The county’s business successes were celebrated last night (12 June) when the winners of the Kent Business Awards 2008/09 received their trophies at a glamorous awards ceremony held at Kent Showground, Maidstone.
Organised by Priory PR & Events the Business Awards evening is one of Kent’s most prominent events in the business calendar. Starting with a champagne reception, followed by a four-course dinner, the evening proceeded with an Oscars-style awards ceremony hosted by ITV Meridian’s Sangeeta Bhabra.
Chosen by a high-powered panel of the region’s leading business figures, the companies in the spotlight included Hadlow College for the Kent Large Company of the Year; Robert O’Connor from Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park for Kent Business Person of the Year and SWEEEP for the Best New Business Award.
Chairman of the Judges Graham Webb, MBE praised the quality of business that was highlighted in this year’s awards. He said: “All finalists in this year’s Kent Business Awards, chosen from a record entry and a rich diversity of enterprises, are first division.”
Royal British Legion Industries, Aylesford, secured an outstanding double triumph by winning the Social Care Award and the Judges’ Award for Excellence as the best all-round company selected from the award finalists.
Principal Judge Dick Pascoe, Chair of Environment & Regeneration Committee of Kent County Council, said: “Without doubt the businesses in Kent are an outstanding group of companies. To select one that shines above the others is almost impossible. BUT - Royal British Legion Industries have achieved the almost impossible. They shone, above their competitors but only by the smallest of margins. They were all magnificent!”
Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) has been helping people with physical or mental disability across the county to find and sustain work for more than 80 years. As a result of its success RBLI won a Pathways to Work contract from the Government to enable it to expand its services further to help more people into meaningful and long term employment.
RBLI is working closely with businesses across the county to implement the scheme that aims to help 40 per cent of the 28,000 people in Kent and Medway already on incapacity benefit to find work. The opportunity will bring together a number of support services which will allow RBLI to work even more effectively for its customers in providing preparation for work, benefits advice, back-to-work financial calculations, training, advice on managing health conditions and in work-support to help sustain long-term employment.
RBLI Spokesman John Chater said: “We would like businesses to be receptive and consider employing people with a disability and working with us to do that.”
RBLI also delivers welfare and care services including housing for around 500 people. Its high dependency care home has been recognised by the Commission for Social Care Inspection as outstanding for dignity, respect, comfort and management.
Among those celebrating was the Business Awards’ youngest ever winner. Charlie Artingstoll set up his eco-friendly business, ‘Timbertags’, when he was just 14 and has successfully expanded over the past 2 years. He produces wooden tags for events such as weddings and garden markets and uses Google Ads to win work, which has brought in orders from as far away as America. Charlie received a special award for Entrepreneurial Merit for his achievement with Timbertags.
Charlie said: “I plan to try and promote eco business, especially with the youth as I feel that it is they who will make a difference in the future. I think that they need to be shown that they can run their future businesses in an eco way without having to go vastly out of their way or spend millions.”
Robin Fegan, Kent Business Award Director commented on Charlie’s success: “Charlie is a fantastic role model to the young people of Kent and we hope his success will give confidence to other young people with entrepreneurial ambitions. The Business Awards will continue to contribute to the development of industry by encouraging the highest possible standards and recognising success in business across the county, and looks forward to the next Business Awards programme in 2009.”
Kent Business Award winners and finalists 2008/09
KENT LARGE COMPANY OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Deloitte:
Winner : Hadlow College, Hadlow
Finalists: Armourcoat, Sevenoaks; Southern Salads Ltd, Tonbridge.
KENT BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Invicta Fm:
Winner: Robert O’Connor, Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park
Finalists: Ray Boakes, Southern Salads Ltd, Tonbridge; Peter Boreham,
National Grid Grain LNG; Guy Lucas, Bactec International Ltd, Rochester.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD – sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland
Winner: Shepherd Neame, Faversham
Finalists: ADM Computing, Canterbury; Hadlow College, Hadlow.
KENT SMALL & MEDIUM SIZED COMPANY OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Business Link
Winner: Regent Development Ltd, Dartford
Finalists: 5 Star Computing Systems, St Nicholas at Wade; SIMS Claims Services, Tunbridge Wells
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AWARD – sponsored by Kent Film Office
Winner: Bussroot, Beltring, Paddock Wood
Finalists: Courtyard Studios, Maidstone; Surin Restaurant, Ramsgate; Year One Consulting, Folkstone.
INNOVATION IN BUSINESS – sponsored by Land Securities
Winner: PageSuite, Aldington, near Ashford
Finalists: Bedfont Scientific, Rochester; Oil Drum, Canterbury, SWEEEP, Sittingbourne.
CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD – sponsored by Brachers Solicitors
Winners: Computer Tel, Gravesend
Finalists: Active Digital Communications, Paddock Wood; MoCo Business, Rochester; The Chapel Hair & Day Spa Ltd, Tunbridge Wells.
SOCIAL CARE AWARD – sponsored by Kent County Council
Winner: Royal British Legion Industries, Aylesford
Finalists: All Seasons [Kent], Whitstable; Safe Hands Community Carers, Folkstone.
BEST NEW BUSINESS AWARD – sponsored by IoD Kent & Kent Business
Winner: Sweeep Ltd, Sittingbourne
Finalists: Education Sense, Maidstone; Kent Trainers, Paddock Wood; SIMS Claims Services, Tunbridge Wells
TECHNOLOGY AWARD – sponsored by southeastern
Winner: Sota Solutions, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne
Finalists: Aurora Kendrick James, Chatham; Due Diligence Ltd, Sittingbourne
JUDGES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE – sponsored by Kent County Council
Winner: Royal British Legion Industries, Aylesford
JUDGES SPECIAL AWARD FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL MERIT– supported Business Link
Winner: Charlie Artingstoll, Timbertags
Media inquiries: Kimberly Button on 0870 609 3048 or email kim@priorypr.com
Please click on the link below to see highlights from the dinner.
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