THE Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester visited a Golborne based manufacturer this month to present it with its King’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation.

Ansell Lighting, based on Stonecross Industrial Park in Golborne, was recognised for its patented Panel Pod product in the first King’s Award for Enterprise honours last year.

The Panel Pod was created in response to an identified industry need, and converts an LED panel light into an emergency light in less than sixty seconds, without needing a conversion kit or additional ceiling fixture to install. 

Emergency lighting is required by British law and workplace health and safety guidance, so if the lights go out in the case of fire or other incident it stays on for up to three hours.

Since its launch in 2014 almost 500,000 Panel Pods have been sold worldwide.

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Leigh Journal: Mark Abbott said the product has been transformative for the businessMark Abbott said the product has been transformative for the business (Image: Ansell Lighting)

The King’s Awards for Enterprise recognises outstanding UK businesses, with recipients being able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for five years.

With Lord Lieutenant Diane Hawkins visiting Ansell’s company headquarter, Managing Director, Mark Abbott  accepted the award on behalf of the company.

MP for Leigh, James Grundy, the Mayor of Wigan, Councillor Kevin Anderson, the Deputy Mayor of Warrington, Councillor Carol Benson, and local Warrington Councillors also attended the ceremony alongside key members of staff.

Mark Abbott, Managing Director of Ansell Lighting, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant, Deputy Mayor and our local politicians to Ansell. Achieving this award, especially in the first year of the King’s Awards, was testament to the hard work and dedication of our innovation team and everyone involved in the business.

“Ansell is an ambitious and growing business, and the launch of Panel Pod was genuinely transformative for us, and it continues to contribute significantly to our ongoing success. It is fantastic to have been able to celebrate that success with our staff and the business community in the North West.”

Established in Belfast in 1992 before expanding North West England in 2001, Ansell Lighting is a recognised market leader in the design and manufacture of high-quality luminaires for the commercial, domestic, industrial and architectural markets. 

Headquartered in Golborne, where it has a state-of-the-art showroom, Ansell operates across Europe, with showrooms in Belfast, Dublin and Madrid and employs more than 200 people.