A METALS and minerals analysis and inspection firm has been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation.

Alfred H Knight, whose headquarters are at Kings Business Park, Prescot, has received the prestigious accolade. 

Established in 1881 by Alfred Henry Knight, the family-owned business received the award for its disruptive innovation of the digital transformation of complex inspection services in Africa’s metals and minerals sector.

Alfred H Knight operates in more than 45 countries, employing more than 4,500 people globally.

Its headquarters is based in Prescot, and is a leading employer in the area with close to 800 laboratory and support function personnel across several sites.

Ian Baxter, chief executive officer, at Alfred H Knight, said: “As one of our core values, innovation has been the cornerstone of the success of Alfred H Knight for over 140 years and remains at the forefront of our growth strategy moving forward.

"We are honoured to be in receipt of a King’s Award in the Innovation category, it is a testament to the expertise and dedication of our people and our ongoing commitment to enhancing our service offering, investing in our global operational infrastructure and delivering a high-quality service to our clients.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK. The awards were first established in 1965 and since then over 7000 companies have achieved a King’s Award.

2024 marks the second year of The King’s Awards for Enterprise, reflecting His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses.

The awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses which are leading the way with pioneering products or services, delivering impressive social mobility programmes, or showing their commitment to excellent sustainable development practices.