The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce were delighted to welcome guests back for the in-person Chamber Business Awards 2021, sponsored by Folk2Folk, for a dazzling display at the Worcester Arena.
Hosted by Magician Ben Hanlin, the Awards welcomed over 700 guests from businesses across the 2 counties. After 2 years without an in-person awards ceremony, businesses were keen to get out and celebrate their achievements and have the opportunity to catch up with old faces and recognise the determination and innovation shown over the past year.
This year saw entries at an all-time high and ticket demand through the roof, with the event sold out months in advance. 15 awards were up for grabs, with the winners of each individual category entered into the final coveted award, Business of the Year.
The lucky winners of the night’s Awards included:
Best Use of Technology Sponsored by TechTeam – Amica24
Employer of the Year Sponsored by University of Worcester – DRPG
DRPG CEO, Dale Parmenter, said: “It is always fantastic to be recognised for our hard work with clients and projects, but we also know that none of this would be possible without our incredible team. Providing the right environment for our 380+ team members to grow, flourish and do their best work is something we take seriously and to be recognised as Employer of the Year is an honour. Our heritage is as a family run business and we try to make sure this filters throughout our whole organisation.”
Excellence in Customer Service Sponsored by Air Products – Malvern Panalytical
Excellence in Innovation Sponsored by Malvern Hills Science Park – D-RisQ
Nick Tudor, D-RisQ CEO, said: “For around 10 years, D-RisQ has been investing in innovative software verification technologies to provide high assurance to users that need to develop safety and security critical systems in sectors ranging from aerospace, nuclear, automotive and autonomous systems. This award recognises the potential that these world leading automatic techniques can have in changing the way the world does software and therefore making the world a safer, more secure place.”
Excellence in Professional Services Sponsored by Worcestershire County Council – Bishop Fleming LLP and 3WH (Joint winners)
Chris Walklett, Partner at Bishop Fleming, said: “We are so proud to have won the ‘Excellence in Professional Services’ award at the Hereford and Worcester Chamber Awards. It speaks volumes about the people and culture at Bishop Fleming, as well as the services we provide to our clients and community. We are committed to the West Midlands and supporting businesses that are part of our community, this is what sets us apart.”
Exporter of the Year Sponsored by Malvern Panalytical & High Growth Business of the Year Sponsored by EBC Group – OLPRO
Daniel Walton, Founder of OLPRO, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won these awards, it really is an honour to have been recognised as ‘Exporter of the Year’ and ‘High Growth Business of the Year’. The last year has been amazing for OLPRO as a brand, we’ve seen orders on our website increase by 98% year on year, we’ve sold our products to 29 different countries and we’ve also been able to double the number of staff that we employ – it really is such an exciting time for our business. We felt that the awards ceremony really was an amazing event for all involved and we’d like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for putting on such a great celebration of local businesses.”
Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace Sponsored by Cargill Protein Europe – New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE)
Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon, President and Chief Executive, NMITE, said: “Our staff and future students’ wellbeing is at the core of every decision and action we take, and it is humbling that the Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce has recognised NMITE with the Health and Wellbeing Award. I feel incredibly honoured and proud.”
Manufacturer of the Year Sponsored by OGL Computers – Indra Renewable Technologies Ltd
Micro Business of the Year Sponsored by Worcestershire Growth Hub – SurfTech IT
Matthew Parsons, SurfTech IT Managing Director, said: “Winning the award was a phenomenal achievement for me and the team, it’s great to have recognition of the company we’ve been working so hard to become and we will continue to provide customer focused IT solutions and continual improvement as we grow.”
Most Promising New Business Sponsored by mfg Solicitors LLP – EVA Capital Management
Hannah Edwards, EVA Capital Management Managing Director, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be awarded with ‘Most Promising New Business’, and truly honoured that the team’s great efforts have been recognised in such a rewarding way by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.”
Small Business of the Year Sponsored by OV Group – Payara Services Ltd
Steve Millidge, Payara Founder, said: “It was a great night for Payara. It was a testament to the team’s hard work this year that we were finalist for 4 awards and winners of the Small Business of the Year Award. One of the key elements that binds our global team together is our set of seven key core values, in particular Passion and Openness: passion in what we do; and a very open culture, with closeness as a team. We work together as a very well-oiled machine, and we wouldn’t have this business without our amazing people.”
Family Business of the Year Sponsored by Harrison Clark Rickerbys – ISO Quality Services Ltd
Jenifer Appleton, Managing Director, said: “We are honoured to have won Family Business of the Year. Being a family run business is important to us and how our whole company operates. Our close-knit team operates as one large family, and we hope this is felt by both our clients and partners.
The introduction of our Board Advisor, Rachel Keefe, has been a great asset to the business, helped us maintain perspective during Board meetings”.
Excellence in Sustainability Sponsored by Business Energy Efficiency Programme – Indra Renewable Technologies Ltd
Commitment to the Community Sponsored by Sanctuary Group – Yeleni Therapy & Support
Beth Hudson, Yeleni Therapy & Support, said: “Winning the ‘Commitment to the Community Award’ is testament to the passion, hard work and dedication of our wonderful team here at Yeleni. Our aim is to consistently respond to the physical, mental and emotional needs of those in our community as identified by our clients living with cancer, others who enjoy our services, interested parties such as Social Prescribers and Healthwatch Herefordshire, and other community support groups. We hope that being recognised in this way will further our charitable aims and garner even more support from within the local community that we serve.”
Business of the Year Sponsored by Folk2Folk – Malvern Panalytical
Mark Fleiner, President at Malvern Panalytical, said: “As there are some excellent companies in this region, we are both honored and humbled to be selected by The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce as the Business of the Year. At the end of the day our business is built on a foundation of incredible people doing amazing things to help and support our customers. Winning the two awards was really special and a confirmation of how people outside of our organization see and are moved by what we do.”
Sharon Smith, Chief Executive of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, commented:
“What a huge pleasure and delight to bring business together again for an evening of celebration and reward. It was great to see so many businesses recognised at the awards ceremony. After such a tough period for companies, the innovation and determination shown by our two counties business community demonstrates resilience and resourcefulness that is unique to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area. I would like to wish all of those businesses who were finalists, highly commended and proud winners on the night my sincere congratulations and I hope that everyone within their organisations can be proud of their achievements.”
More images will soon follow of what turned out to be the biggest business event for over 2 years and a night of celebration and recognising the hard work of our two counties businesses.