Blackpool shone under the Illuminations once again – but the real stars of the show were the Lancashire businesses!
A sold-out Tower Ballroom of 1,100 guests gathered to watch the highlight of the county’s businesses year where 20 winners took centre stage and memories were made.
Under the iconic shadow of the BIBAs statues, Service Care Solutions scooped Business of the Year, sponsored by headline partner Lancashire County Council.
Their delight echoed across the cavernous setting with a party atmosphere from the moments the doors opened and the BIBAs team welcomed guests, sponsors, suppliers and finalists.
Amin Vepari, Senior Projects Officer at Lancashire County Council, the BIBAs headline sponsors, said: “What an incredible night! Blackpool, as ever, shone bright and all the winners and finalists were treated to a night many will never forget.
“Twelve months of hard graft have gone in to making this event what it is – the biggest and best business awards in Lancashire. Congratulations to Service Care Solutions on their win and to all the winners. Onwards and upwards for Lancashire businesses!”
The awards got underway following a sumptuous, Lancashire-based four-course meal prepared by long BIBAs suppliers, Campbell & Rowley. Guest presenter Brendan Cole welcomed guests before the awards presenters took to the stage.
Anyone up for a double? This year Blackpool-based Fox Group scooped a brace of awards by winning Construction AND Low Carbon Business of the Year.
Jasmin Lewis-Keedwell, director of End-point Assessment, sponsors pf the Construction category, said: “Lancashire’s construction industry has a diverse number of businesses, and all have been represented at these awards. A personal passion of ours is supporting apprentices into the Construction industry which we know many of these businesses have been supporting, which is fantastic to see, competition was tough. Our huge congratulations to Fox Group for their triumph!”
Ben Beetham, partnerships manager for Sustainable Energy First, said: “This year more than ever we have seen the most diverse set of businesses enter the low carbon award and the competition was fierce and very wide open. Congratulations to Fox Group on their win and commitment to going green.”
From Lancashire to the rest of the world, Orisec won this year’s Global Business of the Year, sponsored by Team Leyland. Their managing director, Mick Mayor said: “Having a global presence is the pinnacle for any business trading in the UK and this award gives them the kudos to continue to grow internationally. Congratulations to Orisec for their incredible achievement.”
In a hotly contested field, Altham-based Senator Group won Manufacturer of the Year. Caroline Turley, investment executive at FW Capital, sponsors, said: “Lancashire’s manufacturing sector continues to impress, and the calibre of this year’s award was excellent. Congratulations to all the finalists, especially our hard fought and deserved winner, The Senator Group.”
Leaping onto the stage, The Street Monkeys Academy took home the Leisure & Tourism BIBA while Blackpool-based Complete.Online won Digital & Marketing Business of the Year.
Returning for this year’s awards, the Leadership Team of the Year went to Leyland-based QA Scheme Support Services, Skills Provider of the Year went to West Lancashire College, Employer of the Year was St Annes care providers Clifton Home Care and Community Business of the Year was Burnley-based Healthier Heroes.
Longridge-based EcoProviders won the Scale Up Business of the Year, sponsored by Turnkey Corporate. John Woodruffe, partner and founder of Turnkey Corporate, said: “Scaling a business can be immensely rewarding as it has proved for our much-deserved recipient of this award. Huge congratulations to EcoProviders on their vision to grow and invest in their dreams.”
Service Business of the Year was won by the Forest Group, while New Business of the Year was scooped by HSE Advice UK and Additive Manufacturing won Micro Business of the Year.
Next up, it was a family affair for Preston-based Roccia who won Family Business, sponsored by Brabners. Tom Smith, partner, Brabners said: “Lancashire has always had a proud history of family businesses and Brabners has a team of experienced legal specialists supporting a wide range of family business leaders across the county in both professional and personal matters, which made sponsoring this year’s awards once again a perfect fit. It’s inspiring to see first-hand the quality and diversity of the family businesses that were this year’s finalists, and I’d like to congratulate Roccia on their much-deserved success.”
Blackburn engineering business B&M Longworth won the Innovative Businesses of the Year. Denys Smith-Hart, founder of I.T. specialists InterSys Micronics said “All businesses need to innovate every day to remain competitive. Sometimes, that innovation is so significant the business is catapulted to the next level. The BIBAS Innovation Award recognises and celebrates B&M Longworth as the worthy winners of this most prestigious award.
And just down the road in Nelson, Graham Engineering were celebrating winning Apprentice Team of the Year, sponsored by BAE Systems. Their spokesperson said: “Congratulations to Graham Engineering on their success and bringing in the next generation of workforce to Lancashire.”
Skelmersdale hotel Holland Hall won Small Business of the Year, sponsored by CKS Catering. Dawn Cheetham, director of CKS Catering, sponsors, said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of Lancashire and once again this category has shown the very best the county has to offer. Huge congratulations to Holland Hall on their success.”
Medium Business of the Year went to Marsden Building Society. Danny Houghton, partner at sponsors MHA, said: “Once again, the medium business of the year has been one of the most diverse and hard-fought categories and we were delighted with the calibre of companies on show. Congratulations to Marsden Building Society on their success!”
Finally, after all 20 categories were handed out and the finalists celebrated, they were all invited back onto the iconic Tower Ballroom stage to form a guard of honour for this year’s Lancastrian of the Year, Kam Kothia OBE, DL, who co-founded and is the Chair of Star Academies since 2010. Kam has been at the forefront of extending access to high-quality education for young people from disadvantaged communities, raising aspirations and improving school standards across the country.
Following proceedings, in association with the AO Arena, guests enjoyed a specially-created performance as the BIBAs very own ‘boy band’ celebrated with guests throughout their energetic and acclaimed performance of some of the biggest hits of the last three decades.
The band, who have collectively had ten number one singles and sold over 750 million records worldwide, featured of Abz from Five, Ben from Phats & Small, Another Level’s Dane Bowers, and Boyzone’s Shane Lynch.