Active Securities
Commenting on the award to Active Securities in the Best Small to Medium Sized Business category, Financial Services sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "By harnessing the talent of its staff and making use of a cutting edge end-to-end loan management system, Active, in only a few years, has shaken up the loans market and become a global player in the provision of consumer and commercial finance. Its figures stack up nicely too. In 2010 annual revenue reached £2.9 million, an incredible rise of 728%, and £4.7 million in 2011. The growth rate for the loan business in 2012 was heading towards 219% a figure any bank would envy. Capexpand loan online merchants cash advances of up to £20,000. 247Moneybox provide fast cash advances to individuals for their short-term money needs."
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O Spa
Commenting on the award to O Spa in the Best New Business category, Health & Beauty sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "O Spa has proved that the death of high street is greatly exaggerated. Founder Sarah Smith has breathed new life into Solihull's high street with a luxury spa that offers a wide range of pampering services including osteopathy, acupuncture, manicures, pedicures, massages and facials. Clients can pop in for a quick nail fix or stay all day and indulge themselves in the full range of therapies. Sarah believes that more affluent people are looking for quality beauty therapies rather than a speedy service and she is now preparing to open more outlets in other wealthy areas."
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The Green Recruitment Company
Commenting on the award to The Green Recruitment Company in the Best New Business category, Professional Services sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Quick to spot a gap in the market to provide specialist staff for the burgeoning green market, The Green Recruitment Company has blossomed into a thriving concern in only two years. Set up by two directors, it now has 14 staff; an office in London and another in Scotland; 65 clients and a turnover of more than £630,000 for the year to August 2012. With all companies keen to cut their carbon footprint getting in at the early stages of a new opportunity is always a good move."
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Environmental Mobile Control Ltd
Commenting on the award to Environmental Mobile Control Ltd (EMC) in the Best Corporate Social Responsibility category, Telecommunications sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Every year millions upon millions of mobile phones are thrown away across Europe as consumers switch to the latest model. Thanks to EMC not all end up as toxic electronic scrap in landfill sites. For more than 20 years EMC has been recovering and recycling handsets and laptops, and putting them back into use in some of the poorest areas of Africa. EMC is a highly deserving winner of this award for making a huge difference to the lives of some the poorest people in the world and making an effort to clean up the environment."
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Finegreen Associates
Commenting on the award to Finegreen Associates in the Best Small to Medium Sized Business category, Business Support sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Finegreen Associates is an excellent example of a recruitment company that has thrived in a difficult market and won new business where others have folded. Most of its business comes from the NHS and despite cuts to budgets; Finegreen has generated strong income by developing a creative networking strategy, building up its reputation as a quality supplier and working as a partner with clients. It has reinvested in the company and staff training; and is now expanding overseas. Finegreen is a smart operator with a brilliant future."
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Dr Husein and Dr Nisreen Salem, Precious Cells International
Commenting on the award to Dr Husein and Dr Nisreen Salem in the Outstanding Personal Achievement category, Health sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Dr Husein and Dr Nisreen Salem are pioneers in the scientific area of stem cell technology and were the first to launch a family stem cell bank. Their business Precious Cells is the first company to offer people the opportunity to store healthy cells from different parts of the body over the long term for use in the future should they become ill. Described as bioinsurance, the couple are at the forefront of a technology that will revolutionise treatments and outcomes for millions of people."
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McEwan Fraser Legal - Solicitors and Estate Agents
Commenting on the award to McEwan Fraser Legal in the Best Product/Service category, Professional Services sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Solicitors and estate agency McEwan Fraser Legal has come up with an innovative solution to get the stagnant housing market in central Scotland moving. Normally part-exchange is only available from builders of new properties but through its partner McEwan Fraser Investments, the company offers a part-exchange scheme whereby it offers clients an attractive cash price for their property. This helps those who need to move and those stuck in a chain. Sales are now going through the roof and so are profits."
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Drink Me Chai (Tea UK Ltd)
Commenting on the award to Drink Me Chai (Tea UK Ltd) in the Best Product/Service category, Retail sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Drink Me Chai's range of instant flavoured chai latte drinks, based on the original tea drinks served by the Chai Wallahs in India for centuries, has brewed up a storm in the beverages market. Founder Amanda Hamilton must be congratulated for discovering chai lattes in the US a decade ago and introducing them to the UK, which is no mean feat. She developed her own instant version at her kitchen table and the Drink Me Chai brand is now sold in supermarkets and cafés up the down the country. Cheers to a great success."
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Newton Europe
Commenting on the award to Newton Europe in the Best Employer category, Business Support sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "What really impressed the judges is the way Newton Europe has gone about doing just everything it can to retain ambitious and talented young graduates. It employs the cream from the top universities and realising that its people are its future, it is vital to the company that these young recruits stay with the company. To keep them interested and challenged, it has implemented a number of schemes including fast-track promotions, mentoring and social events. Looking after its staff is a strategy that has paid off and since its launch in 2001, Newton has achieved year-on-year growth of 35%."
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McEwan Fraser Legal
Commenting on the award to McEwan Fraser Legal in the Best Small to Medium Sized Business category, Professional Services sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Any company that can take the pain out of moving home deserves an award. McEwan Fraser Legal has achieved just this. It has taken the estate agency business into a new era of efficiency by introducing top quality customer service and a part-exchange scheme, which enables people to move home in a stagnant market. Each property is presented in a beautiful magazine-styled online brochure and customers can monitor their transaction using an interactive online tracking system. Moving home in Scotland has now got to be a lot easier."
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First Colour
Commenting on the award for Best Customer Focus to First Colour, Andrew Areoff, chairman of the judges, said: "A lot of companies talk about going the extra mile, but First Colour have demonstrated they do just that, time and again - for example when they got important documents to Borneo in time for client's training event. The company clearly has a strong can-do culture and gives prompt, reliable service, consistently achieving high customer satisfaction ratings. A very worthy winner of the Best Customer Focus award. Many congratulations to First Colour."
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Technica Solutions
Commenting on the Best Customer Focus award in the Best Business Awards to Technica Solutions, Andrew Areoff, chairman of the Judges, said: "Technica Solutions has more than doubled turnover in the last three years thanks to an outstanding policy of listening to their customers, and meeting and exceeding their expectations. At a time when many companies rely on automated phone systems, it is refreshing to hear of a company that is going the extra mile to ensure their clients are extremely well served by a fast and efficient IT service company."
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The Original Factory Shop
Commenting on the award for Best New Product/Service to The Original Factory Shop, Andrew Areoff, chairman of the judges, said: "The Original Factory Shop is the forefront of a new retail revolution - shopping online but in-store. This innovative service appeals to many customers who are wary of online transactions - the shop makes the online orders on their behalf, and the customers enjoy the experience of still going to a store while getting the best deals on the internet. Congratulations to The Original Factory Shop for creating a successful service that delivers the best of both worlds for thousands of their customers."
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Transport for London
Commenting on the award for Best Innovation to Transport for London, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the judges, said: "Transport for London has showed that the London Underground is a world-class service during the most challenging of circumstances in an historic year. The innovation in establishing WiFi on the underground has taken the digital age to a new level and TfL deserves to be congratulated for a fantastic achievement that many other underground networks are struggling to attain."
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Andy Williamson, The Air Ambulance Service
Commenting on the award for Outstanding Personal Achievement to Andy Williamson, Chief Executive of The Air Ambulance Service, Andrew Areoff, chairman of the judges said: "Andy Williamson has transformed the fortunes of The Air Ambulance Service so it has expanded into a successful, thriving organisation that also includes a bespoke hospital transfer service for seriously ill children as well as emergency medical care. All this has been achieved without government funding or lottery grants - a phenomenal achievement that would not have been possible without the vision, determination, and passion of the organisation's outstanding Chief Executive."
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MA Assist Ltd
Commenting on the award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility to MA Assist, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Christmas has come early for villagers in the former Soviet republic of Georgia thanks to an innovative and caring CSR project by MA Assist. A main source of income in the village is the dangerous occupation of harvesting fir tree cones many feet up in the trees. Thanks to fund-raising by MA Assist, villagers will now have better safety protection while the children will benefit from a completely refurbished school. MA Assist deserves to be recognised for making such a huge difference and raising awareness of a little known aspect of how we get our Christmas trees in the West."
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Clockwork Contract Management Ltd
Commenting on the award for Best Innovation to Clockwork Contract Management Ltd, Andrew Areoff, chairman of the judges, said: "Clockwork Contract Management has been enjoying exceptionally strong growth thanks to an innovative system for managing time-sheet and work-schedule information relating to contract staff. Their text message-based system is of particular benefit for companies with many sites who employ external contractors for cleaning and/or security. The business model is simple yet highly effective and is delivering outstanding performance for Clockwork."
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Simulation Systems Ltd
Commenting on the award for Best Innovation to Simulation Systems Ltd, Andrew Areoff, said: "Knowing what's happening on the roads in bad weather can be vital, even a lifesaver, for motorists. Simulation Systems have developed the world's most advanced highway surveillance camera along with other innovations such as their Clarity OpenStream Digital CCTV and Bluetruth traffic flow technology. By helping highway authorities to better monitor and manage the traffic, these developments are helping the motorist and keeping the roads safer - so I am delighted to recognise the company's outstanding innovation."
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Give As You Live
Commenting on the award for Best Innovation to Give As You Live, Andrew Areoff, chairman of the judges, said: "Give As You Live is transforming online charity donations with fantastic results for thousands of good causes. The service could not be simpler, with donors simply registering once then every time they shop online at more than 2,000 stores, the retailer makes a donation to the customer's chosen charity, as long as it is one of 220,000 registered in the UK. This costs the shopper nothing and has so far raised more than £3 million for charities - a fantastic achievement and a vital way for charities to raise money in the digital age."
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Professor Christopher Nutting
Commenting on the award to Professor Christopher Nutting, Professor in Clinical Oncology Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, for Outstanding Personal Achievement, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Professor Nutting's pioneering Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy treatment for neck and head cancers is ground-breaking and represents the biggest cancer breakthrough for decades. It now means that thousands of cancer sufferers will live for longer and enjoy a better quality of life. His technique will help other cancer sufferers as well and it is now being used by doctors all over the world to treat other types of soft tissue cancer. A brilliant man and a remarkable achievement in the fight against cancer."
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Dizzy Ducks Day Nurseries Ltd
Commenting on the award to Sian Nisbett of Dizzy Ducks Day Nurseries for Outstanding Personal Achievement in the Education and Childcare sector, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Sian Nisbett is an inspiration to all young mums with an entrepreneurial streak. When faced with the problem of trying to find a good day care nursery for her young children Sian simply took things into her own hands and built her own. This was in 2005 when she was only 21 years old. Today Dizzy Ducks Day Nurseries has five nurseries, a staff of 130 and an annual turnover of £1.5 million. Sian is a mum in a million."
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Premier Christian Media
Commenting on the award to Premier Christian Media in the Best Corporate Social Responsibility category, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Premier Christian Media has done a brilliant job at protecting the young from pornography on the internet and women from exploitation. Its Safetynet campaign to get online pornography blocked automatically has achieved widespread support and is set to bring in new laws to protect children. An Online Safety Bill is now awaiting reading in the House of Lords. Through its Not-for-Sale campaign, it has also persuaded local newspapers to scrutinise their small ads, which are often used as a front for sex slave traffickers."
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St Vincent's House Association
Commenting on the award to St Vincent's Housing Association in the Best Housing Association category, Andrew Areoff, the chairman of the Judges, said: "St Vincent's attracted the attention of the judges because it does much more than just put a roof over people's heads. As well as providing 3,250 homes to people in housing need in north west England, it has helped tenants take up training and get jobs; it works to develop its employees; it provides a handyman service to the elderly and has introduced innovative energy efficiency schemes. Its successes have driven home just what can be achieved to help those in need when time and effort is invested."
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East Sussex Joint Waste Partnership
Commenting on the award to East Sussex Joint Waste Partnership in the Best Procurement category (public sector), Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "This is an exemplary initiative by four councils - Eastbourne, Wealden, Hastings and Rother. By joining together they are set to make huge savings in waste management and increase recycling across their wide geographic area. Interestingly, the councils are run by different political parties proving that when it comes to saving money, politics takes second place. It is estimated that the partnership will save £30 million over ten years and increase recycling by 50%. This is a great example of excellent procurement practice that other councils should follow."
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Imperative Training
Commenting on the award to Imperative Training in the Best Customer Focus category, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Providing health and safety training to companies is a vital service that could save people's lives and Imperative Training impressed the judges with its commitment to delivering the best possible customer service. Courses are designed around a client's existing equipment, for example, first aid training will be adapted to suit the type of defibrillator held. By keeping trainers up to date with the latest guidelines, the company ensures trainers provide a high standard of training and comments obtained from students attending each course are always followed up and fed back into the business."
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Transport for London
Commenting on the award to Transport for London in the Best Customer Focus category, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Transport for London (TfL) did a marvellous job at getting us to the Olympic Games on time. The £6.5 billion spent on upgrading the tube network and investing in transport for the Olympic Park was just the ticket and enabled London to rise to the challenge and deal with a 35% increase in tube journeys. The new WiFi won customers over and passenger satisfaction rose to 82% from 80% in 2011. If transport was an Olympic sport, TfL would have won a gold medal!"
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Web Loans Processing
Commenting on the award to WebLoans Processing in the Best New Product/Service category, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "WebLoans Processing's new white label Retail Banking Platform makes it much easier for corporate organisations to launch into the retail finance market. The platform, mainly used for personal loans, saves companies from having to set up their own system and incorporating the latest technology, it's much cheaper and faster as well. With 3.5 million loans under its belt in the UK, the platform is taking the personal finance market by storm and is now set to make its mark in the international market."
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The Air Ambulance Service
Commenting on the award to The Air Ambulance Service in the Best Employer category, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Realising that saving lives is a people business, The Air Ambulance Service refocused its business to win the hearts and minds of its staff. To develop its people, many mew initiatives have been introduced including an e-learning portal, mentoring, an apprenticeship programme and a new staff forum to get feedback on new ideas. The results have been stupendous. Staff are rising up the ranks and taking on more responsibility; and income from fund raising is flying high and set to soar to £30 million in 2020 from £5.52m in 2011."
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iForce
Commenting on the award to iForce in the Best Customer Focus category Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "iForce demonstrated that it is utterly committed to serving its retail clients. As the packer and dispatcher of goods ordered online, it is the powerhouse behind a number of famous retail brands. Its key account managers are trained to be the eyes and ears of the client relationship and they even attend client's weekly trade meetings. Proving that its customer service levels are exemplary, in the last two years its client retention rate reached 100% and its track record of delivering 99.9% of online orders on time is simply incredible."
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Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Ltd
Commenting on the award in the Best New Business in the business support category to Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "After a career in banking working with educational customers, Lorraine Ashover is now giving schools a lesson in getting value for money. Realising that schools have limited procurement experience and have been ripped off in the past, she set up Minerva Procurement Consultancy in 2010. It now has 26 clients and is making a profit. Top marks to Lorraine for cleverly spotting a gap in the market. She is well on her way to having a thriving business offering a vital service to schools and other educational institutions."
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Safer Lancashire Partnership
Commenting on the Best Business Award to Safer Lancashire Partnership for Best Communication in the Public Sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "It's shocking to think that almost one in four people killed in road crashes in Lancashire were not wearing seatbelts. The Safer Lancashire Partnership ran a compelling campaign to change attitudes, highlighting the dangers if children copied their parents and did not wear seatbelts. The Like Father, Like Son campaign was accomplished on a small budget. The creativity was high and at a time when public funds are feeling the pinch this was an investment to protect people and ultimately save our public funds by reducing impacts on our services such as fire, police and NHS/Ambulance. The Safer Lancashire Partnership has shown a similar level of creativity in an innovative campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour. A worthy winner that is making a real difference."
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Eat Balanced Ltd
Commenting on Eat Balanced Ltd's Best Business Award for Best New Product, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "I really like this product because they have taken one of my favourite dishes, pizza - and probably one the nation's as well - and made it fully nutritional for all. And the people at Eat Balanced have done it in a very simple way. Their range of nutritionally balanced pizzas are designed for specific target groups, from parents encouraging their children to eat healthy meals to the sports nutrition market - little wonder that one of the big supermarket chains described the Eat Balanced Pizzas as 'the biggest innovation to the frozen food category in 20 years.' Many congratulations to the Eat Balanced team – they deserve a slice of success for creating such an innovative new product."
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James Nunn Property Maintenance Guaranteed Ltd
Commenting on James Nunn Property Maintenance Guaranteed Ltd's Best Business Award for Best Customer Focus, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "With a significant proportion of turnover devoted to training and a refreshing commitment to transparency and trustworthiness, James Nunn Property Maintenance Guaranteed has raised the bar on customer service in a sector with a poor reputation for quality. The company has established a complete service in building maintenance and repairs, from initial inspection through to aftercare - and the exemplary focus on customer service is paying dividends in increased business. Well done to James Nunn Property Maintence Guaranteed for outstanding commitment to putting customers first."
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Turk Telekom
Commenting on the Turk Telekom's Best Business Award for Best Marketing, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Turk Telekom have demonstrated a very successful marketing strategy for their new Lokum product by mounting a very effective internal campaign before the official launch. This campaign alone resulted in sales far in excess than targeted figures and also had the additional benefit of bringing many of the company's departments together in one project. Many congratulations to Turk Telecom for a brilliantly marketed campaign."
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Turk Telekom
Commenting on the Turk Telekom's Best Business Award for Best Strategic Design/Creative, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "With more than 24,000 employees, ensuring everyone signs from the same hymn-sheet can be a struggle. Turk Telecom have found a new way to bring everyone together and create a new degree of corporate harmony - by the power of singing. The company's Turk Telekom Sings from 81 Cities is a highly creative solution to building team spirit and bonding to help attain key strategic aims. A deserved win for a very forward-looking company."
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Royal Bank of Scotland
Commenting on the winner of the Best Employer to Royal Bank of Scotland, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Royal Bank of Scotland Group's highly ambitious, new flexible working scheme, known as The Choice Programme, has been warmly received by staff. Flexible working enables staff to work from home for a proportion of the time or compressed or annualised hours. Out of the 26% of staff who have signed up for flexible working, almost 90% say they are happier. It highlights the importance of staff welfare to the bank."
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Royal Bank of Scotland
Commenting on the winner of the Best Corporate Social Responsibility award to Royal Bank of Scotland, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "It might sound rather grand but the one thing Royal Bank of Scotland employees like about working for the bank is that it gives them the opportunity to support good causes. And this is something the bank encourages. In 2011, nearly 56,000 employees contributed over 235,000 hours, which must be making a difference somewhere. With a staff of around 145,000 people globally and around 90,000 in the UK, plus 30 million customers, its fund raising figures are impressive as well."
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Metro Design Group
Commenting on the winner of the award in the Best Strategic Design/Creative category to Metro Design Consultants Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Metro Design Group must be congratulated for being one of the few specialists that designs, procures and installs new fittings for both the home and the office. Although it has been in the market for 14 years as a designer, around a year ago it ventured into the build area. It even has its own office furniture division. When undertaking any kind of building project, having one point of contact makes it so much easier and this is its unique selling point."
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Xero
Commenting on the award in the Best Innovation category to Xero, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Mobile accounting from Xero is just the thing for busy business people on the move, such as, contractors and tradespeople. Using the Xero Touch app on their iPhone or iPad, users can securely access their accounts; create and send invoices to customers; photograph expenses; and obtain live updates from their bank account and credit card. Harnessing the power of the internet, the app enables business people to keep their accounts up to date, track their cash flow and save time. Already around 45,000 people have downloaded the app. It's a true innovation and is certain to be a runaway success."
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The Curve Group
Commenting on the award in the Best Customer Focus Award category to The Curve Group, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "The Curve Group has been highly innovative in the way it has responded to the recession. It has turned the recruitment industry on its head by putting staff on salaries rather than on commission. As a result, account directors work hard to find out what clients want. It has cleverly taken on recruiters who previously worked as senior managers in other industries and, therefore, have an in-depth understanding of the sector they work in. Its customer-focused strategy has paid off and against the economic downturn, it is growing by a staggering 70% a year."
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9xb.com
Commenting on the award in the Best Employer in the Marketing and PR sector category to 9xb.com, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Digital agency 9xb.com has done just about everything it can to help its employees develop and excel. It provides excellent training and it encourages staff to share their ideas and experiences so that everyone learns from everyone else. 9xb.com provides the proof that being a good employer is linked to performance. It has seen turnover rise by 15% year on year since 2007 and it expects another 25% increase for the current year. And it's to its credit that it encourages staff to support the local community by getting involved in charity events and running marathons."
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CN Creative
Commenting on the award for Best Small to Medium Size Business in the pharmaceutical sector to CN Creative, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "In only four years CN Creative has made a huge impact in the smoking cession market and is an excellent example of a company that has invented innovative products, made them and managed the distribution. After developing the first electronic cigarette, Intellicig, in 2008, made to exacting pharmaceutical standards, the company now exports to 26 countries and has opened an office in the US. It currently has a staff of 40 that's doubling every year. A great start with more innovative products in the pipeline."
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Kirstin Duffield - Morning Data Ltd
Commenting on the award in the Outstanding Personal Achievement category to Kirstin Duffield, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "When faced with adversity when her husband was seriously injured in a road accident, Kirstin showed remarkable tenacity. Rising to the challenge of being the main bread winner for her family, she built up her father's business Morning Data, a software provider for London's insurance market. Later on she faced another challenge when the company lost its major client. She came up with the brilliant idea of training staff in a diverse range of skills. The business soon recovered and Kirstin went on to receive an accolade of awards. An outstanding entry for an outstanding woman."
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Darlings of Chelsea
Commenting on the award in the Best Customer Focus category to Darlings of Chelsea, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Darlings of Chelsea has set themselves apart from their competitors with superior customer service. In the extremely competitive retail industry, Darlings of Chelsea excels from the first point when a customer walks into a showroom. Some of the staff of 11 have been with the company since it launched eight years ago and they know the business inside out. Many have interior design qualifications as well. Home visits are made to make sure the new furniture will fit and temporary furniture is provided while customers wait for their delivery."
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Trolex
Commenting on the award in the Best Employer category to Trolex, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Ensuring their workforce is happy and motivated is a clear factor in the improving the commercial success of Trolex. By offering a range of incentives including financial rewards, training, a fun club and a wellbeing programme, Trolex sets itself apart from many companies by focusing on its employees rather than just customers. The huge range of opportunities Trolex offers its staff members has truly motived and inspired them to do their best. Employees seem to enjoy their work and know they are appreciated."
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Trolex
Commenting on the award in the Best Customer Focus category to Trolex, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Competing in a market with much larger competitors, Trolex, a manufacturer of gas detection equipment for use in hazardous areas, has responded by offering a more personal, tailored service to better meet the needs and requirements of its customers. After being in the business for 50 years, it underwent a complete review of its customer services. Following a revamp, it now has a much valued after-care service. Sales always chase good customer care and in the past year profits have risen by 77%. "
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Geeks
Commenting on the award in the Best Innovation category to Geeks, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Geeks impressive innovation offers customers a leading software programming language which makes all software development projects faster without the need for outsourcing projects abroad so that costs can be kept significantly down. This unique programming language has meant that Geeks has surpassed all expectations with their increased project delivery and growing client base. In addition their software solutions have helped their customers achieve great successes. An innovation has helps companies cut costs while developing their business, deserves an award."
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Lead Forensics
Commenting on the award in the Best Innovation category to Lead Forensics, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Lead Forensics is a rapidly growing, young, vibrant software company that has exceeded all expectations with their ground-breaking innovative technology. Their unique real-time research provides its business clients with information about who has visited their website enabling them to dramatically increase their sales opportunities. In turn they are on course to triple their own turnover in the next year. Lead Forensics is constantly monitoring and developing further innovative software. With technology innovation moving at such a fast rate, it's impossible to predict what might come next."
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Market Makers
Commenting on the award in the Best Customer Focus category to Market Makers, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "When it comes to customer focus, Market Makers sets the bar among telemarketing agencies. Through their exceptionally well-focused research, the company has a clear understanding of their client's target market. Each telemarketing campaign is well thought out and executed. There's also a strong commitment to training. By constantly analysing research and the results generated, Market Makers concentrates on the customer's return on investment. The company's dedication to excellence and customer commitment singles them out as leaders in their industry."
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Borough IT
Commenting on the award for Best Product/Service to Borough IT, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "It is great to see a new niche product area originating from client demand. From a request from a client to develop software to comply with self-assessment regulation, Jon Vanstone realised the potential of this as a new product area and he set up Borough IT to provide software and services for the competent person market. In only three years after its launch, turnover reached £1m and it is now considered to be an authority on these types of schemes. With so many professional organisations having to monitor the competencies of staff and other activities, this is a business that will continue to boom."
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Kent County Council
Commenting on the award for Best Communication - Public Sector to Kent County Council, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Kent County Council has rolled out a brilliantly planned and coordinated communications campaign called MakeKentQuicker.com aimed at getting people to register their interest in broadband. To attract investment for faster broadband, it first had to prove there was a demand for the service. Using an imaginative range of online and offline media, in only 11 weeks it had 10,000 registrations for MakeKentQuicker.com. With only another 10,000 registrations required, it is only a matter of time before Kent is zooming along the digital superhighway at breakneck speed."
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Oak Designs Company
Commenting on the award for Best New Business to Oak Designs Company, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "While many fear a recession, building and design firm Oak Designs Company launched in 2009 and drove into it head on believing that rather than moving, many people would be looking to add an annex onto their existing property. Its strategy proved to be correct. As a result of its reputation for great British design and workmanship it recently branched out overseas into Holland and Belgium; and has won many larger projects through word of mouth. Now it has laid the foundations, Oak has a solid future to look forward to."
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Catermasters
Commenting on the award for Best Employer to Catermasters, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "At Catermasters, a contract catering company, staff clearly love their job because absenteeism is extremely low and they talk about the company as being more like a family than a business. Catermasters gives the impression that staff are committed, effective and motivated mainly because they feel that the company really does put them first. The real secret of its success is communication. It has a full schedule of employee engagement programmes and the two founders are often seen having a casual coffee with a member of staff."
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Turkish Economy Bank
Commenting on the award for Best Product/Service Range to Turkish Economy Bank, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Turkish Economy Bank can be congratulated for doing everything it can to support small-to-medium-sized businesses. It's much more than just SME banking - it's a complete package that includes educational programmes, training, a 24-hour helpline and a business club. SME TV and the SME Academy offer training and education; and through the SME Club businesses can pool their purchasing power and get massive discounts on goods and services. It's hardly surprising that take up is high. Other banks should take note."
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Kebony
Commenting on the award for Best Innovation to Kebony, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Norway-based Kebony has come up with an innovation that could slow deforestation in tropical areas. It has developed a process call Kebonization that turns softwood into hardwood. It's versatile, durable and it looks good. It is already being used as decking, yacht decking, window frames and for other outdoor products. Kebony is coming with new uses every day and it's even talking about it being used as a replacement for steel and concrete. Who knows - it is so attractive to look at it might even be turned into works of art."
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Anesco
Commenting on the award for Best New Business to Anesco, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "When it comes to emission of pollutants, innovation is what we need and this is exactly what Anesco has come up with. Rather than offering products, it provides an energy efficiency solution and picks the best products for the job. It keeps up to date with innovations by sending its representatives all around the world to bring back the best of the crop. With the UK required to cut emissions by 80% by 2050, business is likely to heat up quickly."
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Jackson Fencing
Commenting on the award for Best Large Business to Jackson Fencing, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "It is great to hear of a family business developing and evolving its products and services through the generations. From fencing, it has expanded into the security market and overseas to make the most of global markets. Its financial performance is strong and research company Plimsoll ranked Jacksons as the eighth largest (by sales) fencing company and the thirteenth most profitable in the UK. It has put a huge amount of resources into its Gate Safe campaign to prevent accidents at automated gates. A great business with a great future."
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Ivana Bartolletti, NHS Protect
Commenting on the award for Outstanding Personal Achievement in the public sector category to Ivana Bartolletti, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Ivana must be applauded for the way she has implemented a programme to introduce the powers of the Criminal Justice & Immigration Act into NHS Protect, the crime and corruption wing of the NHS. The judges were most impressed with the way she set up an innovative partnership with the Mental Health Foundation and introduced specialist training for security staff, which has had exceptional results. Through better understand of mental health issues, the number of nuisance visitors being removed from a hospital has been drastically reduced."
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MITIE Client Services
Commenting on the award for Best Customer Focus in the private sector category to Mitie Client Services, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "By maintaining a strong customer focus on support and customer satisfaction, Mitie's commitment to a five-star service is unparalleled. With more emphasis placed on areas such as a wider range of customer-centred training, opportunities for advancement within the workplace and by working to a strong set of principles, clients are made to feel as if the service they receive is personal to them. The judges were quite taken by the company's catchphrase: 'creating exceptional, memorable experiences…one guest at a time'."
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Made.com
Commenting on the award for Best New Business award to Made.Com, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Made.Com is an impressive, innovative online designer furniture retailer that targets customers by offering stylish products at factory prices. By focusing on design and interaction with shoppers via an ingenious voting system, key pieces are produced on a made-to-order basis if demand is high enough. Internet based, with costs and waste kept to a minimum, customers desiring a sleek, contemporary home can benefit from savings of 70% off high street prices. It has had a solid start and in less than two years since launching, business is growing impressively at a rate of 20% to 30% a month."
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Proservartner
Commenting on the award to Rakesh Sangani for Outstanding Personal Achievement in the private sector, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Rakesh Sangani, the brains behind Proservartner, has to be admired for developing a successful dual purpose management consultancy. Rakesh's main corporate objective is to be the consultancy of choice and, coming from a poor area of south London, his other objective is to improve the lives of children in impoverished areas. Each employee even has their own social objective to help disadvantaged youngsters. Clients seem to like his corporate/social approach because his leadership has helped the company grow from a staff of one to 50, with almost $5million in revenue."
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Arla Foods
Commenting on the award for Best Customer Focus to Arla Foods UK, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the judges, said: "Arla is home to leading dairy brands Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor and has shown considerable expertise in creating a wide range of new products that meet consumer demand. The dairy producer is also highly focused on meeting the needs of its direct customers, the major retailers, and has good monitoring procedures in place to ensure it provides a consistent high-quality service."
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V1 Limited
Commenting on the award for Best SME to V1 Limited, Chairman of the judges Andrew Areoff said: "V1 Limited specialises in 'paperless office' technology including a mobile phone system for handling invoices and has made good use of strategic alliances and partner networks to build an impressive company that is bucking the trend in the current economic climate. The company also deserves to be congratulated on its firm commitment to CSR."
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Bowler International
Commenting on the award for Best New Product/Service to Bowler International, Chairman of the Judges Andrew Areoff said: "Bowler International is offering an outstanding value for money service in providing international interns and apprentices to train and gain work experience at British companies in a wide range of sectors. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that fosters closer economic relations between the UK and our most important trading partner in Europe. I was particularly impressed by the detailed cost benefit analysis in Bowler International's approach."
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Ramora UK
Commenting on the award for Best Innovation to Ramora UK, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the judges said: "Ramora UK are to be congratulated on making a breakthrough in a highly specialised area of making safe unexploded ordnance in the most inaccessible of locations under the sea. The potential for such a service ranges from defence work to tackling piracy and helping in the search for renewable energy. It is highly commendable that a British team is leading the sector in this courageous area of work."
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Arla Foods
Commenting on the award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility to Arla Foods UK, judge David Connor said: "Arla's CSR commitment is deeply embedded in the company which has achieved an impressive list of tangible results in reducing its environmental impact. There is clear evidence of leadership and innovation and Arla has set a high standard for others to follow. In particular eradicating the amount of waste the company sends to landfill is a landmark achievement that shows an exceptional level of staff engagement to the company's goals and objectives."
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AmicusHorizon
Commenting on the award for Best Employer in the Public Sector to AmicusHorizon, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "AmicusHorizon, a charitable housing association, is now delivering brilliant customer service by working to the maxim that happy staff generate happy customers. The charity offers staff an almost endless list of development and well being programmes; and it puts them in charge. Staff make their own decisions and they even designed their own relaxation room and the reception area. AmicusHorizon has proved that happy workers are also highly productive. The number of calls dealt with correctly in the first call is an amazing 90.1%."
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S6 Tutoring Academy
Commenting on the Best Small to Medium Business award to S6 Tutoring Academy, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "S6 Tutoring Academy, the company that tutors children to pass the eleven plus exam, gets full marks for achieving stupendous growth. Launched in 2005 with one tutor and five students, it now boosts 702 pupils and a staff of 16. It even has a waiting list of 104 youngsters. S6 Tutoring Academy ticks all the boxes - parents get reassurance that their children will pass the eleven plus; youngsters improve their chance of passing; and it's a great business model."
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The Creation Station
Commenting on the Best Small to Medium Business award to The Creation Station, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Creation Station, a children's arts and crafts activity provider, is a fun business with a serious side. In only 10 years from being a tiny operation, it has grown into a national franchise. Five years after its launch in 2002, its owner felt that she had the blueprint for a franchised business. Her assumption was totally correct. Today there are 150 Creation Station centres across the UK owned by 51 franchise owners. And it is still expanding. With the addition of an online retail operation, it is set to become a household name."
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Lycatel
Commenting on Lycatel, the winner of the Best Large Business award, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Lycatel is a dynamic, fast moving, quick thinking telecommunications company that has kept ahead of the explosion in the mobile phone market and brought us low-cost pre-paid phone cards and cheap international calls. It is a perfect example of entrepreneurialism at its best. Started from scratch only 11 years ago, it has soared ahead by undercutting rivals. In only five years, its subsidiary Lycamobile has become Europe's largest virtual mobile phone operator with 10 million customers in 14 countries enjoying low-cost pre-paid national and international calls sometimes as cheap as 1p a minute."
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Qualcomm Halo
Commenting on the Best Innovation award to Qualcomm Halo, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Qualcomm Halo has invented a revolutionary wireless charging system, known as Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC), that could put the electric car on the road to success. Rather that plugging in a cable, the Qualcomm WEVC system uses magnetic induction to wirelessly charge the car's battery. To re-charge, all you do is park between the charging bay lines. All it needs is for councils, retailers and workplaces to provide the WEVC charging facilities and the electric car could go mass market."
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SerenataFlowers.com
Commenting on the Best Product award to SerenataFlowers.com, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "By focusing on product excellence and customer service SerenataFlowers.com has come up with a winning combination. As speed is of the essence, it has found a way of delivering flowers direct from growers to consumers three days earlier than its competitors and, therefore, its flowers last longer. To avoid customer disappointment, all bouquets and gift hampers are carefully assembled at a warehouse to look just the same as the pictures on its website. And by outsourcing its call centre and delivery service, it has added in excellent service. Its on-time delivery service is 98% - almost perfect."
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Publish Interactive
Commenting on the Best Innovation award in the online business services sector to Publish Interactive, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Publish Interactive has come with up an innovative solution for a problem that digital technology has created. Thousands of publishing companies around the world produce online market research reports in PDF format. They are fine for reading and printing and that's about all. Using Public Interactive's iReports technology, publishing companies are now able to provide their customers with interactive reports. iReports enables users to manipulate and compare information from multiple reports in minutes. The result is faster research times and faster decision making."
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Barnett Waddingham
Commenting on the Best Employer award to Barnett Waddingham, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Barnett Waddingham, an independent firm of actuaries, administrators and consultants with a staff of 500 at seven offices across the UK, has all the bases covered when it comes to nurturing employees. Its employee programmes are just as professional as its business services and meticulously planned and executed. It has thought of just about everything including staff engagement, continuous professional training, employee assistance programmes and reward and recognition. As a result everyone now works together as a team towards the same objectives."
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PY Gerbeau, X-Leisure
Commenting on the award for Outstanding Personal Achievement to PY Gerbeau, Chief Executive of X-Leisure, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "PY, as he is affectionately known, is a great character full of bonhomie and, of course, many will associate him with the much maligned Millennium Dome. While it was heavily criticised in the press you have to remember PY did manage to attract 6.5 million visitors to the Dome. Now he has turned his talents to large-scale indoor leisure parks branded as Xscape and turned them into a business worth £1.3 billion - a brilliant achievement. Not only that, he has successfully turned leisure property into a respectable investment."
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The Regenda Group
Commenting on the Best Health and Safety award in the public sector to The Regenda Group, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "With a high number of lone workers The Regenda Group, a housing and regeneration organisation, has implemented a new health and safety regime called 'We Care'. It is a great example of an organisation giving staff the protection they deserve and making good use new technology. Every day these people face risks within the property from electrical faults etc and sometimes from aggressive people. Using a Blackberry type of device they can tell colleagues where they are and conduct instant risk assessments of situations - so simple yet effective."
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Warrington Borough Council
Commenting on Warrington Borough Council's winning entry in the Best Employer category, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "The council demonstrated that by motivating and tapping into the talents and strengths of staff better services and more services can be delivered to customers. While others concentrate on reducing costs, Warrington opened up communication across the organisation, gave staff the opportunity to influence managers and make their own decisions. The culture now thrives on sharing and exchanging ideas. By changing the way its works and making effective use of employee engagement initiatives, the council is now delivering services that its customers actually want."
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BCR Associates
Commenting on the award for Best Service to BCR Associates, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "The 'BCR' of BCR Associates stands for business cost reduction and this is a must-have service for any company. I liked the product concept because it's crystal clear. Companies get a free audit of their business overheads - utilities, insurance, vehicles, finance and phones etc - and if BCR Associates can find a more suitable contract which is also cheaper, the client gets 100% of all the savings. Over the past year, BCR Associates has achieved total savings of £1,410,505 for clients. On average BCR Associates says clients can cut 27% from running costs but some firms have seen savings of more than 60%. A worthwhile service on all counts." View website

Living Room Letting Agency
Commenting on the award for Best Strategic Design to The Living Room Letting Agency, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "In a competitive area, this letting agency, now only three years old, took the view that branding was the best way to get noticed. And it took branding to the limit and down to the finest detail. The distinctive black and green logo and corporate design infiltrates everything including documents, cars, letting boards, websites, key rings and exhibition stands. The company is now planning to franchise the business - living proof that a brand is the most valuable asset a company has." View website

BT Community Connections
Commenting on the award in the Best Corporate Social Responsibility category which was awarded to the BT Community Connections award scheme, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "This scheme has made a real difference to many of the nine million people who do not use the internet. BT discovered that many non-users, often from socially disadvantaged groups, would like to get online but don't know how. Through the scheme, BT awards a charity or community group with free broadband access for a year enabling them to provide support to those who want to get online and make a real difference to their lives. Through the 7,000 awards made, millions have learnt how to use the internet to find cheaper goods, jobs, get information and make friends." View website

Paragon Interiors
Commenting on the award to Paragon Interiors Group Plc for Best Large Business, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Paragon Interiors has defied the recession and one of the worst ever downturns in the commercial property market to enjoy spectacular double-digit growth in every area in the past two years. At a time when many companies are pulling in their horns, Paragon Interiors has been busy building the company and is on target to increase turnover by a whopping 50% this year. With an enviable track record in repeat business from customers, the company also has a great attitude to valuing staff and setting high environmental standards." View website

Paragon Interiors
Commenting on the award to Paragon Interiors Group Plc for Best Employer, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "As a company Paragon Interiors specialises in creating outstanding environments in interior design. It is clear the company has also created an outstanding environment in the workplace, with initiatives such as extensive training, team building and employee engagement. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and Paragon Interiors has some remarkable figures for employee retention, excellence in performance rating and an absentee rate that many companies could only wish for. Congratulations to Paragon Interiors for focusing on employees as keenly as the company does on customers." View website

Finansbank
Commenting on the award to Turkey's Finansbank for Best New Product, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "It's highly refreshing to see a bank listen as closely as Finansbank has to its customers and bring out a new product - a no-fee credit card - that is clearly in line with what customers want to see. The stunning success of Fix Card, well beyond initial expectations, is a reflection of the fact that it was tailored to meet what customers perceived was a gap in the market. Well done to Finansbank for creating an outstanding new product with customers at the heart of the entire process."
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Increation
Commenting on the award for Best Customer Focus to Increation, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Increation puts customers at the centre of its activities recognising that it is vital to listen to their views and meet all their expectations. With a long list of glowing testimonials, it is clear the strategy works as the interior design company maintains excellent contact with the customer from initial inception to long after installation and even beyond. A champion of British craftsmanship, the company is also a champion of customer service at its best. Well done to Increation!"
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Resolution GB
Commenting on the award to Resolution GB Limited in the Best Small to Medium Sized Business Category, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "This is a great example of a company that spotted a niche market simply through observation. By noticing that businesses using Hewlett Packard (HP) large format printers had little support, completely changed the direction of the business. It set up a nationwide network of HP trained engineers and became a specialist business with a strong focus on first-class customer service. It is a small, agile business that time and time again succeeds in finding new niche areas. When the recession hit in 2008, it realised that 80% of its customers were in the building trade, which was badly hit. By targeting the public sector and developing a rental service for HP printers, it found new niche markets and actually managed to increase turnover." View website

Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work
Commenting on the award to Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work in the Best Customer Focus category, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "This is a new concept in prestigious business parks that aims to create a unique culture that makes work enjoyable and provides the perfect work/life balance. The customer care for new companies moving into the park has been fined tuned to perfection. Moving into new premises is stressful for any business but with the re-location service from Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work, guests can enjoy a bespoke service that caters for their every need. The relocation team starts the process 18 months before the move and on their first day new employees receive a welcome pack, a tour of the site and even a wine tasting session at the end of the day. If only more business parks were like this." View website

Nescot
Commenting on the award for Best Further and Higher Education provider to the North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot), Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "In seven years Nescot has undergone a remarkable turn around going from a failing college to one ranked as one of the best in the country. This has been achieved by a relentless strategy to raise standards and by focusing on quality and acting on feedback. Vocationally based, the college is also working with an impressive list of major corporations so its courses are relevant to employers and it has an outstanding department in Higher Education. Congratulations to Nescot for an amazing transformation!" View website

Solihull College
Commenting on the award for Best Communications (Public Sector) to Solihull College, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Solihull College's New Chapter campaign to showcase a £31 million redevelopment of its Blossomfield Campus successfully harnessed the latest technology with great success. The campaign, which featured a series of high quality videos which could be downloaded on smart phones or computers, was also highly cost effective so much so the college is now switching its promotional material to attract school leavers from the traditional printed prospectus to an online DigiMag. The highly successful New Chapter campaign shows Solihull College is leading the way in 21st century communications." View website

Cornwall Council
Commenting on the award for Best Local Authority to Cornwall Council, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "This relatively new unitary authority has turned around five failing areas in just two years at a time when local government has been under pressure like never before with budget cuts and the worst recession in decades. Identified as one of the "can do councils" in England, Cornwall Council has acted to save and improve frontline services for the benefit of residents and undertaken a range of initiatives to enhance Green Cornwall and re-invigorate communities. Recognised by the Audit Commission as providing value for money to the taxpayer, Cornwall Council has taken great strides to transform its services." View website

The Theatre Workshop
Commenting on the award for Outstanding Personal Achievement to Lora Munro, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Lora Munro has overcome a number of considerable challenges to build the leading brand for the part-time performing arts schools for children in the South. Growing at a rate of one new school a year since she started in 2004, Lora has focused on top-level tuition by teachers who have first-hand experience of professional performing in many leading productions. Congratulations to Lora for an outstanding achievement in a market crowded with many major players." View website

Peel2Save
Commenting on the award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility to Peel2Save, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "At a time when charities are feeling the pinch more than ever, Peel2Save offers an innovative new way for good causes to raise vital cash - and give something back to those who make the donations. It is an exceptional business model, tried and tested in the US and now gathering pace in the UK - and not before time. Congratulations to Nigel Botterill for making it such a success and finding a way to give a real boost to so many good causes." View website

Vision One
Commenting on the award for Best Product/Service Range to Vision One Research, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "In 12 years Vision One Research has gathered an impressive list of clients in the private and public sector, providing a wide range of market research services including some at the cutting edge of technology. The agency has maintained strong growth during the recession and its own research has shown that it has achieved an excellent level of customer satisfaction. In a market crowded with many major players, Vision One Research is an outstanding example of a smaller company achieving success by delivering a great range and service." View website

The Best Of
Commenting on the award to thebestof for Best Small to Medium Sized Business, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Politicians describe small businesses as the engines of growth and it is great to hear of a service giving independent traders a way of standing out so they are recognised as the best in an area. In these days when it is vital to have an edge in business, thebestof allows consumers to see at a glance which companies and services have been rated highly by those who matter the most - customers. Helping businesses, the consumer and communities, thebestof is an outstanding example of best business." View website

Avea
Commenting on the award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility to Avea, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Avea have shown themselves to be worthy winners by linking up with Europe's top football club to offer a breathtaking opportunity for talented young players from Turkey to learn from the best. The partnership with Barcelona FC is the latest in a series of highly commendable CSR initiatives by Avea - a company that is breaking the mould in helping communities. Avea aims to open paths where there was none before and the company is certainly achieving that goal." View website

City Building (Glasgow) LLP
Commenting on the Best Corporate Social Responsibility award to City Building (Glasgow) LLP, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Many disabled people don't want sympathy and charity - just like everyone else they want to be able to go out to work and earn a living. And that's what furniture manufacturer Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries, part of City Building, has given to those less fortunate in society. Out of 240 employees, half have a disability. Some are visually impaired and four are war veterans from recent conflicts with one having lost his leg in Iraq. Blindcraft has given a job to those who deserve one and helped veterans and other disabled people rebuild their lives. The operation is now the largest workshop of its kind in Europe. This truly is a giant leap forward for social enterprise." View website

Purepotions Skincare Ltd
Commenting on the Best Small to Medium Business award to Purepotions Skincare Ltd, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "Driven by a mother's passion to find a solution for her daughter's severe dry skin condition, the company has come up with a new ointment that really works wonders for a number of itchy, uncomfortable skins conditions, such as, eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis. Having a breakthrough like this is rare and being able to turn it into a successful business is even rarer. Despite some difficult times following the launch in 2002, a breakthrough came about a few years ago when editorial coverage was secured in a national newspaper. Business boomed and the way the company coped with its challenges is commendable." View website

Royal Bank of Scotland
Commenting on the award for Best New Product/Service to Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Technology Services, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "The Mobile Banking App is what every mobile phone owner would want. But at the moment it's only available to RBS and NatWest customers with an iPhone. They can download the App onto their iPhone and it's almost as functional as online banking. Users can view balances and mini-statements; make same day transfers between accounts, set up balance alerts; locate their nearest branch and top up a mobile phone. Between the launch in May 2011 and 8 July 2011, 750,000 customers have become an App user and customer satisfaction ratings are good. RBS is the first in the market with the Mobile Banking App and you have to remember, this is only the beginning."
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Compupaye Bureau
Commenting on Compupaye Bureau's Best Business Award for Best Product / Service Range, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Compupaye have demonstrated that despite the current difficult economic climate it is possible for a well run, focused business to grow and prosper. Their range of payroll services have proved extremely attractive especially coupled with their Customer Relationship Management system which is used as part of Compupaye's four-tier system for processing payrolls based on timesheets supplied by client companies. With customer growth and turnover on the up, the business is well positioned to go from strength to strength." View website

Jaspersoft
Commenting on Jaspersoft's award in the Best Innovation category, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "The fact that Jaspersoft's open source business intelligence (BI) software is the most widely deployed suite in the world used by 14,000 customers in 100 countries speaks volumes. Helping companies of all sizes to sharpen their decision-making, Jaspersoft delivers reports, dashboards, analysis and data integration services. Data from reports across multiple sources can be interrogated and converted into charts and graphs for easy viewing and analysis. Virgin Money chose Jaspersoft for its non-for-profit Virgin Money Giving service to manage the participating charities, provide them with reports on donations and collect donations." View website

borro
Commenting on borro's award in the Best New Business category, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges, said: "By creating the world's first online pawnbroking service, borro has taken money lending into a new era and formed a new category of lending. Borrowers can take out short-term loans of between £100 and £1 million secured against their assets, such as, luxury watches, fine art, antiques, jewellery and luxury cars. borro has been able to lend where other lenders are unwilling because of its in-house team of expert valuers. It has also taken advantage of the speed and low cost of the Internet. It has recently completed its first £1 million loan and lending has grown to £2 million a month up from £200,000 a month last year. borro has to be congratulated for putting a new spin on an age-old business." View website

Wicksteed Playscapes
Commenting on the award for Best Large Business to Wicksteed Playscapes, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Dating back almost 100 years, managers at Wicksteed Playscapes have taken the company firmly into the second decade of the 21st century with a complete rebranding operation that has transformed the company's image. With a range of exciting new products for outdoor play areas and a new focus on customer service and responding to customer feedback, the company has seen a big increase in turnover despite the difficult economic climate. Well done to Wicksteed Playscapes - a worthy winner!" View website

Merthyr Tydfil Contact Centre, T-Mobile
Commenting on the Best Employer award to the Merthyr Tydfil Contact Centre run by T-Mobile, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "This Contact Centre employing more than 650 people has struck the right note with a highly innovative training programme including Sing & Inspire in which employees have the opportunity to sing in one of the largest Welsh corporate choirs plus a range of other initiatives to increase engagement and personal development. The results have been startling with increases in sales, customer satisfaction and reduced absenteeism. The company is to be congratulated on creating an outstanding workplace."
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Serve Legal
Commenting on the Best Small/Medium Sized Business award to Serve Legal Ltd, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Serve Legal has broken new ground by launching the first professional service to test and monitor retailers including many large supermarket chains for compliance in selling age-restricted good such as alcohol and knives. Since being formed in 2006 the company has enjoyed spectacular growth and is now diversifying into new areas, creating new opportunities for the large pool of trained young people it employs as visitors or mystery shoppers. Serve Legal is an outstanding example of a company creating and developing a niche in the market with great success."
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Akbank
Commenting on the Best Corporate Social Responsibility award to Akbank of Turkey, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Akbank's highly innovative project No Time To Waste involves research, education and raising awareness of the issue of global warming and how it is already impacting on the environment. The project has identified key areas in Turkey most at risk while bank volunteers have now launched an education programme going into schools to raise awareness of the issue. Akbank deserves to be congratulated in taking a leading role on an issue of major concern and engaging with its employees and the local community in a very commendable way." View website

Mark Paraskeva, Autodesk
Commenting on the Best Outstanding Personal Achievement award to Mark Paraskeva, Vice President EMEA for Autodesk, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "In a glittering 28-year career, Mark Paraskeva has achieved considerable success in all areas of business including marketing, sales and management. At Autodesk he has driven profitability and growth in the EMEA region, building on his previous success in restructuring three country teams into a single North European division. This has been achieved in a very challenging economic climate and as Mark fought a brave battle against ill-health in 2007. A dynamic business leader, Mark Paraskeva is a most worthy winner of the award for Outstanding Personal Achievement." View website

Be At One
Commenting on the Best Small/Medium Sized Business award to Be At One, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "With a strong focus on training and great emphasis on service and creating the right atmosphere, London cocktail bar chain Be At One has experienced exceptional growth and consistently achieves high levels of customer service. Customers are actively encouraged to provide feedback and engage with the company in a very innovative way. Overall, Be At One has combined all the right ingredients to create an outstanding recipe for business success."
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Merthyr Tydfil Contact Centre, T-Mobile
Commenting on the Best Large Business award to Merthyr Tydfil Contact Centre, T-Mobile, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "The Contact Centre has seen a double digit increase in sales as a result of improved service to customers - an exceptional achievement in a highly competitive industry. With high levels of customer satisfaction, an active corporate and social responsibility programme and a range of indicators showing the company is engaging with employees as well as it does with customers, the Contact Centre is an excellent example of Best Large Business with dynamic, forward-thinking leadership."
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Avea
Commenting on Avea's Best Business Award for Best Innovation, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Avea's new SIM card developed in partnership with Gemalto means mobile phone users do not need to purchase a new phone to enjoy the benefits of contactless payments using Near Field Communications. Turkish mobile phone users are the first in the world to be able to use their handsets for a wide range of everyday transactions without having to upgrade their phones. This cutting edge innovation should deliver a significant revenue stream for Avea over the next few years."
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Lancashire County Council
Commenting on the Best Procurement award to Lancashire County Council, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Providing services to 650 schools throughout Lancashire, the county council has overcome the problem of mountains of paperwork by creating an innovative online portal which each school can access to give them key information on each service. Launched this year "My Traded Services" has been warmly welcomed by schools as making their job easier and saving them time in looking up details of Service Level Agreements. The council has ambitious plans to expand on its breakthrough which is an outstanding example of efficient and cost effective procurement." View website

Citu
Commenting on the Best Marketing, Private Sector, award to Citu, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "If greenhouses act to retain warmth, Citu's launch of its flagship eco-development Greenhouse in Leeds certainly fits the bill as the hottest ticket in town. The carefully planned marketing campaign to open the UK's most pioneering low carbon development was a major success both in raising awareness on a regional and national level and commercially in producing a highly impressive number of sales and lettings. The investment in marketing, with clearly established objectives, more than paid off in driving business. Well done on a brilliantly devised and executed campaign." View website

Superstars
Commenting on the Best Small to Medium Sized Business award for SuperStars, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Driven by a passion to develop brighter futures for children, SuperStars has pioneered a new service providing a wide range of confidence-building and exciting experiences for schoolchildren in subjects such as drama, sport, music and art. With a growing number of customers and ambitious plans to expand, the company has been going from strength to strength delivering highly impressive financial results and earning the acclaim of headteachers and education professionals who welcome SuperStars' high level of expertise." View website

Turk Telecom
Commenting on the Best Strategic Design award for Turk Telekom, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "With a combination of a welcome and presentations by senior company directors, team-building challenges, soft-skills presentations, a gala dinner and a performances by several of Turkey's biggest stars, Turk Telekom gave an amazing welcome to almost 3,500 recruits at a world-class orientation event in February. The logistics of gathering together 3,357 participants from across Turkey for the two-day event were brilliantly handled by the Turk Telekom team, resulting in high satisfaction ratings of 'excellent' and 'very good' for the entire programme. A fantastic achievement in creative corporate communication at its best." View website

East Staffordshire Borough Council
Commenting on the Best NHS Provider or Commissioner award to East Staffordshire Borough Council, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "The borough council rightly says it has crossed traditional local government boundaries in successfully establishing the Family Nurse Partnership scheme which is being trialled in the Anglesey Ward of Burton-on-Trent. This is an outstanding example of a local government stepping in with dynamism and with the interests of the community foremost in its mind to make a difference - overcoming all bureaucratic hurdles on the way. The new service which provides vital support to first-time mothers has already produced real results in reducing infant mortality, and East Staffordshire Borough Council is to be congratulated on its visionary, forward-thinking and community-minded approach - as a health service provider." View website

The Curve Group
Commenting on the Best Employer award for The Curve Group, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "With a fully flexible work environment that allows employees to work from home, a rolling plan of training, and a wide variety of team-building social events, HR specialists The Curve Group is to be commended for creating an outstanding workplace. Making the team feel valued and allowing staff to follow their instincts in handling clients and dealing with job seekers has clearly produced significant dividends as retention has increased. The company is a shining example of how being bold and taking the initiative often is the best way forward." View website

Young Voices
Commenting on the Best Corporate Social Responsibility award for Young Voices, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Young Voices has given around a million children a chance many could only dream of - to sing at some of the biggest arenas in Britain and Ireland. The mass choir events involving up to 8,000 children are a real phenomenon, with the added attraction that many leading names in music and entertainment have also performed at the concerts to further inspire the young people. Young Voices is all about offering extraordinary opportunities and it has achieved this with extraordinary success." View website

Somerset College for Further and Higher Education
Commenting on the Best Communications (Public Sector) award to Somerset College for Further and Higher Education, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Somerset College has shown that it listens to staff by instigating a series of new initiatives to improve internal communication among the 450 staff after a survey revealed communication had the highest level of dissatisfaction. Among the new measures are regular team briefs to keep staff up to date with developments within the college and provide an opportunity to share information. The result has been a huge increase in satisfaction rates for communication of 26 percentage points. By showing it listens, the college has demonstrated outstanding communication skills with tangible benefits." View website

GRITIT
Commenting on the Best Innovation award to GRITIT, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Nothing's worse for business than the an unexpected heavy snowfall or deep frost with the inevitable consequence of disruption on the roads. With a record of being at the forefront of technological advances, GRITIT has introduced an innovative weather derivatives product that gives customers a peace of mind guaranteed pay-out without them having to claim in the event of severe weather. With sophisticated tracking software the company is also able to offer a more efficient service - another example of best use of innovation." View website

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust
Commenting on the Best Health and Safety Award (Public Sector) to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "The NNUH has been operating a robust health and safety policy at its hospitals and outpatient departments for some time, with significant beneficial outcomes for staff, patients and visitors. One of the most noticeable differences is an incident rate that is almost half the average across the health service. The commendable procedures the NNUH has in place with regard to risk assessment and health and safety are second to none, and in particular the trust's multidisciplinary approach is to be commended for excellence." View website

Nationwide Building Society
Commenting on the Best Corporate Social Responsibility award to the Nationwide Building Society, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Personal debt is the single largest issue that volunteers of Citizens Advice deal with, accounting for 2.4 million of 7.1 million total new inquiries to the organisation in 2009/10. The Nationwide has shown great foresight and social responsibility by linking up with the charity to train 1,300 more volunteers so they can give advice on financial management. Just half way through Nationwide's three-year MoneyActive scheme, many of the targets have already being met. The project is an excellent example of a clearly-focused CSR initiative that is making a real difference with many long-term benefits for all those involved." View website

CitySprint
Commenting on the Best Innovation award to CitySprint, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "CitySprint is changing the face of online retail by significantly improving the service to customers with faster, more efficient delivery. The company has done more than most to bring online retail fully up to speed with traditional High Street shopping by offering a service seven days a week including bank holidays for deliveries in and around major towns and cities. By establishing an extensive distribution network and use of an innovative tracking system, CitySprint has succeeded where many others have previously failed. The advances they have introduced are a great example of best innovation making a step change in service for customers." View website

South Gloucestershire Council: Street Care
Commenting on the Best Procurement award to South Gloucestershire Council's Street Care, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "The council has pioneered a new approach to procurement that has opened up new opportunities for local SMEs to engage in council projects as 'best in class' for each particular aspect of service. This is in contrast to the current trend of local authorities partnering with single organisations. Among the benefits to the council are boosting the local economy, reducing its carbon footprint by using local companies and making savings which will total up to £500,000 a year in the highway sector. This innovative new approach is an excellent example of bold and smart sourcing." View website

Southern Regional College
Commenting on the Best Communication award to Southern Regional College, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Faced with the challenge of developing a new communications strategy in four areas - a new prospectus, increased media coverage, enhancing web services and greater use of social media - the team at Southern Regional Council has delivered outstanding results across the board. The new prospectus has a fresh, clean look, while the updated website is bright and modern with clear, easy-to-use navigation. There is no doubt the council has achieved its objectives with great success, resulting in a big increase in student recruitment. The initiative shows the power of well-planned and integrated communications campaign." View website

Uxbridge College
Commenting on the Best Further and Higher Education Provider award to Uxbridge College, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "With 40 years experience, Uxbridge College has recently developed a number of strategic and innovative partnerships with major employers that puts the college at the heart of the community. Among the partnerships are an apprenticeship programme with British Airways, an Employer Champion Scheme and a close link-up with Uxbridge Mall Pavilions Shopping Centre including research into the shopper experience. Such sustained engagement with the local community, and responsiveness to the needs of local employers show Uxbridge College is at the forefront of best practice in contemporary education." View website

Warrington Collegiate
Commenting on the Best Health and Safety award to Warrington Collegiate, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Warrington Collegiate has made huge strides in health and safety, going from a rating of 3 to the highest level of 1 in three years. This has followed the introduction of a wide-ranging series of measures to improve health and safety including weekly safety audits. Now the college has been sharing its best practice with other colleges as well as winning plaudits from leading health and safety organisations. What a transformation and congratulations to Warrington Collegiate on raising standards so effectively." View website

Professional Driver Services
Commenting on the Best Innovation award to Professional Driver Services, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Faced with a steep rise in the number of drivers being sent on speed awareness courses after breaking the speed limit, Professional Driver Services has demonstrated outstanding skill in innovation by creating an electronic software package Atlas to efficiently and effectively handle the increase in administration. Rigorously tested before being put into operation, the system was successful from the outset and has delivered significant cost savings. As such, it is an outstanding example of innovation at its best." View website

DLP
Commenting on DLP's Best Customer Focus Award, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "A breath of fresh air in the employment law sector, DLP offers a real alternative to the traditional law firm. Their 'hands on' 'on site' approach ensures that issues are addressed before they become a crisis. This proactive, client centric approach includes the provision of advice, tailor made HR policies, payroll services and recruitment as well as handling all aspects of redundancy, disciplinary matters, staff sickness or absenteeism. An all-encompassing and professional service at a competitive price." View website

KnowledgePoint Ltd
Commenting on the Best Innovation Award for KnowledgePoint Ltd, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "KnowledgePoint has revolutionised the publication of material in the education sector, such as university prospectuses, by creating an unique online process which allows a fully bespoke, on-demand service. This means for instance that prospective students can create their own individually-tailored prospectus, available to download and/or receive in the post. This is a stunning example of best innovation with many advantages both for the end user, and the customer who commissions the service. Top marks go to KnowledgePoint for developing a major advance in publishing technology."
View website

Andrew Ratcliffe, Managing Director of Dorel (UK) Ltd
Commenting on the Outstanding Personal Achievement Award to Andrew Ratcliffe, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Andrew Ratcliffe has a hugely impressive track record in a wide variety of companies in the consumer manufacturing sector where he has demonstrated great entrepreneurial flair in turning around sometimes struggling businesses. With an approachable and reassuring management style, his most recent success has been taking the Maxi-Cosi baby and child car seat brand from a small operation to £55 million market leader. He has earned the respect of the industry and is now Chairman of the Baby Products Association - a real achiever who has also demonstrated great versatility and outstanding success in every sector he has worked in." View website

Redseven
Commenting on the Best Employer Award to Redseven, Mr Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "In terms of employee training, career development, employee benefits, perks and workplace environment, Redseven is clearly in a class of its own. The commitment to creating an outstanding workplace shines through in every aspect of the company's operation from the moment a new starter is taken on to ongoing career and skill development. Redseven can be proud of the high standards the company has set that goes beyond normal requirements. Never mind seven, Redseven deserves 10 out of 10 as Best Employer!" View website

Arc Property Solicitors
Commenting on the Best Customer Focus Award for Arc Property Solicitors, Chairman of the Judges Andrew Areoff said: "Arc Property Solicitors have put customers first as they have developed innovative news ways designed to ease the stress of moving house or home. Their Client Services Team is a first for the profession and demonstrates their deep commitment to customer service, while the online tracking system is an enterprising use of technology to improve efficiency and keep clients fully informed. Ranked among the top 200 law firms in the country, Arc Property Solicitors are rising stars with an innovative new approach to customer relations." View website

Heaven by Deborah Mitchell
Commenting on the Best Product/Service Range Award for Heaven by Deborah Mitchell, Chairman of the Judges Andrew Areoff said: "In the highly competitive and crowded market place of beauty products, Heaven Health and Beauty stands out with an innovative range of products and treatments in a niche sector that is earning a worldwide reputation. Based on natural ingredients, they are being expertly marketed by Deborah Mitchell and have acquired a strong brand identity, essential for the future growth of the company." View website

Brownsword Group's Credit Hire Validation
Commenting on the Best New Product/Service Award to the Brownsword Group Ltd, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "The Brownsword Group's innovative Credit Hire Validation service has proved highly successful, with average savings of more than £3,500 per claim that is investigated. The service is a valuable new resource in the fight against insurance fraud - which is good news for the industry and consumers. The Brownsword Group is to be congratulated for identifying an area that was open to abuse and developing a specialised service to expose irregularities at such an affordable price." View website

CyDen Ltd
Commenting on the Best Innovation Award to CyDen Ltd, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "CyDen has lead the way in the advancement of intense pulsed light technology with the creation of a range of market-leading hair removal products that can be used in the home. Under the name Boots Smooth Skin, the iPulse Personal models are the biggest selling electrical beauty product sold by Boots with overseas sales expanding rapidly in Europe, the Far East and Australia. The way CyDen has converted technological advance into highly practical application, for use in the home and professionally, is to be commended as an outstanding example of innovation at its best." View website

Drink Me Chai
Commenting on Drink Me Chai's Best Small to Medium Size Business Award, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Starting out with a number of mobile tea stands at railway stations, Amanda Hamilton's company has grown into a leading specialist tea business with her Drink Me Chai brand stocked in all the major supermarkets and exported to eight countries. Showing entrepreneurial flair, an early breakthrough was persuading Tesco to stock her Chai Latte in 250 stores. Passionate about customer service and her brand, Amanda Hamilton's Drink Me Chai is an outstanding example of a successful niche business in a competitive market full of conglomerate global players." View website

Lancaster and Morecambe College
Commenting on Lancaster and Morecambe College's Best Procurement Award, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "At a time when the public sector is under increasing financial pressure, Lancaster and Morecambe College has spearheaded an innovative new approach to joint procurement which has delivered more than £750,000 in efficiency savings - a highly impressive figure by any standard. By achieving more for less, the college has set a beacon example for other public sector organisations to follow. It is also excellent to see the college seeking to build stronger community links and doing more business locally to boost the local economy." View website

Sky
Commenting on Sky's Best Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Sky staff have truly excelled in their commitment to the company's Corporate Social Responsibility programme with just under 30% volunteering their time and expertise to help partner organisations in the arts, sport and the environment. In addition, the staff have raised £100,000 for a rainforest project in Brazil, and the company has matched individual and team fund-raising for charities that are important to employees. The company and employees are to be applauded for making such a real difference to people at local, national and international level." View website

Just-Eat.Co.Uk
Commenting on Just-Eat.co.uk's Award for Best Marketing, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Just-Eat is certainly savouring success after a well-devised and brilliantly executed marketing campaign which has driven people to their website and to use their service. What is also remarkable is the very high conversion rates of visitors to the website with more than one in four opting to use the service after going on the internet site. TV adverts were cleverly timed to coincide with peak periods for take-away consumption on a seasonal and monthly basis and there is a highly impressive integrated approach with social media strategy on Facebook and Twitter." View website

Perfect Storm Media
Commenting on Perfect Storm Media's Award for Best Innovation, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Perfect Storm Media have managed to succeed in an area that up to now has been difficult to achieve - creating a Pay-per-Sale search engine marketing system rather than the Pay-per-Click approach that tends to dominate online marketing. The sophisticated technology devised by Perfect Storm Media also tracks leads back to the keyword used, crucial information in the optimisation strategy. The system is an excellent example of innovation at its best that puts Perfect Storm Media at the forefront of technological advance in business." View website

EA Technology
Commenting on EA Technology Group's Award for Best Product/Service Range, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "EA Technology Group has enjoyed spectacular growth over the last five years thanks to its development of the UltraTEV Detector range which has revolutionized electrical activity detection in the power engineering industry. The hand-held equipment has rightly been hailed a breakthrough and the company continues to invest in the product by developing major upgrades and improved models. With EA Technology Group expanding around the world, the company is certainly one to watch." View website

Ve Interactive Ltd
Commenting on Ve Interactive Ltd's Award for Best New Business, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Recent research has highlighted an area of concern that has accompanied the rise in online shopping. This the very high number of transactions - 88% -- that are abandoned compared with traditional methods of shopping and trading. Ve Interactive has developed an online tool that captures that data and allows companies to re-market to those potential customers who abandon transactions. With a conversion rate of more than 40% for those who are remarketed to, Ve Interactive has acquired an impressive number of major clients and is an outstanding example of Best New Business." View website

Search Laboratory
Commenting on Search Laboratory's Award for Best Employer, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "The guiding ethos in the workplace at Search Laboratory is simple but highly effective - namely 'Treat others as we would expect to be treated.' That philosophy sets the company apart in creating an outstanding workplace 'pulsating with life.' With a wide range of attractive benefits and a real team spirit at Search Laboratory reflected in regular evenings out to celebrate success, the company has a superb record of retention with plenty of opportunity for career development." View website

Selby Jennings
Commenting on Selby Jennings' Best Small to Medium Size Business Award, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Financial services recruitment company Selby Jennings has been collecting awards and enjoying spectacular growth even during the global financial crisis thanks to an emphasis on customer service, training and innovative use of technology. The rise in UK growth has been accompanied by rapid expansion abroad with almost half of total revenues coming from overseas business, compared with under 2% from abroad in 2004. As well as taking care of clients, Selby Jennings also takes care of staff by offering an outstanding workplace and many attractive benefits. In every aspect, Selby Jennings has shown itself to be a great all rounder." View website

Brunel University
Commenting on Brunel University's Best Business Award for Best Higher Education Provider, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "From world-class professors to the fastest man on the planet, Brunel University has successfully built a reputation for attracting the best. At a time when many other universities are making cuts, Brunel has spent £400 million in recent years in buildings and facilities while careful cost controls and value-for-money reviews have delivered 9% financial growth. Among advances are improved IT infrastructure, industrial collaborations, a new emphasis on staff well-being and sports facilities that have attracted Usain Bolt and the Jamaican track team for training." View website

Nora Senior, Weber Shandwick
Commenting on Nora Senior's Best Business Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "It is clear that throughout her career Nora Senior has shown real business acumen rising to be Executive Chair of a £6 million PR operation across seven office and practice areas. The number of 'firsts' she has achieved is hugely impressive. Highly respected by her peers, and an inspiration to all those who work with her leading teams to win more than 30 awards, Nora Senior is a beacon example of achievement in business and a role model for professional women in every sector." View website

Checkatrade Ltd
Commenting on Checkatrade's Best Business Award for Best Customer Service, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Checkatrade has successfully harnessed the power of the internet to bring the age-old word-of-mouth recommendation fully up to date for the 21st century. For customers, this means they have an ultra reliable, tried and trusted guide to tradespeople in their area. And for businesses it means, once accepted onto the website, they are instantly accessible to hundreds of thousands of potential customers. The success of Checkatrade, which has grown into a £3.5 million a year business since launch, reflects its growing reputation as a true consumer champion." View website

Alba Power
Commenting on Alba Power's Best Business Award for Best SME, Andrew Areoff, Chairman said: "Formed a little over a decade ago, Alba Power is an excellent example of a small business that has created a real place for itself around the world in the field of gas turbine support services. This has been achieved by putting the customer first to offer a wide range of cost-effective solutions tailored for its clients. By keeping a vast stock of spare parts and having its own testing facilities, Alba Power is able to respond often at a moment's notice - factors which have helped propel the company's highly impressive growth." View website

Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust
Commenting on Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust's Best Business Award for Best Housing Association, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "What I really like about Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust is that they are so focused on helping their tenants or customers as they like to call them. The trust has delivered outstanding service with satisfaction rates that would be the envy of many organisations, not just in the housing sector. The trust is clearly a very forward-thinking organisation and is to be applauded for maintaining such high levels of investment in improvements while strengthening its financial position." View website

thebluedoor
Commenting on thebluedoor's Best Business Award for Best Small to Medium Size Business, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Founded only two years ago, thebluedoor offers a one-stop-shop service to clients covering PR, Search Engine Optimisation, social media and marketing. This versatility and integrated approach have undoubtedly been great contributing factors to the agency's astonishing growth and success. The commitment to staff development and high-quality service, using a wide variety of media at the forefront of the digital age, are highly commendable. The glowing testimonials from clients speak volumes about the exceptional quality of the business." View website

Capita TV Licensing Business Centres
Commenting on the Best Business Award to Capita's TV Licensing (TVL) Business Centres for Best Customer Focus, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges said: "It is clear Capita TV Licensing Business Centres have put in place a remarkable and comprehensive series of measures and policies to ensure they deliver exceptional customer service for the 30 million customers on their database - the biggest in Europe. It is highly refreshing to see a company go to such lengths to ensure their customers receive such a high quality of service, and I greatly admire the objective of seeking to resolve satisfactorily all queries at the first point of contact. Capita's success in achieving this is a superb tribute to its managers and staff." View website

Kindred and the National Apprenticeship Service
Commenting on the Best Business Award to Kindred and the National Apprenticeship Service for Best Marketing for the Apprenticeship Week 2010, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "The issue of youth employment and training is a vital one amid fears of a 'lost generation' of young people who face an increasingly difficult jobs market. Kindred and the National Apprenticeship Service clearly generated some amazing coverage for the National Apprenticeship Week and successfully turned the media spotlight on this area with a wide range of clever and well-devised PR ideas. The success of the week is a reflection of marketing at its best." View website

Interface 2
Commenting on Interface 2's Best Business Award for Corporate and Social Responsibility, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "Interface 2 deserves to be applauded for its outstanding Corporate and Social Responsibility in taking on a number of long-term unemployed from the local area after being introduced to them via NewCEP. More than this, the family owned electronic manufacturing company in Newhaven, East Sussex, has opened up new horizons for other people by providing voluntary placements. By adopting such an accommodating approach to ease a local problem, Interface 2 has demonstrated not only that it is very much part of the local community but has also provided an outstanding example for other businesses to follow." View website

The Workroom
Commenting on The Workroom's Best Business Award for Best Strategic Design/Creative in the Private Sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "The team at Workroom took an established brand with nearly 200 years of tradition and have helped transform it into a highly successful new business, Balfour Beatty WorkPlace. This is all the more impressive because the company achieved this at a time when the overall market has been in decline. The growth in business for WorkPlace as an exciting new brand has smashed expectations and is truly outstanding, and much credit for this must go to the very talented and highly innovative work by The Workroom." View website

Barclays Personal Investment Management
Commenting on Barclays Personal Investment Management's Best Business Award for Best Customer Focus, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said: "In these days when the financial sector is often under fire, it is refreshing to see a bank that is putting customers at the heart of its operations. I was particularly impressed with BPIM's newsletter to clients. With so many excellent policies in place to involve customers every step of the way, it's not surprising BPIM achieves such high levels of client satisfaction. And the very impressive financial results confirm that putting the customer first is also good for business." View website

Recruitment Genius
Commenting on Recruitment Genius' Best Business Award for Best New Product/Service, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Like many successful enterprises, Recruitment Genius is based on a simple but brilliant idea. By offering an affordable fixed-fee to recruiters, the company has attracted clients from small businesses to large corporations and has seen business grow by a whopping 10% a month. More than this, Recruitment Genius' innovative approach to helping companies fill vacancies is an outstanding example of ways in which business can help kick-start the economy by reducing barriers to employment. The user-friendly website is an added bonus to what is an exceptional Best New Product/Service." View website

Johnson Controls
Commenting on Johnson Controls' Best Business Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "A global leader in automotive seating, Johnson Controls has put itself in the driving seat with its Blue Sky Involve CSR programme. It is always great when a large, international organisation gets involved in community projects and clearly Johnson Controls not only has very strong links with many local communities but also has a very generous workforce who are willing to give their time and effort to help so many good causes. Many congratulations to the company for developing such a successful and inspirational CSR programme." View website

NetSupport
Commenting on NetSupport's Best Business Award for Best Product / Service Range, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "It's always nice to see companies like NetSupport winning a Best Business Award for the second time in a different category. Having won the Best Customer Focus category last year, they have proved that they not only deliver a great service but also offer an outstanding range of IT support solutions. NetSupport's range of Desktop Management & Remote Support Software products help organisations to reduce costs and improve productivity and the business seems well positioned to grow market share via distribution channels internationally as well as in the UK." View website

Morgan Hunt
Commenting on Morgan Hunt's Best Business Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Morgan Hunt's CSR programme has delivered measurable benefits for the company and the wider environment. The ethical recruiter has generated at least £1.2m in revenue directly as a result of CSR activity, improved staff turnover by over 15% and saved around 10% of costs through green sourcing. Morgan Hunt demonstrated a real commitment to their social responsibilities and as a result are reaping the rewards. A example for many other organisations to follow and aspire to." View website

Metropolitan Police
Commenting on the Metropolitan Police's Best Business Award for Best Police Service for their use of information technology, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "The Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Information play a key role in supporting front line policing to help make London safer for the general public. Their use of cutting edge ICT gives The Met an operational advantage and enables them to stay ahead of the fight against crime. Innovations like Crime Mapping coupled with the management of major change programmes like C3i demonstrate the Directorate's expertise and ability to support the wider Metropolitan Police Service." View website

Royal Liver Assurance
Commenting on Royal Liver Assurance's Best Business Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "CSR is fast becoming a 'must do' for those organisations that value the communities in which they operate. Royal Liver have invested with care to ensure that children improve their literacy and financial understanding. Their initiatives have been well executed and delivered tangible benefits for youngsters in the Merseyside community. In turn, the investment has helped to raise the profile and enhance the reputation of Royal Liver and instil that vital ingredient for business success, namely trust." View website

OKI Printing Solutions
Commenting on OKI Printing Solutions’ Best Business Award for Best Product / Service Range, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: “OKI’s in-house printing solution addresses a key concern for customers in that it incorporates a design facility enabling them to produce stationery and promotional materials without support from external suppliers. The Template Manager software, which comes free with most OKI printers, delivers a cost-effective solution while at the same time being simple to use. OKI have developed a product that could potentially reduce print budgets significantly while maintaining quality." View website

Canterbury City Council
Commenting on Canterbury City Council's Best Business Award for Best Local Authority, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Embarking on a programme of cultural regeneration is a major commitment and challenge for any local authority. Canterbury City Council have transformed the City centre for the benefit of the 148,000 population. The new Marlowe theatre will generate significant additional revenue as well as safeguarding jobs and typifies the commitment of the Council to supporting the community both culturally and financially. It takes vision and determination to drive major change and improvement and Canterbury City Council have clearly delivered with regard to the Marlowe and The Beaney Museum and Library along with the numerous other initiatives that have been successfully completed." View website

Phoenix Natural Gas
Commenting on Phoenix's Best Business Award for Best Customer Focus Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Phoenix take a refreshing approach to customer care. They are willing to lead the way with their transparent pricing policy to ensure that the customer gets the best possible value. Energy suppliers can be notoriously slow to pass on cost savings to their customers with prepayment customers often receiving the worst deals despite their vulnerability. Phoenix display a genuine commitment to offer a fair deal for all which should in turn attract new customers and help the business grow, so it's a win/ win approach for both customers and gas supplier. With differentiation between energy suppliers proving to be a challenge, Phoenix are certainly taking a bold stance." View website

Welsh Assembly Government
Commenting on the Welsh Assembly Government's Best Business Award for Best Communication, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "The Welsh Assembly Government set itself an ambitious challenge to reposition 'The Valley's' brand in line with its strategic framework for regeneration. The initial communications plan directed at the community was excellently developed and executed by a team of marketing experts. It was the impressive mix of creativity coupled with an orchestrated programme of initiatives embracing a range of media that particularly appealed to the judges. Communicating with a wide range of people spanning the generations requires a well thought through and targeted approach and the WAG have clearly delivered an initial campaign to be proud of. We look forward to seeing how the campaign develops over time." View website

Revival Environmental / Rentokil
Commenting on Revival Environmental's / Rentokil's joint Best Business Award for Best Innovation, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Rentokil, in partnership with Revival Environmental have developed Entotherm, a significant advancement in the treatment and eradication of insect pests. This new chemical-free pest control process kills every lifecycle stage of an insect, from eggs to larvae, to fully- grown creatures, making it a more efficient way to treat infestations. Unlike Enthotherm, conventional chemical spray treatments normally need to be repeated several times and can fail to reach insects living in wall cavities or crevices. The judges consider this heat based treatment to be a major step forward in pest control and applaud the way Rentokil and Revival have worked together to develop the treatment and bring this innovation to market." View website

EDF Energy Networks
Commenting on EDF Energy Networks' Best Business Award for Best Customer Focus, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "It takes skill, courage and determination to identify and then turn around a major issue with customer satisfaction levels. It's tempting to gloss over the issues but EDF Energy Networks took the bull by the horns and addressed the challenges it faced. At the heart of this change project has been a relentless focus on improving customer communication. Their hard work has significantly increased customer satisfaction levels and lead to an improved commercial performance and an enhanced reputation among its customers." View website

XLN Telecom
Commenting on XLN Telecoms' Best Business Award for Best Small to Medium Size Enterprise, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "It is XLN's unrelenting focus on the customer that sets it apart. They have identified a niche providing telecoms support to the small business sector and expertly exploited it to take the business from strength to strength. With the lowest customer churn in the market, a 50% increase in market share over the last two years, an 80% increase in turnover and a 300% increase in operating profit they are one to watch in the telecoms sector. A well run business with a clear and focused strategy for growth." View website

University for the Creative Arts
Commenting on the University for the Creative Arts' Best Business Award for Best Communication, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said: "Truly outstanding marketing campaigns are often about seizing the moment by leveraging a topical opportunity. This takes focus and slight of foot as well as an ability to execute a campaign very well. UCA delivered on all fronts with its campaign based around one of its students winning the coveted River Island Gold Award at Graduate Fashion Week. The University set clear but challenging objectives for this international campaign and exceeded them. A great example of what can be achieved when a team work together towards common goals." View website

Hillingdon Council
Commenting on Hillingdon Council’s Best Business Award for Best Local Authority, the Chairman of the Judges said:
“Not only has Hillingdon Council achieved strong results across the board, what makes it exceptional as an organisation is the way it has reinvented its communications strategy and learned how to better understand the needs of its residents and deliver against them in a more effective way. At the heart of this is the Council’s contact centre. Over the last six years it has been developed from almost a standing start to become a model that is now held up by Central Government as an example for others to follow. Delivering significant change and improvement in a large organisation is always a challenge and takes dedicated and skilled management and implementation. Hillingdon Council are clearly leading the way in this respect and set the standards for others to follow.” View website