The awards, which took place on 18 May at the St Mellion International Resort, highlight the most innovative companies in the county. This particular gong, of which KCS has twice been runner up, was presented by ex-England rugby international Matt Dawson.

KCS won in the main due to its continued production of the only inkjet-printed 1D and 2D Royal Mail returns barcodes in the country, an offering instituted in late 2015 after a £200,000 investment in Domino inkjet heads.

The 28-staff Launceston-based company, which is headed up by managing director Terrye Teverson, overcame competition from sports equipment manufacturer Rugged Interactive, ethical clothing company Celtic & Co and spiral staircase manufacturer Spiral UK.

KCS account manager Zoe Deadman said she was delighted to have beaten a crowd of nominees that included a former Dragons' Den contestant (Rugged Interactive).

“We always think print is going to be dumbed down in some way because it’s not seen as as sexy as some of the other things people make,” said Deadman. 

“It was seen that we were doing something very innovative within a sector that isn’t always seen that way outside of the industry, and it was recognised that we had made headway in terms of exporting, and this has taken us into a particular niche that sets us aside from others.” 

KCS, which is aiming for £3.2m in sales by the end of this year, recently expanded its factory footprint by 190sqm to allow for growth.