Awards presented to winners of the Spirit of Enterprise Awards 2015

THE WINNERS of the biggest and most prestigious annual celebration of business excellence in the Great Yarmouth Borough were announced at a trophy presentation ceremony, at the Town Hall, on Friday, November 20.

The Spirit of Enterprise Awards, now in its eighth year, is organised by enterpriseGY, Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s business support service, and aims to celebrate and raise the profile of top-performing firms across the borough.

The glittering ceremony, in the Town Hall’s elegant Assembly Room, saw offshore energy services business, EPIC International, announced as the overall 2015 Business of the Year in front of about 200 guests.

Special crystal trophies were also presented to the winners of the various categories at the black-tie awards ceremony, with the shortlisted finalists spanning a diversity of sectors, including energy, tourism, brewing, hair and beauty, and entertainments.

Each award was backed by a local organisation, with the sponsor in most of the cases choosing the winner in their category from three finalists shortlisted by a local independent panel or by the category sponsor themselves.

EPIC International, based in Vanguard Road, Great Yarmouth, topped two categories: Great Manufacturing/Engineering Businessand Great Business Idea. The business was also chosen as overall winner from among the category winners by main sponsor, Lovewell Blake LLP, the chartered accountants.

The partners at Lovewell Blake LLP said they were particularly impressed with EPIC International’s identification of a need in the marketplace and their ability to develop an extremely innovative solution. They also praised the directors’ passion for the product and dedication to the local skills base.

Dave Rowan, managing director of EPIC International, said: “We were overjoyed to be shortlisted for two categories, so to win both and be recognised as the 2015 Business of the Year is a real honour.

“Since being established in 2000, we have had year-on-year growth, providing operations, management and maintenance support with well service personnel, procurement and logistics services offshore, and during that time we have utilised local companies and people when and wherever possible.

“EPIC International is proud to be based in Great Yarmouth, employing some 65 to 100 people on projects out of Great Yarmouth at any time. These awards and EPIC’s day-to-day success are solely down to the hard work and dedication of our first class, long-standing personnel and local relationships.

“I would also like to thank the sponsors, as well as Great Yarmouth Borough Council. The trophies will be displayed at our offices, acting as a morale boost for everyone and sending a very positive message to our suppliers and customers.”

Cllr Graham Plant, the council leader, said: “The Spirit of Enterprise Awards has again helped to highlight the borough’s many and varied successful businesses, supporting one of the council’s priorities, which is to work with partners to help champion and enable economic growth and job creation in the area.

“I was there at the ceremony and was very impressed with the huge achievements of locally-based businesses of many different sectors, sizes and ages. I would like to congratulate all of the shortlisted finalists, category winners and the overall winner.

“I would also like to especially thank the award sponsors and the council officers, who make possible this wonderful celebration of business excellence and local economic strength. I look forward to next year’s awards.”

The shortlisted finalists in the various categories were (winners highlighted in blue):

Great Business Idea – Business Hub, Venko Offshore Ltd, EPIC International

Great New Business – Business  Hub, Simply Magic, Lacons

Great Manufacturing/Engineering Business – R&C Church, EPIC International, Tech Safe Systems

Great Family Owned Business – Pertwee & Back Ltd, Sara’s Tearooms, Arthur Jary & Sons Ltd

Great Business Growth – Spar Foodmarkets Ltd, CSS Computers Ltd, SMS Ltd

Great Customer Service – Sara’s Tearooms, Seahorse Guest House, CSS Computers Ltd

Great International Growth – Applied Acoustic Engineering Ltd, Subsea Technology and Rentals, Denholm Valvecare Ltd

Great Investment in Young People – Fusion Hair and Beauty Consultants Ltd, Aston Shaw Ltd, Claremont House and Lodge

Great Community Contribution – GY Social Media, 3sun Group, Hopton Holiday Village

2015 Business of the Year – EPIC International

The award sponsors were:

Business of the Year – sponsored by Lovewell Blake LLP

Great Manufacturing/Engineering Business – sponsored by Great Yarmouth College

Great New Business – sponsored by Noritake Itron

Great International Growth – sponsored by GYB Services Ltd

Great Investment in Young People – sponsored by Subsea Technology and Rentals

Great Business Growth – sponsored by the Great Yarmouth Mercury

Great New Business Idea – sponsored by Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm

Great Community Contribution – sponsored by P&S Personnel

Great Customer Service – sponsored by Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area

Great Family Owned Business – sponsored by Birketts LLP

• The Spirit of Enterprise Awards is the centrepiece of a two-year programme of enhanced activities by enterpriseGY, funded by the Coastal Communities Fund, which aims to create and safeguard more than 260 jobs, address seasonality and raise the perception of Great Yarmouth to that of the “Enterprise Town for Business Growth and Job Creation”.

• enterpriseGY, based at The Conge, Great Yarmouth, is a borough council-supported and CCF-funded programme for start-up and existing businesses in Great Yarmouth offering business support, business advice and training.

• The Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) aims to encourage the economic development of UK coastal communities by awarding funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs. The Big Lottery Fund is delivering the CCF on behalf of UK Government and the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

• EPIC International was set up in Great Yarmouth 15 years ago by Dave Rowan and has worked at the heart of the oil and gas industries in the Southern North Sea (SNS). EPIC has worked for most major North Sea operators and other major companies on a worldwide basis from Great Yarmouth. EPIC’s turnover has grown year-on-year to £11.3m last year and employs 65 to 100 people on projects out of Great Yarmouth at any time.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council – Customer Focused, Performance Driven

www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk

 

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