A BUSINESS which started out with a single office in Middlesbrough more than 50 years ago has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise for international trade.

From those humble beginnings in 1946, construction and management consultancy Turner and Townsend has grown into a global company with 1,050 staff in offices all over the world.

The firm's achievements over the last three years were officially recognised when the Duke of York presented the Queen's Award at the firm's head office in Leeds on Tuesday.

During that time, Turner and Townsend International has doubled its income from trade abroad to £13m; achieved a 70pc increase in profit margins, and developed the business beyond its beginnings in South Africa to offices in 20 countries.

Tom Harrison, managing director of the international arm of the company and based in its Stockton office, said: "The award gives us a greater profile overseas and is a quality standard.

"We are going for the sustainability award next year and then the innovation award. What we would like to do is win all three; it's there to go for."

Turner and Townsend has strong links with Darlington, as well as Teesside. The firm opened its second office in the town in 1948 and one of the original founders, Geoff Townsend, still lives in the town.

Tom Harrison hails from the town and Tim Wray, the group chairman, started off in the former Darlington office.

It was Mr Wray whom Mr Harrison cited as the main catalyst for the company's success overseas.

He said: "Tim went to South Africa with his wife and three young kids 22 years ago on a project for a client.

"From there, he has developed southern Africa for Turner and Townsend. We now have 200 staff in South Africa and 14 offices there and in neighbouring countries."

The other big boom came with increased inward investment into the UK during the late Eighties, added Mr Harrison.

The firm worked on projects with companies such as Nissan, Toyota, Fujitsu, Siemens and Hyundai and then followed them to other projects around the world, setting up new offices along the way.

"That gave our profile a big boost," said Mr Harrison.

As well as the Queen's Award, the firm has collected the project manager of the year award in the UK and won the South African public sector innovation award.

Mr Harrison believes these awards will see the company go from strength to strength.

"They will continue to raise the profile of the business and we hope it will lead us into more countries with clients and to more work overseas so that we can continue to grow," he said.