Wigan-based Bitrez Ltd (www.bitrez.com), a leading manufacturer of specialist polymers and chemicals, has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (in the Innovation category).

The company secured the award for its BPA-free resin Curaphen, which is used to coat food and drink packaging.

This was launched in 2012, following a world-wide health scare regarding the potential harm caused by BPA to humans.

To date, the company has sold over 800 tonnes of Curaphen, with millions of food and packaging containers being coated with the resin each week.

Bitrez’s exports have increased by 45% in the past five years, with almost a third of this coming from Curaphen alone.

The company has also doubled its capacity and now runs a 24-7 operation to ensure that it can continue to meet the increasing demand.

Managing director (and Curaphen formulator) Paul Jones said: “I’m delighted that Bitrez has won the Queen’s Award. Resolving regulatory and technical problems is at the heart of our business strategy and our commitment to product development.

“Being able to manufacture an alternative to conventional BPA derivatives with equivalent performance is a great example of the positive impact that creative chemistry and ingenuity can have on our lives.”