AN inaugural national stationers awards ceremony saw a North Yorkshire company win the headline prize.

Kirkbymoorside-based Ryedale Group was presented with the overall prize in the first Stationers’ Innovation Excellence Awards.

Managing director of Ryedale Group, John Buffoni said: “We are delighted to be recognised as winners by the Stationers' Company, particularly amongst such credible organisations

"We delight in using innovation to drive our company forward. We are proud to play our part as the Communications and Content sector continues to evolve to meet the needs of the future."

Twenty-four companies from across the UK were nominated in the awards.

Awards organiser, Tony Mash said: “We are delighted to have received such a strong list of nominations for these, our first awards for Innovation Excellence."

He said the purpose of the awards was to recognise the key role the Communications and Content sector plays in the UK economy by highlighting outstanding innovation able to generate future growth and prosperity for the industries concerned.

The Ryedale Group is a third generation family business dating back to the early 1950's.

From supplying printed materials locally, it has changed with the market, specialising in plastics to become a leading supplier of horticultural labels and plastic cards.

Now it continues to invest in innovation as it attempts to lead the world in printed electronics, an industry expected to be worth $200 billion by 2020.