Proud but poignant day for communications company honoured with prestigious Royal award

Mobell Communications Ltd was awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise in the international trade category back on May 6.

The recognition was a real honour for the company, which operates from a disused coalmine site in Staffordshire, although it was bittersweet as the inspirational founder of the firm, Tony Smith, died at the age of 90 just nine days after news of the accolade was announced.

Company chairman Vince Owen, Mr Smith’s nephew, was delighted to receive the honour but he described the official presentation of the accolade on September 3 by Professor Elizabeth Barnes CBE, the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, as “especially poignant” following his uncle’s death and he added: “In some ways it was his lifetime achievement award.”

The honour was bestowed in recognition of Mobell’s significant growth after the business saw turnover double in three years.

The company, which today employs 32 staff in Hednesford and Tokyo, began in the 1980s as a small mobile phone venture renting cutting-edge cellular phone technology to businesses that needed to keep connected from hard-to-reach locations.

Tony Smith established Mobell in 1989 after experiencing the frustration of trying to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues while travelling overseas.

Today it is a global player offering a diverse suite of connectivity solutions - serving Japanese people in America, English-speakers in Japan and a mix of international travellers and residents across Asia.

Between 2021 and 2023, the period for which the award was given, Mobell sold nearly 200,000 SIM cards in Japan alone, building on a customer base of more than 600,000 globally, with many customers sticking with the company for years, drawn by its reliability and service. Mobell’s SIM products allow international jetsetters to use a single device wherever they are in the world - without incurring roaming charges.

Alongside SIMs, Mobell has launched MobalPay, a prepaid payment card designed to help foreign residents overcome banking barriers in Japan.

Mobell CEO Declan Somers said: “Mobell’s journey into Japan began with a mistake – a suitcase full of phones, all live and racking up charges. What could have been a disaster became the spark that launched our expansion into Asia. That moment, like so many in our history, was powered by action, not fear. And that mindset has shaped who we are today.”

With Japan experiencing increased interest from foreign residents and tourists, Mobell believes its services can help bring order and inclusion for travellers - and help make Japan more foreign-friendly with with its multilingual, accessible solutions.

As well as keeping people connected, the company - based in Walkers Rise off Rugeley Road - has over more than a decade grown a network of charitable partners to help change the world for the better.

Uniquely, Mobell is now wholly owned by the UK charity Krizevac Project, with every penny of profit going to support education and enterprise in Malawi, Africa.

During the time period for which the King’s Award was given, more than nine million school meals were delivered in Malawi and the charity project has helped to feed 20,000 children every school day over more than a decade.

Rental businesses seeded by Mobell profits now fund bursaries for children who could not otherwise attend school; and schools, training centres and social enterprises are being built and staffed, creating a circular economy of self-sufficiency.

Mr Somers said: “During the years for which the award was given, we didn’t just sell SIMs – we helped feed children, fund schools, and create jobs. That’s the spirit of our beautiful company.”

In a serendipitous connection the Lord-Lieutenant spoke during the awards presentation of her own visits to Malawi, having travelled there on several occasions and worked with universities in the region to support the training of businesses.

This lifted spirits against a backdrop of downpours and sadness over the loss of visionary founder Tony Smith whose death followed the unexpected passing in April of dispatch manager Sue Lockey, who had been with Mobell since its very beginnings, and the death of director Josie Smith, Tony’s sister, in June.

Chairman Vince Owen said: “The Lord-Lieutenant found us with heads down, through hard work and grief for our fallen directors and the recent unexpected demise of staff. But she left us with heads held high and a renewed vigour and enthusiasm to compete and win – for the sake of the charity which now owns us.”

He said it was a “real honour” to meet and spend time with the Lord-Lieutenant and for the efforts of “our remarkable staff to be recognised”.

Although the heavens opened, spirits were not dampened on the day which saw dignitaries, local leaders, suppliers and colleagues gather at Far Coley Farm, Little Haywood, to celebrate the Royal honour - which for Mobell was not just about the recognition of success in international markets but about reflecting on years of hard work, loss and resilience and looking to a future of growth and innovation with confidence and pride.

Mr Owen said: “Rain may have fallen, but Mobell’s star has never shone brighter.”

As a recipient of the King’s Award for Enterprise, Mobell Communications is authorised to fly the King’s Award flag at its main office and use the emblem on its marketing materials for five years. 

The company also received a Grant of Appointment, an official certificate, and a commemorative trophy. 

As well as the official presentation by the Lord Lieutenant, Kie Yoshida, a director from Mobell’s office in Japan, was also invited to Windsor Castle to meet His Majesty The King in June.