A VERY VIP helped a Worcester company clean up with a top business award.

Worcestershire's Lord Lieutenant, Lt Col Patrick Holcroft called at the Spetchley headquarters of Gtech to present the design and manufacturing specialists with a spectacular, engraved glass bowl to commemorate winning a Queen’s Award for Innovation, the UK’s highest accolade for business success.

Company chief executive and founder Nick Grey greeted the Lord Lieutenant, after which the two longest serving Gtech employees, design engineer Andy Kent, and technical manager Andrew Boddy, received the award on behalf of the company.

Mr Grey said: “We are honoured to receive this business accolade, and it was a privilege and pleasure to invite the Lord Lieutenant into our offices to meet the staff, all of whom are so deserving of this recognition.”

The award for innovation is in recognition of the strong growth the company has enjoyed since 2012 when it launched its high performance, lightweight and cordless vacuum cleaner, AirRam. Gtech’s design and engineering team set out to change the way people vacuum their homes for ever when it designed the Gtech AirRam. and consumers have embraced its cordless technology. Turnover has risen from £4m in 2011 to £47m at the 2014 year end, while in 2015 turnover is expected to be £70million.

It has been Gtech’s year for awards, as in June the company added to the Queens Award for innovation in enterprise by winning The Sunday Times Profit Track "Ones to Recognise" 2015 against some formidable competitors. Gtech received this special award at a gala dinner at The Savoy Hotel in London.