STAFF at a York-based international mobile phones provider learned today that their firm is to receive the Queen's Award for Enterprise and International Trade.

Cellhire, which supplied the England football squad, among other national teams, with local mobile phones during the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, will get the top accolade for "continuous achievement in international trade".

Ross Macleod, marketing manager of the firm in Park House on the Clifton Park estate, said: "It was a huge surprise and a great achievement that will boost the fortunes of the company to even greater heights."

The firm rents out international mobile phones, satellite phones, international airtime and mobile data products to world travellers who can cut 75 per cent of the costs of having "roaming" facilities on their own telecommunication devices

It not only provided voice and data solutions for worldwide broadcasters and athletes at last year's Athens Olympic Games, but this year also provided the Red Cross in nine tsunami-hit Indian Ocean countries with satellite phones, and for the past seven years has been the official supplier of mobile communications to the Cannes Film Festival and, with Orange France, is a supplier at the annual Tour de France.

Tim Williams, Cellhire's founder chairman and chief executive, will travel to the Gladstone Library in Whitehall tomorrow to receive the accolade from The Duke of Gloucester on behalf of the Queen. He said: "Everyone at Cellhire is delighted."

Since the firm was established in York in 1987 its services in hiring out telecommunications products have mushroomed with offices in London and Manchester, as well as five bases in the US; in Paris and Cannes in France; Sydney and more recently, Tokyo.

Its revenues rocketed from £3.9 million in 1996 to £21 million last year and with £25 million forecast for this year. Of its 170 employees worldwide, about 60 work in York.

Members of the panel based in the Prime Minister's office scrutinising the entries for the awards, were particularly impressed with Cellhire's overseas earnings over the past six years which increased by 253 per cent.

They were also impressed with the company's commitment to charities such as St Leonard's Hospice in York, for whom Cellhire is a corporate patron, and the American Red Cross; its environmental policies, recycling office consumables and disposing equipment in an environmentally friendly way; and its relationship with employees which resulted in its being awarded Investors in People status last year.

David Gill, chief marketing officer for Cellhire, who will be heading up the new Tokyo office, said: "Japanese telecommunications technology is different from the rest of the world's.

"Having a presence there means we can enhance our service to foreigners travelling to Japan and at the same time now offer a service to Japanese travelling abroad."

Updated: 09:20 Thursday, April 21, 2005