GREAT Yarmouth’s Business of the Decade will be announced this Friday (November 17) at the glittering trophy presentation ceremony for the Spirit of Enterprise Awards, the biggest and most prestigious annual celebration of business excellence in the borough.
The Spirit of Enterprise Awards, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with the introduction of the special award, is organised by enterpriseGY, Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s business support service, and aims to boost confidence in the local economy by recognising top-performing firms.
After weeks of anticipation, businesses shortlisted for the various awards (see shortlist below) will find out who the winners are during a grand awards ceremony and gala dinner to be held for 200 guests at the Town Hall’s Assembly Room.
The awards scheme has nine categories and saw more than 100 entries this year, a new record. The shortlisting panel included independent judges from the business community, who supported the sponsors in the judging process.
Overall award sponsor Stephenson Smart, chartered accountants and business advisors, has selected the 2017 Business of the Year from the winners of the other categories.
Business of the Decade is a stand-alone award that was open to all businesses in the borough, with the winner chosen by facilities management and services group Norse, GYB Services and GYN Asset Management Services, the award sponsor.
The media sponsors are the Great Yarmouth Mercury and The Beach. Rob Chandler, of The Beach, will host the evening, and the guest speaker is Galton Blackiston, the local restaurateur.
The Spirit of Enterprise Awards help 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.
Cllr Graham Plant, the council leader, and Cllr Trevor Wainwright, the Labour group leader, will be attending on the evening. Cllr Plant will give a speech on behalf of the council.
Cllr Plant said: “This awards scheme, now in its milestone 10th year, is another way that the council is supporting the local economy, boosting investor confidence by highlighting brilliant businesses of all sizes, sectors and ages from across the borough.
“The prestigious awards ceremony is a highlight of the business calendar and I know that the judges had a really tough job due to the quality of the entries, so congratulations to all shortlisted finalists.
“We look forward to congratulating all the category finalists and winners, as well as the overall 2017 Business of the Year and the winner of the stand-alone Business of the Decade. We would like to thank enterpriseGY, the other council staff and TMS Media, who have been involved in organising the awards, as well as all the sponsors, including main sponsors Stephenson Smart and Norse.”
The categories and sponsors are:
- Great Manufacturing/Engineering – sponsored by Goodchild Marine
- Great New Business – sponsored by Noritake Itron
- Great Business Growth – sponsored by Bateman Groundworks
- Great Business Idea – sponsored by Seahorse Guest House
- Great Customer Services – sponsored by Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area Ltd (GYTABIA)
- Great Family Owned Business – sponsored by Birketts
- Great International Growth – sponsored by Pasta Foods
- Great Investment in People – sponsored by P&S Personnel
- Great Community Contribution – sponsored by Potters Friends Foundation
Overall award and sponsor:
- Business of the Year – sponsored by Stephenson Smart
Anniversary award and sponsor:
- Business of the Decade – sponsored by Norse, GYB Services and GYN Asset Management Services
The shortlisted finalists are:
- Great Manufacturing/Engineering – ABC Diesels Ltd, Gee Force Hydraulics, Pharos Marine
- Great New Business – Bellyboos Candy Store, Gentlemen’s HQ, Quay Pride
- Great Business Growth – Camplings Linen, CSS Cloud Ltd, Gee Force Hydraulics
- Great Business Idea – Colmans Pet Foods, Fusion Hair & Beauty, Goodchild Marine
- Great Customer Services – Imperial Hotel GY, Mocha, P&S Personnel Ltd
- Great Family Owned Business – GY Ceilings, Palmers, Sara’s Tearooms
- Great International Growth – Ninchar Offshore Recruitment, Simmons Edeco Europe Ltd, Smart eLearning Ltd
- Great Investment in People – East Coast Energy Partnership, Pharos Marine Auto Power, Stephenson Smart
- Great Community Contribution – Arthur Jary & Sons Ltd, Fusion Hair and Beauty, Twinkle Twinkle Little Party
- Business of the Decade – 3sun Group, Goodchild Marine, Great Yarmouth Ceilings
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