BLACK and Decker’s European research and development centre, based in the region, has secured an international design award.

The centre, in Green Lane, Spennymoor, County Durham, has received the Red Dot Design award for their work on a new range of strimmers.

The award, to the industrial design team, alongside engineering, computer aided design and surfacing colleagues at the centre, is awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, in Germany. It is aimed at honouring outstanding design quality and trendsetters.

Mark Stratford, industrial design manager for Europe, who led the team, said: “Our traditional process has involved the development of a specific product to meet a market requirement.

“This strimmer range, based upon a platform design for 23 different versions of the product, goes beyond such targeting and overcomes the resource, investment and engineering time inefficiencies of individual product development.”