A VILLAGE company has blazed a path to international success - picking up a top national award for export achievement.

Flame retardant fabrics firm Panaz Ltd, of Spring Mill, Fence, is one of only five companies to win the 1996 Export Award for Smaller Businesses - the 27th annual competition sponsored by the British Overseas Trade Board.

The company, which notched up £1.7 million in export earnings last year, won in the face of fierce competition from more than 250 other companies.

Tomorrow, managing director Tony Attard will receive the award - worth more than £7,000 in prize money and professional services - from BOTB chairman Martin Laing, at a gala dinner in the Foreign and Colonial Office, London.

Panaz, which designs, manufactures and distributes its furnishing fabric for use in hospitals, hotels and cruise ships, only entered the export market in 1989.

It now delivers to 26 countries on a day-to-day basis and is constantly looking for new markets, having recently exhibited in Japan, Paris, Malaysia, Dubai, Belgium and Frankfurt.

The firm, whose main UK customers are hospital trusts, local government architects and interior designers, has set up a new export department and appointed either a distributor or agent for each country, constantly updating and reviewing its pricing, design and sales policy for each specific market.

Guest of honour at the gala dinner will be BBC foreign correspondent Martin Bell.

Speaking today, Mr Laing paid tribute to the winners. "Their achievements form one of our best indicators as to what it means to be a successful exporter.

"If the example they set were to be adopted by the thousands of passive UK exporters, the financial effect on the UK economy would be enormous."

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