Pictures: Royal visit to East Sussex business

Anne, The Princess Royal, met with staff at Focus SB in St Leonards for a private factory tour.

This year the company succeeded as a winner in the first ever King’s Awards for Enterprise and was formally recognised for excellence in international trade.

A Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2010 and Patron of more than 300 organisations, including several in engineering, Her Royal Highness is Patron of Women into Science and Engineering (WISE).

Her Royal Highness viewed in-house manufacturing and finishing processes, met employees and discovered how Focus SB supports its local communities, notably Little Gate Supported Employment.

Mr Stevens said: “It’s a huge honour for an SME based in Hastings to have the recognition of a King’s Award, one of the most prestigious awards a company can be bestowed, but in addition to that, meeting The King at Buckingham Palace and then to have a visit from Anne The Princess Royal is a huge boost and reward for every single employee at Focus SB, without whom, none of this would have been possible.

“I have been in manufacturing of electrical products all of my career and I started off as a 16-year-old technical apprentice and have worked my way through various businesses from technical to marketing, sales and general management and I have been an MD of two manufacturing companies, including currently with Focus SB.

“I am passionate about manufacturing and introducing more young people into manufacturing and encouraging them to take up apprenticeships, I would like to think that we are doing our bit here at Focus SB by working with local educational establishments, employment agencies and local charities to fulfil that goal, and that my own journey can act as a beacon for those young people who may be thinking about a career in manufacturing and what can be achieved.”