THE teams behind the groundbreaking work at two Dorset companies have been presented with Queen’s Awards for Innovation.

Christchurch-based Anvil and Holton Heath’s Westwind Air Bearings both received their awards from the Queen’s representative in Dorset, Lord Lieutenant Cllr Angus Campbell.

Anvil, a travel and operational risk consultancy, received the award for its Employee Travel Monitoring System, which mitigates the risk connected with business travel.

The system alerts users to factors such as dangerous destinations or flights booked with airlines that have poor safety records.

Cllr Campbell, said: “Anvil has demonstrated innovation combined with continuous development and determination which has kept it, and continues to keep it, at the forefront of its field of endeavour for the benefit of other companies and individuals across the globe.

“This success is also indicative of committed and highly skilled workforce who are always willing to go the extra mile.”

Matthew Judge, group managing director of Anvil, said: “There’s an enormous amount of talent in our business – from in-house IT development team to risk management specialists – and this award is testament to ongoing hard work and dedication.”

Westwind Air Bearings won the award for designing and developing high-speed drilling spindles, which are used in manufacturing printed circuit boards.

The firm’s innovations are used in manufacturing printed circuit boards.

The company employs 120 people at Holton heath Trading Park, where development and initial production takes place and 130 in China, where larger volumes are produced.

Its managing director, Steve Webb, said: “Winning the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise, particularly in the Innovation category, highlights the skills and dedication of the Westwind workforce, in producing new products that make a significant difference to the business and can take the company forward in the future.

“Wherever possible we protect our new products with patents, which help maintain our leadership in the world of air bearing spindles. In addition, we run our own apprenticeship and graduate training programmes that will ensure that our skills base in Poole is maintained for many years to come.”

Founded in the late 1950s, Westwind was owned by Cobham PLC from 1995-2003 before being brought by GSI Lumonics Ltd.