The winners of the 2021 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise were announced today (April 29). This year, 205 businesses from a diverse range of sectors across the UK have been recognised by Her Majesty The Queen as among the best in the country.
One of the winners in the International Trade category was Telford-based ramp manufacturer Aviramp. The Aviramp range of aircraft passenger boarding ramps has been revolutionary within the aviation ground handling sector.
Entrepreneurial business owner Graham Corfield overcame reluctance to change and risked bankruptcy to bring his suite of patented passenger boarding ramps to market, after the idea came to him in an airport bar following a skiing trip. The airport was chaotic with passengers that had sustained ski injuries, which prevented them from boarding by stairs. Thus, the idea of a form of aircraft ramp was born from a sketch on a bar beer mat in Chambery airport.
A prototype was built and launched as a safer and quicker alternative to existing products available in the industry. The idea was quickly picked up by a leading international airline company, and they offered their advice and expertise to modify the product to aviation standard.
Widespread acceptance duly followed, owing to the plethora of benefits the product delivers for all stakeholders - airports, airlines, ground handlers and passengers - driving turnaround efficiencies, improving safety, reducing costs and delivering an all-inclusive passenger experience, especially for those with reduced mobility. The multi-functional capability of Aviramp's portable aircraft ramp remains unmatched in the market.
Aviramp continues to evolve and has recently introduced a complete range of solar powered boarding ramps to service all aircraft types, including wide body. This helps towards a sustainable airport environment by reducing carbon footprint.
As global exports of the ramp continue to grow, it is fast becoming an industry standard, already prevalent worldwide across the US, South America, Australasia, the Far East, Africa, Europe and Scandinavia.
Says CEO Graham Corfield, "We are so delighted on winning this prestigious award. It feels like a huge victory for the whole team, each plays a vital role in the business, and all are passionate ambassadors of the brand".
