Today we kick off the first in our three part round-up of finalists in the 2022 LeicestershireLive Business Awards.
Over the next few days we will be highlighting the companies and individuals that are right at the top of their game across the region, the country and – in some cases the world.
The winners of this year’s awards – headline sponsored by commercial law firm and the – will be announced at a black tie ceremony at the King Power Stadium on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
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The nominations were whittled down by a team of independent judges helped by LeicestershireLive Business Editor Tom Pegden and the Reach Plc business and events teams.
The judges also went through the winners of each category to select the one they believe has shown the greatest track record in recent months and years – and which will be .
The overall winner does not have to be a large business – but a business of any size which has shown outstanding commercial success, employee support, innovation and creativity.
Whichever companies win – and whichever one is named overall 2022 business of the year – all are shining examples of success that can be achieved with the right ideas, the right people and the right attitude.
Not only does winning one of these awards mean recognition for the people at the top – it is also recognition for all the workers in those organisations, at all levels of the business. Everyone involved should be proud of their achievements.
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There have been some fantastic entries for 2022, which made judging even more difficult this year.
Congratulations to all the finalists on making the shortlist, and thank you to everyone involved in the judging process.
Today we take a look at the finalists in the Small, Medium and Large Businesses of the Year categories:
The small, medium and large finalists:
Small Business of the Year - sponsored by
Amandas Treasures
Coalville-based Amandas Treasures is an independent upholstery, soft furnishings and furniture repairs business.
It was set up by professionally qualified upholsterer and soft furnisher Amanda Monsey in September 2016, to be the home of custom-made curtains and upholstery for people wishing to express themselves within their own home.
According to Amanda: “At the age of 17 I embarked on an apprenticeship with a small upholstery company. During my time there, I completed my level 2 City & Guilds in modern upholstery and then went on to complete the City & Guilds level 3 in traditional upholstery.
“Since then my thirst for knowledge further led me to complete a level 2 & level 3 in soft furnishings to keep my knowledge and know-how up to date.
“The all-in-one service that I provide allows soft furnishings to be created from your own style and preference without having to arrange for mutiple trades people to take over.
“With over 26 years of experience in interior design, upholstery and soft furnishings, I will be able to advise and offer you a designer solution for all home furnishings.”
Cite
Cite is a full service, independent creative communications agency based in Friar Lane, Leicester, with clients across the 海角视频 and Europe.
It employs 25 specialists across creative, technology, strategy, planning and delivery. It is led by Laura Bent and Dafydd Prichard and works with brands including the NHS, Continental Tyres, Sika 海角视频, Puzzel, Sekonda, Saint-Gobain, Link and Motimate.
It has recently been working with the Department for International Trade to strengthen its presence in Nordic countries as it continues to enhance its global exporting capabilities.
The agency, which already has a strong foothold in the Northern European region through multiple clients, plans to secure more work across the continent as it finds the 海角视频’s approach to creativity, branding and digital bridges a gap between European and Global markets, including the USA.
Working initially with a regional advisor for the Department for International Trade (DIT), Cite secured additional funding through an Internationalisation Fund to invest in SaaSiest - the leading B2B SaaS event in the Nordics.
HR4海角视频.com
HR:4海角视频 is a Hinckley-based HR outsourcing company that provides a range of employee management services.
It offers businesses cost-effective support through a range of affordable services covering HR & employment advice, payroll & pensions, and health & safety.
Acting as your virtual HR department, the team of qualified professionals protects businesses from costly risks while reducing overheads, so that savings can be reinvested into a company for future growth.
Medium Business of the Year
Colton Packaging
Colton Packing is an independent family business specialising in cardboard packaging. Established in 1870, it is now based in Loughborough and run by fifth generation Colton family.
It designs and supplies corrugated cardboard packaging used in the manufacturing, e-commerce and food service sectors.
The business had a turnover of £7.6 million in 2021, up from £6.6 million the previous year. It employs 25-plus people, having creating jobs during the pandemic and hopes to be at a team of 30 by 2025. It also runs its own fleet of vehicles.
Colton recently won planning permission to start work expanding its headquarters in Hockey Close, Loughborough.
Managing director Laura Colton-Smith said: “The new buildings form part of our long-term growth plans and will provide much needed additional space for the storage and distribution of our corrugated packaging solutions."
Complete Detection Systems
Complete Detection Systems was founded in 1988 by two Leicester fire alarm engineers.
In 2020 the business was purchased by investors Simon Abley and Simon Cashmore, who had the goal of developing a one stop compliance and safety consultancy practice.
Working with the existing foundations they have transformed CDS from a company with a £3 million turnover to a group with a £17 million annual turnover.
Critical to CDS has been our achievement of industry recognised accreditations along with investment in its employees and training, and now 56 staff and six apprentices.
The business has set a target of expanding across the 海角视频 and has opened offices in North Wales, Manchester, Durham, and York.
Rutland Hall Hotel & Spa
In 2020 Barnsdale Hall Hotel in Rutland was by Dineshbhai and Savitaben Patel – co-founders of the Leicester-based Asian snack foods empire Cofresh.
Since then the 66 bedrooms, restaurant and bar areas have been given a make-over, and the waterside venue has been rebranded as Rutland Hall Hotel and Spa.
The hotel, which was closed in line with the Government's coronavirus guidance during Covid, used the opportunity to push ahead with a multi-million pound refurbishment, transforming the venue.
Ahead of its re-opening, management revealed the new name, website and updated brand colours, as well as a new crest that is a nod to Rutland’s rich heritage and the hotel’s new owners.
The team has gone from 70 staff to 150, and there are plans to grow even further –including doubling turnover and staff count in the next couple of years.
Large Business of the Year – supported by headline sponsor
Ibstock
From its base just outside Coalville, Britain’s biggest brickmaker witnessed a big jump in revenues and profits during the first half of the year despite industry-wide inflation and supply chain challenges.
The business benefited from strong demand in the new build housing market with sales up 28 per cent over the six months at £259 million, compared to the first six months of 2021. Profits were £51 million and the group has medium term plans to annual hit sales of £600 million-plus by 2026.
Chief executive Joe Hudson recently said: "I am very pleased with the group's first half performance, delivering profit and cash both significantly ahead of the prior period, supported by sustained robust demand across all our end markets and good operational execution.
“We continue to manage inflation and supply chain pressures well and are making good progress with our strategic development plans, with investments in new capacity progressing well, and good momentum in Ibstock Futures [an automated factory in West Yorkshire producing up to 60 million net zero bricks a year], as we focus on the delivery of our ambitious medium term financial targets.”
EE Smith Contracts
From its base in Leicester, EE Smith recently achieved record sales as it announced a further £60 million of work already teed up for its current financial year.
The business, which fits out big property developments, saw a turnover of £61.5 million in the year to March 31 – the highest revenues in its 125 year history.
Accounts filed on Companies House showed the strong figures were almost a third up on the £47 million reported a year earlier.
Management put much of the growth down to its work on prestigious developments including the luxurious Peninsula London hotel overlooking Hyde Park Corner and 15 “super-prime” apartments in Knightsbridge, London.
The business, which employs 285 staff, also said it reduced carbon emissions by more than 20 per cent last year despite the growth in activity at its sites in Leicester and London by investing in a new £125,000 extraction system.
It is also growing its long-standing apprenticeship programmes, with 35 new apprenticeships recruited since the outbreak of Covid-19.
The Access Group
The Access Group is Leicestershire’s newest big business, having relocated to a new £20 million headquarters in Loughborough a couple of years back.
Since its 1991 incorporation, the group has been through a string of investment rounds and buy-outs to become a leading provider of business management software in the 海角视频, Ireland and Asia Pacific.
Earlier this summer it announced fresh backing from shareholders Hg and TA Associates of more than £1 billion, putting its value at £9.2 billion and making it one of the biggest 海角视频 headquartered software providers.
Since 2020, Access has more than doubled in size, driven by double-digit organic growth as well as the strategic mergers and acquisitions. It has grown its customer base to more than 60,000, and now employs 5,000 people in nine countries.