A COMPANY based in Okehampton has received a Queen's Award for Enterprise. Elemental Micro-analysis has been named as a winner of the award, which is the UK's highest accolade for business success. The company received its award for International Trade. This was in recognition of achieving increased year on year export sales over a six year period. Elemental Micro-analysis was founded in 1976 as an analytical laboratory conducting elemental analysis for customers, principally in the pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. The company still does this, though it is now a very small part of the overall business. The firm relocated to Okehampton in 1991 and over the years has expanded on its current site. The company now employs 33 people, based on Hameldown Road. They manufacture products used every day by analytical chemists. Their product range encompasses reference materials, specialised chemical re-agents, sample containers and other daily use items. Customers work in a wide range of different industries including academia, pharmaceu-ticals, food, agriculture, petrochemicals, iron and steel, and coal. The company exports all over the world, including across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America and to a limited extent, Africa. Managing director Ian Smith said: 'We are extremely proud of this award. For a business of our size to export more than 65 per cent of our production to 70 countries around the world from rural Devon is a huge achievement by the talented and hard-working team of people working in our company.' Approximately 160 Queen's Awards have been announced this year for outstanding business achievement in the fields of international trade, innovation and sustainable development. Winners of the Queen's Awards can expect an invitation to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace. They can also use the Queen's Award Emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for a period of five years as a symbol of their quality and success. The awards are made annually by Her Majesty The Queen, and are only given for the highest levels of excellence demonstrated in each category. To find out more about next year's awards visit http://www.queensawards.org.uk">www.queensawards.org.uk