JCB Heavy Products was honoured yesterday with the presentation of a Queen's Award for successfully growing exports of its range of tracked and wheeled excavators.

Over a three year period from 2005, overseas sales of the JS range of machines, weighing from seven to 46 tonnes, increased by more than 60 per cent.

Yesterday the success was rewarded when HM Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, James Hawley, the Queen's representative in Staffordshire, presented the company with a Queen's Award for Enterprise. The Award was received by JCB Heavy Products Managing Director John Gill at a special shopfloor ceremony watched by the company's workforce in the new £40 million factory in Uttoxeter, which began full production earlier this year.

During the ceremony JCB's Chief Operating Officer Alan Blake paid tribute to the magnificent achievement of increasing exports and thanked all employees who had contributed to the success.

He said During the three year period covered by the Award we were actually manufacturing our tracked and wheeled excavator range a mile away in a factory in the centre of Uttoxeter that had long since reached its capacity. So, what excites me most as we stand here today is thinking about what we can all achieve in the future in this fabulous, modern factory. Once the upturn arrives - and it will - we have the capability to produce 8,000 excavators a year here. Or put another way, more than double the number of machines we could make at our old factory.

Yesterday's was the 24th Queen's Award the JCB Group has been presented with since 1969. The 25th will be presented to a sister company, JCB Earthmovers, Cheadle, later this month.