Hotter wins Queen’s Award

Hotter’s staff members celebrate the right to fly the queen’s Award emblem.

Footwear and accessories manufacturer and retailer Hotter recently celebrated winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – the UK’s most prestigious business accolade.

The manufacturing business was established by Stewart Houlgrave’s parents in 1959. He went on to create the Hotter brand in the 1990s, with the aim of making stylish and ultra comfortable shoes for both women and men. Hotter now employs over 1,300 people across the UK and, according to the British Footwear Association, is the UK’s biggest shoe manufacturer – making a pair of shoes every 20 seconds. It is currently backed by private equity fund manager Electra Partners, which acquired a majority stake in the company in January 2014.

“We’re delighted to have won this recognition for our outstanding success in international trade, which has seen our export earnings grow by over 123 per cent in the last three years as we have developed the Hotter brand in markets such as the USA, the Middle East, and South Africa,” said managing director, Peter Taylor.

Some 140 Queen’s Awards were announced this year for outstanding business achievement in the fields of international trade, innovation and sustainable development. Winners of a Queen’s Award can expect an invitation to a special reception at Buckingham Palace, and can also use the Queen’s Award emblem as a symbol of quality and success.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 2 of the June 2015 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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