A BLACKBURN firm was singled out for praise by government officials touring the country to highlight the work of leading businesses.

Officials from the Queen's Award for Enterprise visited Promethean, Lower Philips Road. The interactive whiteboard firm was a winner in 2003, and the visit was part of a drive to encourage businesses in the area to enter the 2007 awards.

This year there were 13 winners in the north west including Precision Polymer Engineering, Black-burn, and Langtec Limited, of Altham.

David Moore, secretary to the Prime Minister's advisory committee on the Queen's Awards said: "Any firm of merit can enter and size is irrelevant. It's a popular misconception that only big companies can win a Queen's Award, but there have been several winners with only a handful of staff."

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