Delight as Cradley Heath company wins King's Award for Enterprise

The team at RunFlat International in Cradley Heath have told of their delight at being honoured with the King's Award for Enterprise.

The company, a leading producer of run flat tyre technology which helps to keep military personnel and dignitaries safe across the world, has been honoured in the international trade category of the awards, it was announced today (Tuesday May 6).

It is one of 12 companies in the West Midlands awarded the prestigious accolade - the highest official UK award for
British businesses.

Tom Westley, chief operating officer at RunFlat International, part of the long-running Westley Group, said:

"It's a great honour for us. We've been working hard on building our business and winning new customers
across the world. It's recognition of that hard work and the quality of our products."

The family run firm, which traces its business roots back to 1800, employs 55 people at its two bases in Cradley Heath - in Gawne Lane, which opened in 1999, and on the Waterfall Lane Trading Estate, which opened in 2024.

RunFlat International originates from the Westley Group, a leading non-ferrous foundry and engineering group since the beginning of the 19th century. In the 1960s Westley Plastics was created to develop polymer technologies to replace heavier, more expensive and less wear-resistant metal products and then in 2001 RunFlat was established, using the leading edge polymer technology of Westley Plastics to exclusively develop run-flat tyre insert systems.

Company chairman Tom Westley, aged 73, who has been involved in the family business since the 1970s, said he still enjoys being involved with the firm and he said of the honour:

"I think it's amazing. I'm really proud - particularly with 200 years of continuous history. We've kept ourselves very relevant to what's going on in the world."

Eric Cartelet, RunFlat International's CEO, explained more about the product:

"Our systems enable a vehicle to keep going if a tyre is deflated. We make everything from the design stage to the fitting on the vehicle itself. We're talking military and heavy vehicles. It's pretty critical in the wars that are occurring in the world.

"If the vehicle gets shot at with our system it will keep on going and escape from danger. We do the same with VIP vehicles. It's the same principle - just different sizes and slightly different designs. We listen to what our customers want and we make exactly the wheel that's required along with the specific run-flat that will go long distances, short distances - depending on what's required."

He said of the award:

"It's great. We have only been in existence for 25 years as RunFlat International alone. We have gone a long way, now we're recognised all around the world.

"This is the pinnacle - it's recognition that we're growing around the world. We're delighted, absolutely delighted."

The team say the success of their product is down to being easier to fit and longer lasting than those produced by their competitors.

Always looking to the future, the company now has plans to double production capacity at its Gawne Lane plant in 2025.

www.runflatinternational.com