Lancashire finalists gearing up for triumphant night

A Preston-based firm of 'fun experts' has been shortlisted for five categories at Lancashire's leading business awards.
Celebrating at the BIBAs ceremonyCelebrating at the BIBAs ceremony
Celebrating at the BIBAs ceremony

Sunshine Events is in the running for the Tourism and Leisure Business of the Year, Creative Business of the Year, Employer of the Year and Service Business of the Year.

And director James Sandwell is up for the Business Person of the Year category at this year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Morecambe-based sexual health testing service Better2Know and e-cigarette firm The Flavour Warehouse are also up for five prizes including nominations for Better2Know CEO Mike Asher and Aaron Gorton, a sales manager at The Flavour Warehouse.

The applicants will go forward to a second round of judging which will see judging panels visit the finalists in their businesses later this month to select which of them pick up the awards.

Tony Raynor, managing director at Blackburn-based telecommunications specialist Abbey Telecom which sponsors the Service Business of the Year category, said: “Many of the judges who have selected these finalists are former BIBAs winners themselves and many of them have said this year’s finalists are among the best they have seen.

“In previous years, many of those which have not made the shortlists would have had a seat at the Blackpool Tower on ceremony night, but the quality has been simply too high this year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I would like to thank every business in Lancashire which took the time to apply for the BIBAs because it is a real undertaking to put yourself up against the type of judging these awards have.”

The BIBAs prizes will be handed out at a ceremony in the magnificent Blackpool Tower ballroom in September.

There are also bound to be some surprise VIP and celebrity guests.

Here are this year’s finalists for the 2018 Be Inspired Business Awards.The second round of judging gets underway from Monday, June 18 when the judges for the Small Business of the Year category will be the first to hit the road for the ‘BIBAs On Tour’, the awards’ unique second round of judging, which concludes on July 11 with the Business of the Year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Third Sector Business of the Year:Advocacy FocusArtz for AllAscentis Community GatewayDance SyndromePositive Action in the Community:Primary EngineerThe Bee Centre

Medium Business of the Year:Flavour Warehouse B & M WasteCutting EdgeFox Brothers (Lancashire)Roccia True Bearing Watson Ramsbottom Winter Gardens Blackpooll

Manufacturer of the Year:Beech’s Fine Chocolates Bowland Bioenergy Flavour WarehouseNutree Life PakawastePerformance SpringsStandfast & BarracksThe Protein Lab (UK)

New Business of the Year:JFN Integrated SolutionsFresh Perspective Resourcing Huxter InternationalLM Training & Consultancy M4BMosney MillRichard Holden BBQWoodside Design

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Creative Business of the Year:Blue WrenCatapult PRDoor4Marvel at EverythingSundown SolutionsSunshine EventsWorkhouse MarketingYellowphin

Construction Business of the Year:Fox Brothers (Lancashire)FTS MeritNewbury HomesPinington ConstructionS&H GroupStormMeister Flood Protection

Small Business of the Year:ARC (Fylde Coast Accident Repair)Better2KnowDoor4Gillett Environmental JFN Integrated Solutions Nugent SanteSundown Solutions The Protein Lab (UK)

Employer of the Year: Advocacy Focus Are You Owed Money Better2KnowFTS MeritPrinted Cup Company Sunshine Events Suresite GroupUtiliGroup

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Professional Business of the Year:Brownlow UtilitiesFresh Perspective Resourcing Hest Bank Dental CareNugent SantePennine Wealth SolutionsRotherham Taylor True BearingWatson Ramsbottom

Transport Business of the Year: E&C Distribution Fagan & Whalley Gillett EnvironmentalNext Day FreightSCS Logistics Walton’s Coaches

Service Business of the Year:Sunshine EventsCurrency Matters Door4Fresh Perspective Resourcing FTS Merit Granby Marketing Services Pakawaste Suresite Group

Family Business of the Year:B & M WasteARC (Fylde Accident Repair)Brindle Distillery Clifton Homecare First Trace Heating Direct FTS Merit No 10 Hotel Waltons Coaches

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Engineering Business of the Year:Cutting Edge Services Ballpark Precision EngineeringJSEK&M Precision Engineering Lyndhurst Precision Engineering PakawastePerformance Springs StormMeister Flood Protection

Business Person of the Year:Anthea Morris –Better2KnowAaron Gorton – Flavour WarehouseRebekah Fitzhugh – Granby Marketing ServicesDavid Marks – Levity Crop ScienceYasser Ahmed – Roccia Heath Groves – Sundown SolutionsJames Sandwell – Sunshine EventsAlan Aitken – Woodhouse Designs

Business of the Year:

UtiliGroupBetter2KnowCutting Edge ServicesFlavour WarehouseRocciaSundown SolutionsSuresite GroupWinter Gardens Blackpool

Exporter of the Year:

Ainscough Wind Energy Better2KnowCurrency MattersFirst Trace HeatingFlavour WarehouseGroup 55Levity Crop SciencePaper Cup Company

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Micro Business of the Year:Group 55 Bowland BioenergyNext Day FreightPennine Wealth SolutionsSpecialist Training & ConsultancyThe ATACC GroupUK Media and EventsWoodside Design

Tourism & Leisure Business of the Year:

Barry Robinson LeisureHallmark Hotel No 10 Hotel Sunshine EventsThe Bee CentreUK Media and EventsViva BlackpoolWinter Gardens, Blackpool

For further details about the BIBAs, visit the official awards’ website at www.thebibas.co.uk.See Tuesday’s 8-page business special in the Post every week for all the updates leading up to the September awards night at the magnificent Blackpool Tower.Good luck to all!

Related topics: