THE Carlow-based car component maker, Lapple Ireland, has won an award for its exports to Germany, Britain and the rest of the world. Allied Irish Banks said Lapple won the Leinster section of its Capital Markets Export Award in the main because of an impressive and decisive change of marketing strategy which has yielded good results. The company, which was established in Carlow 22 years ago, is a subsidiary of Lapple GmbH, and manufactures press tools and sheet metal components for the automotive industry. It employs 260 people.