By Isle of Wight Observer
Lord-Lieutenant, Susie Sheldon, has presented A.J Wells & Sons with the prestigious King’s Award.
Founded in 1972 on the Isle of Wight, A.J Wells & Sons is a family-run enterprise renowned for the design and manufacture of Charnwood clean-burning wood stoves, Vlaze outdoor kitchens, and advanced architectural vitreous enamel solutions. They produce much of the signage and cladding for the iconic London Underground and Paris Metro, and are hoping to secure the signage contract for HS2.
In the past three years, the company’s overseas sales have surged, with exports now accounting for 31 per cent of total sales. Their largest export market is Europe, but they have also expanded globally to North America, South Africa, Japan, and Australia.
Mrs Sheldon praised the company, saying: “The achievements of A.J Wells & Sons are genuinely impressive. Their dedication to British innovation, sustainability, and their local community sets a wonderful example for others.”
Managing director, Hugh Wells, expressed his gratitude, highlighting how the company’s Christian faith and wholehearted commitment to their mission of transforming lives and delighting customers, has helped them to overcome challenges in recent years. Speaking about their commitment to continually improving their products, he added: “Over the last 10 years we’ve been working on automated stoves. Basically you load logs onto the fire, you light it, and then you just leave it. We see that as being a big step into the future for wood-burning.
“We’re incredibly blessed with good staff. Some have been with us for over 40 years.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the highest business accolades in the UK, recognising companies for their innovative products, social mobility programmes, and sustainable development practices. The company was previously the recipient of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2009.