A Manchester company is showing other British firms how to help the economy take off – with booming sales of flight simulators to China.

Now EDM, based in Newton Heath, has won a special award from UK Trade and Investment in recognition of its achievements.

The 40-year-old firm has picked up the China Business Award for the North West on the strength of increasing its sales to the Asia-Pacific powerhouse, which now account for almost half of its total exports worth £4.5m.

EDM has done business with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, as well as a number of airlines in the country such as Shandong and Shenzhen.

Only four years ago its exports to China amounted to just 2% of its overseas trade.

Philomena Chen, Head of Asia Pacific development for UKTI North West, said: “EDM has shown a consistent commitment to Greater China, and a very well planned and determinedly executed strategy, which has brought great success in a challenging market and sector.”

And Clive Drinkwater, regional director for UKTI North West, said: “This year’s England’s North West Greater China Awards are a great celebration of those businesses which have done the most to strengthen the links between our two economies.”

Last year, EDM also won the North West EEF Future Manufacturing Awards for Outstanding Export and in 2010 it made the Sunday Times International Track 100 Annual league table of Britain's private companies with the fastest growing international sales.

EDM started as a design proving and modelling business before the advent of computer-aided design.  

It provides simulated training equipment for commercial aviation and simulators for military and commercial customers.

AstraZeneca UK Ltd, Enterprise Q Ltd, Flint Percussion and Lancaster University were also shortlisted in the North West Greater China Awards.