Burlington Slate won its third Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1991

The presentation was made by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Sir Charles Graham, to Lady Cavendish, the company's director of public relations, at a celebration lunch at Kirkby.

The company's principal export markets were in the United States and Canada, Japan, Korea, the Far East, as well as Europe.

PRESENTATION: Viscount Whitelaw presented the BS5750 Quality Assurance certificate to managing director David Wallace (far left) at Burlington Slate’s Kirkby-in-Furness quarry

The Far Eastern market was providing the biggest growth area and in 1990 Burlington had landed its largest-ever order, with Japan.

The company had won the award previously in 1969 and 1984.

Burlington Slate at Kirkby had supplied slate for what was believed to be the UK's largest clock of its kind in 1992.

PROUD RECORD: Burlington Slate Ltd in 1995

The 8.5m diameter clock set in the floor of Abbey Life Assurance Company's new headquarters in Bournemouth was crafted from 32 sections of Burlington blue-grey honed slate depicting 24 Roman numerals.

Taking the form of a horizontal sundial, the clock functioned from computer-controlled lights which turned on at five-minute intervals until the whole clock was illuminated.

In 1994 the Kirkby quarry firm was going into the furniture business with a £250,000 machine capable of cutting anything from table tops to fireplaces from solid stone.

Burlington's computer-controlled profile milling machine could produce high-quality products for offices and the home.

EXPERT: Slate river Ted Cotton splits slates in 1994

The machinery was in full use and the firm was looking to supply designer interiors for new and refurbished corporate, commercial or domestic interiors.

Burlington had launched a wide range of products in Kirkby slate, including vanity and kitchen tops, work surfaces, reception desks, table tops, fireplaces, stair treads, skirtings and architraves.

Using the Italian-designed Contourbreton NC120 machinery, any design template from an architect or interior designer could be translated into a series of computer-controlled instructions.

Marketing director Malcolm Hatch said: "The investment reaffirms Burlington Slate's commitment to supplying interior products of the highest quality."