A STOKESLEY company whose ground-breaking technology keeps submariners alive has been praised by Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond.

Analox Military Systems (AMS) keeps military personnel safe with their unique gas monitoring systems and solutions.

Earlier this year, the 80-employee company was awarded a major contract from Saab to supply and support gas monitoring systems for a new generation of submarines for the Swedish Navy.

Mr Sunak was invited to visit the company’s base to hear about the order and meet the staff involved in making, servicing and marketing the company’s range of sensors which have a wide variety of military and non-military uses.

He said: "Analox is a great example of how innovative businesses can thrive in rural environments.

"It has developed world-leading technologies at its base in Stokesley and is one of a number of such businesses in this area.

"I am keen to see this cluster of science and engineering-based enterprises grow and I very much enjoyed meeting the people behind the Analox success story and learning about the factors which drive their business now and in the future."

During his tour of the company on Stokesley Industrial Estate Mr Sunak met Mark Lewis, managing director, and Emma Harbottle, operations director.

The company was established in 1980 in Guisborough and now has two divisions. AMS focuses on the military sector whilst Analox Sensor Technology focus on commercial activities and has a site in California.

In recent years the company has received help from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership’s Let’s Grow fund and Hambleton District Council’s economic development team has also helped.

It has a won a number of military contracts, including one with BAE Systems to design, develop and qualify a submarine atmosphere monitoring unit for future classes of Royal Navy submarines which continuously measures up to 30 gas species.

Mr Lewis said: “The staff were proud to show Rishi the sensors we make and Emma and I managed to have discussions on how Analox plans to grow and how Rishi can help us do this.’

Picture: Rishi Sunak is pictured in the Analox factory with Emma Harbottle, operations director, and Mark Lewis, managing director.