Seven of the Best from Derbyshire Recognised in Prestigious Awards
Seven Derbyshire businesses have reached the finals of the Rural Business Awards – the UK’s only dedicated national business awards for the rural community, run in partnership with the CLA and actively supported by the countryside sector as well as MPs across the UK. The Rural Business Awards are sponsored by Janine Edwards Wealth Management Ltd, Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management.
Aimed at organisations based in the countryside, the Rural Business Awards recognise excellence in a range of different business categories, from innovation through to employment. Now in their second year, the awards were the brainchild of Midlands businesswomen Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, who believe that rural enterprises are often overlooked by other business prize-giving schemes based in urban areas.
The Derbyshire firms named as finalists are: Tanglewood (best rural start-up); Le Jabot & Stock Company (best rural apparel business); Gravity (best rural creative or media-based business); Tissington Hall (outstanding rural diversification project and best rural tourism business); DG Light Haulage (rural employer of the year and rural innovation of the year); Technical Translations from Centuries Ltd (best rural professional services business); and Harrier UK Ltd (best rural professional services business). The winners will be announced in a ceremony at The Belfry Hotel and Resort in the West Midlands on 13 October.
Jemma Clifford, joint founder of the Rural Business Awards said:
“We were hugely impressed by the number and calibre of this year’s award entries. Last year, in its inaugural year, the Rural Business Awards showed just how many outstanding businesses there are across rural England, Scotland and Wales and this has been proved once again this year. The number of entrants has increased and the standard of entries is even higher than before. Every business that has been named as a finalist has demonstrated excellence in their particular category and to have reached this level in the competition is a testament to this. It is going to be a tough job to name the winners in such a strongly-fought competition.”
Andy Smith, Managing Director of Harrier UK Limited, a finalist in the best rural professional services business category, commented:
“We are a small business that currently delivers the health and safety for more than a third of the multi-million pound UK international stadium touring market and this year we have continued to keep artists like Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna and Kasabian safe – alongside half a million members of the public and hundreds of East Midlands-based SME's employees, visitors and customers. We are honoured to have been recognised for our achievements by one of the most prestigious awards programmes in the UK – we are particularly proud of our rural roots so this accolade is really very exciting.”
David Guilford, Managing Director of DG Light Haulage, a finalist in two categories said:
“We are delighted to have been named as finalists in two categories for the Rural Business Awards. I have long believed that we have a particularly innovative approach to business and it is rewarding to be through to the final in that category, as well as the rural employer of the year. We are thrilled that our commitment to our employees, our local community and our business growth has been recognised.”
Fellow finalist, Sharon Stevens-Cash, a Director at Gravity Digital said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be one of only five finalists in the UK, in the creative and media category of the Rural Business Awards. We have an experienced and dedicated team at Gravity Digital that demonstrates our down to earth ethos and results-driven approach every day. Digital Marketing is a competitive industry so it is fantastic that that the Rural Business Awards have named us as one of the top five creative media agencies in the UK. Our clients and our people are what has helped us enjoy a 100% retention rate since our formation in 2015. We’re really looking forward to the awards ceremony in October to find out if we have achieved the top spot!”
The CLA – a membership organisation for owners of land, property and business in England and Wales – partners the Rural Business Awards. Caroline Bedell, CLA Director Midlands said:
“Rural businesses are not only the beating heart of the countryside, they also make a vital contribution to the wider economy. Around 600,000 rural businesses in England and Wales employ 3.4 million people but all too often this just isn’t recognised. The Rural Business Awards are an important showcase for some of our most exciting, pioneering and creative rural enterprises, and we congratulate all those that have been selected as finalists and are flying the flag for rural business.”
Rural Business Awards sponsor, Janine Edwards of Janine Edwards Wealth Management, Principal Partner of St James’s Place Wealth Management says:
"It is an enormous privilege for me and my team to be intimately involved in such a high profile event as the Rural Business Awards. The recognition that the awards will create for the finalists is well deserved and admirable. It is great to see an array of fantastic finalists, and there is much to be learnt from these successful companies. By celebrating their accomplishments we will incentivise others to follow in their footsteps.
Our philosophy centres on establishing trust and building valuable, long term relationships and so we see these Awards as a wonderful opportunity to encourage a strong, tightly knit business community that works in the interests of everybody.”
The awards ceremony will take place in October 2016. For more information visit: www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk. Find out more via social media on:
T: @RuralRBAs
F: The Rural Business Awards
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The full category list is:
1. Best Rural Start-up
2. Outstanding Rural Diversification Project
3. Best Rural Apparel Business
4. Rural Innovation of the year
5. Best Rural Manufacturing Business
6. Best Rural Professional Services Business
7. Best Rural Creative or media based business
8. Social enterprise / community project of the year
9. Best Rural Tourism Business
10. Best Rural Sporting Business
11. Rural Employer of the year
12. Rural Entrepreneur of the year
13. Best Food & Drink Business