A NORTH-EAST engineering company with strong South American links has received a national award for its continued success.

Express Engineering, in Team Valley, Gateshead, picked up the Business Growth Award from the EEF Future Manufacturing Awards after seeing turnover hit £30m for the first time in its 40-year history.

The firm specialises in precision engineering for the aerospace, defence, subsea oil and gas, power regeneration industries, and the accolade comes after it embarked on a five-year growth programme and £10m plan to increase its manufacturing floor space and double staff levels.

The company bought Northern Precision Engineering in 2011, saving about 40 jobs, and now employs 230 workers, including 34 apprentices.

It also has 50 members of staff in its Brazilian manufacturing operation, which supplies components for offshore projects.

Nigel Davison, Express Engineering managing director, said: “A great deal of credit for this must go to our people, who have been focused and flexible throughout, particularly during some difficult days a couple of years back.”