Winners Celebrate at Gala Awards Night
Winners Celebrate at Gala Awards Night
Companies from across the Gwent area were honoured at a glittering awards presentation as the Oscars of the local business world were handed out.
More than 350 people attended this year’s bigger and better Monmouthshire Business Awards last Friday night (October 6).
The gala dinner and presentation night at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport concluded a hugely-successful awards 2017 awards that saw a threefold increase in entries.
This year’s awards were expanded to cover the ‘old Monmouthshire’ – towns and cities that were part of the county prior to 1965.
The ‘back to the future’ approach opened the awards to entries from businesses beyond the current Monmouthshire county to Newport, Caerleon, Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale and Caerphilly.
Broadcaster Hywel James revealed this year’s winners when he hosted the gala night. Despite the increase in size this year, the awards retained their relaxed, friendly approach.
Mr James appeared on stage apparently fresh from being chased down ski slopes by gun-toting assassins in a James Bond spoof video. And the evening ended with the traditional and hilarious outtakes from the finalists’ video shoots.
The top award this year went to Newport-based timber firm Premier Forest Products, who were named Company of the Year.
And the funniest moment went to Excellence in Manufacturing winner HJ Weir Engineering of Chepstow, whose holidaying managing director Ross Weir accepted the award via a spoof live satellite video feed from Barbados.
MBA founder and director Janet Harris said:
“This was the biggest and best awards we have staged by far and the atmosphere at the gala dinner and presentation night was second to none.
“Everyone was supportive of every single nominee, and there was a real feeling that we were all there to celebrate the fantastic and innovative businesses operating in this area of Wales.
“Next year’s awards are already confirmed and the planning starts now.”
Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor of next year’s Monmouthshire Business Awards, which will take place on October 19, 2018, should call 01633 891514 or email: [email protected]
This year’s winners were:
- Company of the Year (sponsored by Hicks Logistics): Premier Forest Products, Newport. Also nominated: Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport; Estuary Oils, Rogiet;
- Best Small Business (sponsored by Spectrum): Axis Chiropractic, Newport. Also nominated: King Financial Services, Pontypool; Welsh ICE, Caerphilly; Miracle Workers, Abergavenny.
- Excellence in Manufacturing (sponsored by Reid Lifting): HJ Weir Engineering, Chepstow. Also nominated: Keen Attachments, Caldicot; Capital Valley Plastics, Cwmavon.
- Hospitality, Travel and Tourism (sponsored by Celtic Manor Resort): Chepstow Racecourse. Also nominated; The Whitebrook, Monmouth; The Lion Hotel, Blaenavon.
- Excellence in Small Food and Drink Producers (sponsored by Monmouthshire Housing Association): Blaenafon Cheddar Company, Blaenavon. Also nominated: Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport; White Castle Vineyard, Abergavenny.
- Young Apprentice (sponsored by Y Prentis): Ellie Curtis, Little Tigers Daycare, Rogiet. Also nominated: Russell Beale, Vinci, Newport; Chester Maclean Rowles, Lovell, Cardiff.
- New Business Start-Up (sponsored by Business in Focus): Help4Wales Foundation, Caerphilly. Also nominated: HMO Heaven, Newport; Horton’s Coffee House, Newport.
- Excellence in Innovation (sponsored by A2Z Computing): Capital Valley Plastics, Cwmavon. Also nominated: Siltbuster, Monmouth; Flame Protect UK, Abertillery.
- Young Entrepreneur (sponsored by Coleg Gwent): Michael McLeod, UniGreenScheme, Mamhilad. Also nominated: Emily Hicks, Emily Hicks Creative Design, Caerphilly; Owen Richards, Big Lemon Creative, Caerphilly.
- Excellence in Marketing (sponsored by Hello Starling): AluK, Chepstow. Also nominated: Axis Chiropractic, Newport; Impact School Improvement, Caerphilly.
- Excellence in Exporting and International Trade (sponsored by Monmouthshire Business Awards): Reid Lifting, Chepstow. Also nominated: Keen Attachments, Caldicot; HJ Weir Engineering, Chepstow.
Additional MBA sponsors this year were Torfaen County Borough Council, Broomfield Alexander, Chepstow Racing, AluK and Friars Walk.
Excellence in Innovation
Excellence in Innovation
Entry Criteria:
- Must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Newport, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.
- The business must have started trading and be at least 6 months old.
- Entrants must provide comprehensive information regarding their product / service / solution.
- Any of the following areas should be considered for achievement:
- invention, design or production;
- marketing and distribution;
- after sales support, digital-based business, product, service or process and can include internal systems as well as customer-facing.
- The application should also include evidence of:
- The way your product or service has made a real change in your marketplace.
- The successes of your product or service.
- Customer satisfaction.
New Business Start-up
New Business Start-up
Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Newport.
- The business must have started trading and be between 6 months and 18 months old.
- The application should also include the following areas:
- Reasons for starting the business
- Knowledge of the business market
- Knowledge of competitors and how their business is different
- Research into the needs of the market/future trends
- Details of any business support/training they have received
- How you market your business using social media
- What your future business development plans are
- Details of your website and social media
- The application will not be accepted unless all areas of the application form are completed
The Green Award
The Green Award
Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Newport.
- The application should also include evidence of:
- how you help keep your business green
- future plans on developing your green policies
Excellence in Manufacturing
Excellence in Manufacturing
Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Newport.
- The application should also include evidence of:
- Strong leadership
- Performance measurement & management
- Skills & Training
- Continuous Improvement
- Communications including visuals
- Safety culture
Best Small Business
Best Small Business
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Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Newport, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen
- The business must have been trading for at least 2 years.
- The business must have under 10 employees.
- The application should also include evidence of:
- An established market position.
- Potential for sustained growth.
- Customer and staff engagement.
- Effective leadership and management.
- An ethical approach to business.
- Strong business results.
Hospitality, Travel and Tourism
Hospitality, Travel and Tourism
Old Monmouthshire is blessed with some outstanding tourist attractions, wonderful restaurants and eateries, and booming tourism businesses to complement the county’s beautiful countryside and charming towns.
To stand out from this high-quality field, entrants in the “Hospitality, Travel & Tourism” category will need to demonstrate how they go the extra mile to give visitors a remarkable experience and make them want to return.
Attention to detail and getting all the little things right to create a an unforgettable experience is what counts in this business, and it’s what we will be looking for from the award candidates. We want to know what is truly unique about your business and what you are most proud of – tell us your story.
Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Newport, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.
- Applications will be welcome from the following sectors:
- Self catering accommodation
- Serviced accommodation
- Attraction
- Restaurant/Food Outlet/Catering
- Conference Facility/Venue
- The application should include evidence of:
- A distinctive sense of place (e.g. use of local ingredients, suppliers and/or recipes associated with area, local materials used in the building, local arts/ crafts on display)
- How they promote the area and attract visitors to the destination
- A good / excellent hygiene rating (if applicable)
- Use of customer feedback to improve customer experience
- What’s unique about your business and why it stands out from your competitors
- How you invest in your people
- What the future looks like for your business
Excellence in Marketing
Excellence in Marketing
Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Newport, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.
- The business must have started trading and be between 6 months and 18 months old.
- Open to individuals and to staff teams
- The application should also include evidence of:
- Show evidence of a ‘plan’
- Show that you acted on your plan
- Demonstrate awareness of results / levels of achievement
- Demonstrates a forward thinking approach
- Creativity in your marketing campaigns
Company of the Year
Company of the Year
Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Newport, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.
- The application should also include evidence of:
- A sound business plan, Sales and Marketing strategy
- Strong leadership with the ability to drive the business forward
- An excellent record of staff training and development
- Product / Service / Design Innovation
- Customer satisfaction
- Employee involvement at all levels of the business
- Environmental awareness and a commitment to the community
- Employer of choice locally
- Show evidence of local job creation
- Show the value added to the economy in the “Old Monmouthshire” area and the benefits linked with the local community
- Show a degree of local sourcing of suppliers
- Provide evidence of achievements on a local level within “Old Monmouthshire”
Young Entrepreneur
Young Entrepreneur
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Entry Criteria:
- The business must be based within the “Old Monmouthshire” border, an area that includes Monmouthshire, Newport, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.
- You, and all business partners, must be aged 30 yrs old or younger
- The application should also include evidence of:
- A robust business
- Demonstrable success
- Clear business strategy
- The applicants relevant skills to operate within their marketplace or what they’re doing to acquire these skills
The Judges will be looking for energy, vision, passion and innovation in your business.