Member Article

2013 Midlands Family Business Awards: Shortlist announced

Forty-two Midlands’ family businesses, their leaders and advisers have made the shortlist in this year’s Family Business Awards.

Each shortlisted business will now be interviewed by the panel of independent judges, which includes well-known business leaders and family business ambassadors, including TV presenter Alex Polizzi, President of Speedo International David Robinson, Mark Samworth of Samworth Brothers, and MD of 99p Stores Hussein Lalani.

The shortlists across the 2013 Awards’ ten categories feature family businesses from a host of sectors, including manufacturing, online and high street retailing, environmental and sustainable energy, construction, haulage, logistics, transport, education and hospitality.

Of the forty-two organisations, twenty-five are based in the East Midlands and seventeen in the West of the region. The complete shortlist is available on the Awards’ website: http://www.familybusinessawards.co.uk/shortlists-2013

Six companies are shortlisted for the headline Family Business of the Year Award, sponsored by regional business advisory firm Smith Cooper. They are Nottinghamshire family businesses A1 Flue Systems, Belton Massey and Weavers of Nottingham, Derbyshire-based Bowler Energy, and West Midlands-based T H Baker & Co and David Manners Group.

Tamworth’s Suncream Dairies is shortlisted in a record-breaking three categories – Fastest Growing Family Business (sponsored by Barclays), Manufacturing Excellence (sponsored by Crouch Logistics) and Outstanding Contribution (sponsored by Thomas Miller Investment and First Actuarial).

The shortlist for the Awards’ Best Small Family Business category, open to family businesses with an annual turnover of up to £5million and sponsored by RSA (Royal Sun Alliance) comprises Cooper Group UK (Bilston, West Midlands), Cope Seeds (Sleaford, Lincolnshire), Deaf Alerter plc (Derby), Mrs Stone Store (Hilton, Derbyshire), PET-Xi (Coventry), and recruitment firm SOLOS Consultants (Nottingham).

Other categories are Business Innovation, Commitment to the Community, Retail Excellence, Service Excellence, and Leading Adviser to Family Businesses.

“Each of the businesses entering the Awards this year has demonstrated the incredible quality, innovation and scope of the work of family businesses across the Midlands,” comments Charlotte Perkins, MD of The Wilson Organisation which organises the Awards, “with the finalists showing a clear commitment to defining and expressing the family values inherent within their organisations.

“The Awards embrace transparency and independence throughout the judging process that takes place during September. Each of our ten judging panels is led by a key figure from the family business community, who recognise and understand the unique issues of running a family business.”

Chris Taylor, Partner at Smith Cooper in Nottingham, adds: “We’re thrilled to be headline sponsor of the Awards for the third year in a row. As a firm we believe that building great relationships is central to success and the bond we’ve created with the Awards means that it’s a highly anticipated event in all of our diaries.”

Winners in each of the ten categories will be announced at a prestigious black tie dinner in Birmingham on the 14th November 2013, and all funds raised at the event will go to The Outward Bound Trust.

The Midlands Family Business Awards are the regions only not-for-profit, independent initiative for family businesses. This year’s charity is The Outward Bound Trust, the educational charity for young people. Since their launch, the Awards have raised more than £15,000 for Midlands-based charities.

The Wilson Organisation, based in Nottingham, provides innovative insurance and financial solutions to businesses and individuals both regionally and nationally. For more information, visit: www.wilorg.com, or Tel: 0115 942 0111.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Midlands Family Business Awards .