ENTREPRENEURIAL entrants in one of the North-east’s most prestigious business awards are celebrating after reaching the final stages of the competition.
The Grampian Awards for Business Excellence, which are in their 15th year, received a record number of registrations from local businesses, resulting in a 16 per cent increase in applications.
Finalists in the competition, which is run by Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise), along with headline sponsors RBS – Ahead For Business, consists of 28 contenders in the ten award categories, including young up-and-coming businesses, family owned enterprises and long established companies in the Grampian area.
Gary McEwan, chief executive of Enterprise, said: “Following a rise in applications in this year’s awards, judges had the hard task of narrowing the entrants down from 115 applications to just 27 finalists. These figures demonstrate that there is a high volume of talented entrepreneurs and businesses in the North-east.
“The awards support and showcase the success of entrepreneurship in business and we are delighted to see such a good variety of businesses reaching the final stages of the competition.”
Mike Fergusson, RBS director of commercial banking, added: “This year’s finalists are truly outstanding and reflect the diversity of business in the North-east of Scotland.
“These organisations have achieved exceptional success even during tough economic conditions and they should all be very proud. RBS is honoured to support the awards and I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the finalists and wish them every success for the final.”
Finalists in nine of the ten awards categories are as follows:
· Most Promising New Business – sponsored by Business Gateway: FlexTech, Graham Dawson Body & Paintshop Ltd, and The Food Story Café
· Business Success Under Three Years – sponsored by RBS Ahead for Business: Auto Verdi Ltd, Granite Park, SengS Subsea Engineering Solutions Ltd
· Business Success Over Three Years – sponsored by RBS Ahead For Business: Blaze Manufacturing Solutions, Grampian Continental, and Inoapps
· The Grampian Award for Innovation – sponsored by Enerco Group: Meta, Novabiotics Ltd, and Town Rock Energy
· The ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ Award – sponsored by partner Aberdeen City Council: Prime Event Management, Stompers/Technoplay, and Tide Studio
· Enterprising Communities Award – sponsored by partner Aberdeenshire Council: Aberdeen Sports Village, CLAN Cancer Support, and Home-Start Aberdeen
· Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by Optima Solutions: Ben Iravani of Monkey Bars Aberdeen, James Gregg of Motive Offshore, and Barry Park of OEM Diesel Products Ltd
· Employer of the Year – sponsored by Empire: Accord Energy Solutions, Bowtech Products Ltd, and Indigo
· Entrepreneurial Supporter of the Year – sponsored by the Federation of Small Businesses: Andrew Smith of ABNCommunity, Liz Pirie of Business Gateway, and Simon Morgan of Business Network Scotland/Grampian WeddingDirectory/Your Wedding Exhibition/House of Morgan
This year’s Entrepreneur of the Year category will not have finalists. One winner will be selected following the judging day on Wednesday 14 of May.
As an additional benefit this year, a special finalists celebration event will beheld in April before the last stage of the race to claim gold in the awardsceremony in June.
The black tie awards gala ceremony will be held at the Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel on Thursday 26 June 2014.
Issued by Frasermedia Ltd on behalf of Enterprise North EastTrust (Enterprise)
20 March 2014
Contact details:
Donna Ross, account manager, Frasermedia Ltd
Email donna@frasermedia.co.uk, Tel (01224) 857999/ 07788 316444
Gary McEwan Tel (01224) 289700
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