Semperfli wins prestigious international trade award

A family-run fly fishing business in North Yorkshire, England, has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Semperfli Fly Tying Materials, which was launched in 2014 and employs 21 people, has received the prestigious international trade award for Outstanding Short Term Growth in Overseas Sales.

To qualify, a company must generate more than £100k in export business. International trade accounts for almost 93% of Semperfli’s turnover and its overseas sales have increased by 240% in the last three years. Key markets include the US, Canada, Scandinavia and France.

“To win the award in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Year is amazing,” said Semperfli CEO, Ann Kitchener, who has just returned from exhibiting at the International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) show in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“This is fantastic news and a great honour. We are immensely proud. It helps reinforce why Semperfli is different from other companies in our sector. We are focused on further expanding our product range and achieving more success in the fly tying market.”

Figures provided by Semperfli up to May 2021 show that the company has grown 555% since 2017 and is enjoying particular success in the US market.

Now in their 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winners able to use the awards emblem for the next five years.

Main picture: From left: Semperfli’s Ann Kitchener, Gary Barnes and Andy Kitchener at the IFTD show in Salt Lake City.