A BUSINESSMAN from Salford Priors has been honoured by the Queen for his dedicated work in local enterprise.

Dr Geoffrey Davies OBE, is MD of Salford Priors agricultural machinery makers Bomford Turner, Spearhead, and of parent company Alamo Group Europe. He has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion – one of only 10 people to receive the honour.

Geoff has been given the award for promoting enterprise skills and encouraging entrepreneurial attitudes in others.

He said: “I’m delighted to have been nominated for the award and honoured to accept it. The government has challenged the private sector to generate activity and employment to help clear the national debt and make Britain successful again.

“We can only do this through encouraging entrepreneurs to have a go. It’s so important that we as a country start to make things again.

“Manufacturing has been allowed to wither in Britain as more fashionable service activities like accountancy, design and so on have developed.

“But these sectors can’t survive if there’s nothing to service. It’s only through manufacturing that you create good numbers of sustainable jobs for people and so restore communities.

“I have always worked to encourage people with good ideas to have a go and I intend to keep doing that.

“I really hope that other successful business people will make the time to get away from their own companies and help others who are starting up.

“If this spirit of help and co-operation becomes more widespread, it all cont- ributes to a vibrant economy.”

Geoff was named the UK Entrepreneur of the Year for 2007-08 by the British Chambers of Commerce.