John Packer Ltd Receives Queen’s Prestigious Award

John Packer Ltd has proudly received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category. Announced officially on Her Majesty The Queen’s birthday on 21 April, the Queen’s Award is the highest official UK award for British business.

John Packer Ltd – a Taunton-based brass and woodwind musical instrument retailer which has been in business for more than 40 years – demonstrated substantial international growth in overseas earnings and commercial success within the musical instrument manufacturing and retailing sector over the last four years.

The core success is owed to the increased international trade of the company’s manufacturing division – bearing the name of the company founder John Packer. ‘JP Musical Instruments’ are exported worldwide to a network of more than 300 music retailers.

Rob Hanson, Director of John Packer Ltd. expressed the company’s honour at receiving the award, telling A4B: “The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is highly prestigious and globally recognised, so we are very proud of how the company has forged an international presence, from a humble instrument repair service. It’s also of huge personal pride to John Packer that instruments which bare his name are used so widely – by education services, all manner of bands and professional players from Taunton to Tonga, the Midwest to Moscow, Ireland to Iceland.”

With the increased notoriety of the brand, John Packer Ltd has successfully collaborated with other international manufacturers, such as Smith-Watkins – whom supply instruments to the Ministry of Defence, Michael Rath Trombones, Sterling Musical Instruments and Taylor Trumpets.

Mr Hanson, who has led the collaborations, said: “Our passion and commitment to customer service and longevity are paramount to our success and growth. But we’re also keen to keep expanding our range and building on our successful design collaborations so that we can continue to serve a universal desire to make music.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of the County, Her Majesty The Queen’s local representative, Mrs Anne Maw, will present the Award to the John Packer Ltd. later this year. The company directors will also attend a reception at Buckingham Palace in June this year.