The Prime Minister has kept his promise and personally presented a Queens Award to an Ealing businessman this morning.
David Cameron arrived at Dr Rami Ranger’s business Sun Mark, Long Drive, Greenford, at 9.30am, just hours before he was due to chair a COBRA meeting into the MH17 flight disaster in the Ukraine.
Dr Ranger MBE , aged 66, has previously won four Queens awards for Enterprise in International Trade with his company Sun Mark. After the fourth award Mr Cameron said that if he won a fifth he would present the award himself.
Much to Dr Ranger’s surprise and despite his busy schedule, the Prime Minister kept his promise.
Sun Mark, which exports British supermarket products to 115 countries, is one of the fastest growing businesses in the UK, having amassed a turnover of £200million in the last 20years.
Dr Rami Singh Ranger, who is a father to three daughters and also has three grandchildren, said: “It was a truly wonderful morning. After the fourth award when David Cameron said he would personally present the fifth if I won another one I didn't imagine he would actually make the time or that I would win again. but then I won a fifth!
"So, when I saw him at an event I reminded him of his promise. He assured me that he would come and present it to me but I really thought that he would be too busy, so the fact that he did this morning was a dream come true. For a humble immigrant to be presented with an award such as this by the Prime Minister and to have met the Queen is a great honour."
Ealing MP Steve Pound used his getwestlondon column to praise Rami as a credit to Greenford.
“My success is a tribute to this great country. Great Britain has wonderful opportunities if you are willing to work hard. And I couldn’t have done all this without locating my business in Ealing. This borough is a fantastic location for the business. Being so close to the M4, M40, M1, M25 and Heathrow Airport has made it so much easier for us to transport our produce and for people to visit us, and the work force here is phenomenal. I also have properties here. Ealing really is a wonderful place.”
Steven Pound MP for North Ealing said: “Fair play to the Prime Minister. He promised Rami he would present the award in person if he won for the fifth time, which he did, even though he had to dash back to Downing Street to chair the emergency Cobra meeting (on the Malaysia Airlines plane crash in the Ukraine) he still kept his promise.
“This was a great day for Rami and all the staff at one of Greenford’s finest employers.”
Sun Mark is the only company ever to have been awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise for five years. Dr Ranger has now been honoured by Her Majesty the Queen on seven occasions: six times for business and once for community service.
The company also represents many international brands such as Unilever, Nestle and Beechams in developing countries.
