Weather
Six of the best
From the Bolton Evening News, first published Tuesday 1st Feb 2005.
BOLTON celebrated the dynamic, entrepreneurial spirit of its business community at the annual On Track Awards dinner on Mondy night.
The event, in the Reebok Stadium's Platinum Suite, was attended by more than 200 guests and is one of the highlights of the business year.
Six awards were presented as part of the On Track initiative, which is run by Bolton Council's business support unit to help new high growth businesses or start-ups with high growth potential.
It provides consultancy, IT support, specialised business workshops and an ongoing advice service.
The ceremony began with an introduction from Iain Duncan of HSBC, the evening's sponsors.
The guest speaker for the evening was David Singleton, senior vice president of Reebok in Europe and Africa, who told the audience that it was an entrepreneurial spirit that led to worldwide success for another Bolton business.
He said: "In 1890, Bolton entrepreneur Joseph Foster had an idea.
"Athletes wanted to run faster, so he made shoes with spikes in them. Now that business, Reebok, is a $3.8 billion worldwide industry, with one of the most recognised and sought-after brand logos in the world."
The awards were:
Best Use of Technology, sponsored by the University of Bolton and business support group ChamberLink, went to the technology company, Open Hosting.
The firm was formed in December 2003 by Jonathan Buckle, Chris Byrd and David Buckle and provides space for websites on the servers it operates.
It also now provides dedicated servers for business customers' IT systems, including the NHS.
The judges said: "Having recently acquired an American company, they now host more than 5,000 domains and anticipate turnover of £3.5 million within five years and are are clearly on the road to success."
lBusiness Performance of the Year, presented by Keoghs solicitors, went to diversity consultants Performance Through Inclusion, whose revolutionary software for measuring workplace diversity was recently featured in the Bolton Evening News.
The judges said that PTI partners Tony Burnett and Simon Kettleborough were passionate about helping organisations value everybodyís contribution in equal measure.
This led the company to support businesses across the country, as wellas in Europe and South Africa.
lYoung Entrepreneur of the Year went to 25-year-old Gary Lovatt of Moorish Idol Marketing. Mr Lovatt started the business in May 2003, just months after the branding idea for his company came to him as he swam in the sea off Fiji.
"I had been snorkelling, and I saw the most beautiful fish I had ever seen. I knew straight away that I wanted that fish to be my brand, and then I discovered it was called the Moorish Idol."
The judges said: "Mr Lovatt clearly demonstrated that age is no barrier in establishing his credentials in a competitive environment, exceeding all the financial projections in his business plans."
* Top Team of the Year, sponsored by Barlow Andrews, went to Playdays Daycare Nursery in Blackrod, and the partners behind the venture, Carland Ruth West and Colin and Jayne Higham.
The group took just 12 months to fully convert an old grammar schoolinto a modern day nursery which opened in August 2004, meeting localneeds and now employing 11 people.
The judges said: "None of this would have been possible without the principals getting a good team around them in raising the finance, obtaining grants, completing the necessary refurbishment and obtaining the various accreditations. With a superb team now running the businesses, reaching full capacity within 18 months from start is now a realistic goal."
* Sustainable Business of the Year, sponsored by Core GCS, went to the unique "one-stop shop" environmental business, Conservation Contracts North West (CCNW).
The business was established by Ian Eddleston, John Ellis and Gareth Lowe through a self-funded management buyout from the rationalisation of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers in March 2003. It was incorporated a year later.
Rather than specialising in one area of the sector such as tree felling or landscaping, CCNW offers a comprehensive "one stop shop" service for a range of customers, which now includes localauthorities and utility companies.
"The company clearly demonstrates that it embraces its economic, socialand environmentalresponsibilities," said the judges. "Already employing eight people and trading profitably, this is a company that clearly knows where it is going."
* Business Personality of the Year, sponsored by TotalDigitalSolutions, went to Diane Pilling of the Affordable Accounts Group, which formed in May 2003.
Diane, a former college lecturer, spotted two gaps in the market. "Traditional accountants were not fulfilling the ever-changing needs of small businesses either by speed of turnaround or in the agreement of fees upfront," she said.
She also spotted a skills network being underused.
"I knew talented people who for one reason or another could not work in a traditionalaccounts office environment, so when I was ready to employ people, I tapped into this market, with my team allworking from home around their own family commitments, and donít necessarily need or want to work between nine and five."
The judges said: "Diane now employs ten in her team, with a waiting list of people wanting to join as her business expands. She is clearly a business personality who shines and is an example to others."
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
