The forty-five family businesses through to the final stage of the Midlands Family Business Awards 2017 have been announced, with thirty-six East Midlands family firms taking 45 of the coveted finalist places in this year’s ten award categories.
The East Midlands dominates the headline Midlands Family Business of the Year with four Lincolnshire, one Leicestershire and one Derby business taking the finalist slots.
Amongst the East Midlands roll call of finalists across the remaining categories are Derby’s NK Motors, shortlisted in three Awards, and Lincolnshire’s Orderwise is a finalist in two categories this year.
Also through to the final stage are Leicester’s Dalycom, Nottingham’s A1 Flue Systems, Ballards Removals and Wilkins Group, Derbyshire family businesses Ward Recycling, Morley Hayes and Magenta, whilst the current holder of the Best Small Family Business Award, Bambino Mio, is shortlisted in the International Trade Award.
Nine West Midlands family businesses between them take fourteen finalists places in the awards in a range of categories including Best Small Family Business, Fastest Growing Family Business, Employer of the Year and Manufacturing Excellence.
All finalists now meet the Awards’ individual category independent judging panels, with each one led by a leading family business person, supported by a sponsor representative, an industry expert and representative from the Awards team.
The finalists are also automatically entered into the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Streets Chartered Accountants, which will see them face the public vote to find the overall Winner and Highly Commended businesses.
The winners and final results remain a tightly kept secret until the Awards ceremony and black-tie dinner on Thursday 9th November 2017 at Derby Velodrome, which will be attended by more than 300 guests including representatives from all of this year’s forty-four finalists.
Now in their eighth year, the not-for-profit Midlands Family Business Awards are backed and run by The Wilson Organisation. The firm’s MD Charlotte Perkins, the third generation of the family to lead the business alongside her sister Annabel Prow, explains:
“The Awards are the region’s only independent initiative to recognise the work and achievements of family businesses. Each of this year’s entrants demonstrate the exceptional pedigree of the family businesses based across the Midlands, and the finalists together prove the family business sector’s vital contribution to the region’s economy. We wish all finalists the very best when they meet the judges in the final round.”
The full line-up of finalists in the ten categories for 2017 is:
Family Business of the Year
Sponsored by Bonningtons
Micronclean (Skegness, Lincolnshire)
NK Motors Ltd (Derby)
Orderwise (Lincoln)
Rilmac Group (Lincolnshire)
RW Stokes & Sons (Lincoln)
S&J European Haulage (Leicestershire)
Best Small Family Business
Sponsored by John Pye Auctions
Airband Community Internet (Worcester)
Obam Stairlifts (Lincoln)
Premier Care (Mansfield, Nottinghamshire)
Quadzilla Quads (Lincolnshire)
River Canal Rescue (Stafford)
Rydale Roofing Ltd (Newcastle, Staffordshire)
International Trade
Sponsored by Barclays
Bambino Mio (Northampton)
Crofts & Assinder (Birmingham)
Plum Products (Lincolnshire)
Ramsden International (Grimsby, Lincolnshire)
The Wilkins Group (Nottingham)
Ward Recycling (Woodville, Derbyshire)
Fastest Growing Family Business
Sponsored by PwC
Airband Community Internet (Worcester)
Corporate Solutions Logistics (Birmingham)
NK Motors (Derby)
Oakwood Training Group (Market Harborough, Leicestershire)
Open Study College (Birmingham)
Rilmac Scaffolding (Lincoln)
Employer of the Year
Sponsored by Royal London
Absolute Works (Kenilworth, Warwickshire)
Ballards removals (Newark, Nottinghamshire)
Dalycom (Mount Sorrell, Leicestershire)
Morley Hayes (Derbyshire)
Orderwise (Lincoln)
River Canal Rescue (Stafford)
Director of the Year
Sponsored by Midland Conference Services
A1 Flue Systems – TJ Duncan-Moir
Corporate Solutions Logistics – Des Ponsonby
G Wathall & Son – Helen Wathall
Magenta (UK) Ltd – Steve Lloyd
NK Motors – Sanj Kumar (Derby)
Truelove Property & Construction – Barrie Trulove (Lincoln)
Best Use of Digital
Sponsored by Distinction
Dalycom (Leicestershire)
DerbyDaysOut.co.uk (Derby)
Dupree Creative (Bytham, Nottinghamshire)
Ideal Manufacturing (Northamptonshire)
Micronclean (Skegness, Lincolnshire)
The Workplace Depot (Bingham, Nottinghamshire)
Service Excellence
Sponsored by Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Advance Performance UK (Peterborough)
Ballards Removals (Newark, Nottinghamshire)
Firstaid4sport Ltd (Lincoln)
KFE Ltd (Peterborough)
River Canal Rescue (Stafford)
Systematic print management (Lincolnshire)
Manufacturing Excellence
Sponsored by The Wilson Organisation
A1 Flue Systems (Newark, Nottinghamshire)
Allen Signs (Lincoln)
GemPort Jewellery (Birmingham)
Ideal Manufacturing (Northamptonshire)
Mtag Composites (Lincolnshire)
Warrior Doors (Tyseley, Birmingham).
For more information about the Midlands Family Business Awards: www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.
The Awards are the only independent not-for-profit Awards for family businesses in the Midlands. Their organiser The Wilson Organisation provides innovative insurance and financial solutions to businesses and individuals both regionally and nationally. For more information, visit: www.wilorg.com, or Tel: 0115 942 0111.
