Grimsby's grocer to the globe, Sean Ramsden, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours.
His entrepreneurial skills on the exporting stage - sending British brands to 133 countries - have been recognised, with international trade the citation as the business rings up 25 years of operations.
Mr Ramsden is no stranger to officials at Buckingham Palace, with his £50 million turnover Ramsden International company a three-time Queen’s Award winner.
He told how he feels incredibly humbled by the honour, acknowledging the “commitment of employees, customers and suppliers” of the Adam Smith Street business.
He said: "I am honoured to receive this prestigious award and on behalf of the outstanding team at Ramsden International, who have delivered unparalleled standards to our partners across the globe for the past 25 years.
“Against a backdrop of political uncertainty for us, international trade has continued to grow year-on-year and 2020 has got off to an exceptional start.
"Reflecting on the successes of the last quarter of a century we now look forward to the future for Ramsden International in this landmark year for the business.”
Already one of the UK’s most decorated business leaders, recent years have seen him awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the UK Business Awards and the Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year award at the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Having studied at Cambridge and Harvard, he returned to Grimsby, and the family business started by grandfather Ron Ramsden in the post-war era. Geographic reach had been expanded through the generations, and having seen his dad, Dudley, launch Nisa as a child, he took the Ramsden name international, transforming a loss-making arm into a standalone global entity now selling 24,000 product lines to more than 650 retailers.
In a quarter of a century of trading the Northern Powerhouse 2019 Champion Exporter and Grocer Gold Exporter of the Year now has established sales offices in Hong Kong, UAE, South Africa, Australia and Canada.
A team of 90 staff oversee the exports of the goods, working with Nisa – now owned by The Co-operative – as a wholesale partner, with repacking facilities based close to the Normanby Enterprise Park site.
