 per cent.
But as managing director Matthew Sykes explained, there is more to the Oakdale Mill firm than just pizza.
He said, while admitting he already has a space earmarked for the prize and is weighing up who will accompany him to a reception at Buckingham Palace: “The major part of the company now is contracted sheet metal work.
“We do things like supplying the construction industry and we’re also supplying a lot of stainless steel sinks to the NHS.
“As well as Alphin Pans, we have Alphin Manufacturing, which deals more with that side of the work but it’s good.
“And villages like Delph need business, or else they become dormitories. We employ 45 people and they pretty much all come from Saddleworth, Oldham and Marsden.
“We’re absolutely chuffed to buts to get this award. It really is the icing on the cake.
“To qualify, we had to show we’d made exceptional growth over a three-year period in the export market, which we have.
“Then we apply and everything is then vetted and inspected – it’s not something you just ring up for and get.
“Since the awards were launched, only about 2,000 UK firms have received one and this year there’s only 220 have received ne this year.
“It’s very prestigious and shows we’re obviously doing something right and the kudos it carries, especially for a firm of our size is huge. Normally it’s big forms that get these.
“It’s great recognition for the business.”
Now the Queen’s Award has been secured, all Alphin – which was formed in 1989 – has to do now is get hold of it.
But the circumstances which we live in today mean the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Sir Warren Smith, cannot even arrange a date to visit the company to present the honour.
And a date for the Royal reception at Buckingham Place is even more unknown – but that has not stopped Matthew from making plans.
He also described the effect the coronavirus outbreak has had on trade, even though some of the firms he deals with are trading.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it all planned,” he replied when asked if he knew where the prize will be located.
“And for Buckingham Place, it will be myself and one of the youngsters who works here that will go, I haven’t decided who yet though.
“We’ve worked with Domino’s ever since they established themselves in the UK, all their pizzas are cooked using our screens and that side of the business is still very important to us.
“I’ll have to say, though, we’re probably about 30 per cent down on where we’d normally be at this time of year.
“Pizza firms that are doing deliveries and takeaways seem to be doing quite well but many others in catering have just shut up shop – that’s affected us in a way.
“But we’re still here and that’s the main thing. We’re still working but it’s like anything, how long is a piece of string?
“No-one knows what’s happening or what’s going to happen.”
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