Birmingham-based window and door manufacturer Shelforce has been recognised with the highest official UK award for British business, The King’s Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

Shelforce employs 30 people, of which 75% have a disability, and provides a place where people with mental or physical disability can thrive in employment and produce high quality products in a competitive market.

The award also comes some 40 years on from The Princess Royal, HRH Princess Anne officially opening its current factory in 1984.

Howard Trotter, the company’s business manager, will represent Shelforce at a royal reception hosted by The King at Buckingham Palace.

“It is an unbelievable honour to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in the Promoting Opportunity category,” commented Howard. “To be recognised by the highest honour in UK business, renowned across the world is an incredibly proud moment for Shelforce and we are even more honoured that we have been recognised in the first ever King’s Award for Enterprise and in the year of the King’s coronation.

“Promoting opportunity is the reason behind Shelforce’s continued success and this is fantastic recognition for our incredible team and the processes we have in place. It’s also fantastic news for the local community of Erdington.”

In the last three years, Shelforce has featured on ITV’s Made In Britain in 2021 to showcase its production processes and its inclusive employment and, in the same year, winning the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) Business of the Year.