by business editor Trevor Sturgess

A high-tech firm celebrating its 70th anniversary has been given a royal seal of approval.

Viscount De L’Isle, Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent, visited the Maidstone headquarters of Kemet International on July 22 to present the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade.

The company employs some 50 people in Kent and specialises in the precision finishing of aircraft parts, diamonds and medical implants such as knee and hip joints. Overseas earnings have risen steadily and now representt 65 per cent of turnover.

Before touring the plant at Parkwood Industrial Estate, Viscount De L’Isle presented company chiefs with a scroll, signed by Her Majesty and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and an engraved glass bowl.

"I have the greatest admiration for the excellent work you are doing and I know you will continue to do," he said. "Very well done to you all, and long may Kemet International flourish."

Joint managing director Michael Riedl (corr) said: "We operate very much in a niche market dealing with many different types of high tech industries globally and we have the flexibility to react quickly to our customers’ ever changing requirements.

"These last nine months have been a very exciting time in the history of the company. Today is the culmination of all the years of hard work by everyone at Kemet."