FOR the first time, a Northern Irish company has won the AIB Capital Markets Export Award. Mackie International, a Belfast based precision engineering company, beat three other companies to take the overall award worth £20,000.

Presenting the award, the chief executive of the AIB Group, Mr Tom Mulcahy, said it was very appropriate that in the first year the competition had been open to companies in Northern Ireland, a Belfast based firm had been judged the overall winner.

Mackie employs over 360 people and was floated on the London Stock Exchange in September 1994 and the Dublin Stock Exchange in April 1995. Exports account for around 95 per cent of its business.

The three other regional winners short listed for the award were Connaught Electronics, Pinewood Healthcare and Multi print Labels.

Two special category winners were also announced. Raidtec Corp was voted best indigenous company established in the last five years while Horseware Products won the award for the most innovative marketing approach to capturing export sales.