3 minute read
Royal recognition as family firm receives Queen’s Award
Royal recognition
Jonathan Kane of KANE looks back on 2022, a year that will stand out in the memory of everyone who works for the business.
Everyone will remember 2022 as the year the war in Ukraine increased energy costs and caused global supply issues. Most will also remember this was the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, her death, and the proclamation of our new King. And KANE will remember 2022 as the year we won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of Innovation for KANE CARE – our promise to never let you down or your money back.
Backing British business
The Queen’s Award is the highest honour a British business can win, and was first proposed by Prince Phillip in 1965 to celebrate British industry. Today, there are Queen’s Awards for innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and opportunity through social mobility. A parallel award for voluntary service is the equivalent of receiving an MBE.
KANE is a family business that has been running for 60 years, but we’d never considered applying for a Queen’s Award until a chance conversation with our Chamber of Commerce made us think again.
Why did we apply? Unlike the Oscars and other awards, we were told that if you’re good enough, you win, but that you don’t win at the expense of others. This meant we’d be judged entirely on merit.
We were interviewed by a group of experts who asked many questions and gave nothing away – a bit like a combination of Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice.
We then showed another group how our KANE CARE after-sales support guarantees same-day analyser service and recertification or your money back, with a 10-year warranty and 20 years’ all-inclusive pricing.
Thanks to three years of five-star customer comments on Trustpilot, and a forensic investigation of our accounts, turnaround times and refunds, our claims were proved to be true and we received the Queen’s Award for Innovation.
Celebration
The Queen’s Awards were announced every year on her birthday and published in the London Gazette. This year, in small print on page 2 was KANE – one of 51 Queen’s Award winners for Innovation.
It meant we could advertise the Queen’s Award for five years, meet the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and receive our award in person from Her Majesty’s representative, the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.
When the Lord Lieutenant visited KANE, it was a great moment for our team. The award meant everyone knew we were delivering the right promises for the right reasons.
In memoriam
Earlier this year we said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II – our longest-reigning monarch.
As KANE turns 60 and looks forward to new challenges and opportunities, we want to thank Her Majesty for introducing this unique award celebrating the best of British business. ■
www.kane.co.uk
L-r: Jonathan Hoole, MD of Kane International; Robert Voss CBE CStJ, Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire; Jonathan Kane, CEO of Kane International
The Queen’s Award
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK business and recognise and encourage outstanding achievements in: • Innovation • International trade • Sustainable development • Promoting opportunity (through social mobility).
The Queen’s Awards scheme was instituted by Royal Warrant in 1965, with the first Awards in 1966 known as The Queen’s Award to Industry.
In 1975 it became the Queen’s Awards for Export and Technology, with Environmental Achievement added in 1992. In 1999, it was renamed The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise with categories for international trade, innovation and sustainable development. In 2017, promoting opportunity (through social mobility) was added.
In 2022, 232 businesses were recognised.
