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Welcome to the Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards.

ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY 23RD AUGUST 2024

This Year’s Host

Alex Horne & The Horne Section

Since 2018, All Things Business has been celebrating the very best of the county’s business community through the Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards.

Over the years it has grown into the biggest date on the awards calendar, bringing finalists, guests, supporters and sponsors together to recognise the talent, entrepreneurship, innovation and sheer hard work that goes into making our business community so special.

All Things Business holds an Outstanding rating from the Awards Trust Mark Scheme, which was established with the aim of encouraging more award programmes to focus on their own ethics and transparency. The scheme scrutinises everything from criteria, scoring, feedback, transparency and judging.

This means that all entries are scored against set criteria and marked through a bespoke software-based scoring system before finalists are selected. The finalists will then be considered by the independent judges to choose a winner.

There are 14 categories to choose from, so there’s guaranteed to be something worth entering for every business, large or small, and every team or individual.

So, what are you waiting for? We’d love to hear from you.

2023 Winners

Rachel Mallows MBE DL

Outstanding Contribution to Northamptonshire Award

Over 30 years ago, Rachel started a business offering support, training, and consultancy services. Her dedication to business, entrepreneurship, charities, and initiatives, especially in the food and drink sector, has made a significant impact on many lives.

Staysure

BIG Business of the Year

Staysure has shown great diversification and innovation and has been very proactive, investing a lot of time and effort into developing their employees and into supporting the Northamptonshire community. They have enjoyed incredible success and achievement and believe that the key to that is a motivated and valued workforce.

Mannol

Business of the Year

With an incredibly impressive leader, this business has proven to be ahead of the competition. As well as outstanding financials, this business has shown itself to be dedicated to its employees, customers and the local community. Key business decisions have been taken that have proven to be beneficial to the company’s success.

iOTA Interiors

Sustainability Award

iOTA Interiors has proven that they really benefit the environment. Their work is incredibly hands on and is very original, creative, and innovative. They have shown a real commitment and dedication to ensuring a more sustainable future.

Jevgenij Lyzko

Businessman of the Year

The competition for this award was very strong but the judges were extremely impressed by Jevgenij, who has shown that determination and drive can make anything possible. His entrepreneurial skills, abilities, influences and achievements are outstanding.

Rachel Rowley

Businesswoman of the Year

Once again, the judges were blown away by the high standard of this year’s finalists and want to congratulate you all. But Rachel Rowley, who had the evidence to prove she is very willing and very determined, stood out. The judges are looking forward to seeing what she does next.

KRW Accountants

Accountancy Firm of the Year

KRW Accountants has shown it offers a broad range of services. The team are dedicated and are constantly looking for new concepts to evolve the business and stand out above the competition. They demonstrate a passion for taking responsibility and educating the younger generations. Overall, they have a different but innovative approach that has proven to be very successful.

Saffron

Food & Drink Award

Saffron is a restaurant with a touch of class. The team there has demonstrated a passion for food and service in multiple ways, as well as readily taking on feedback to consistently improve the dining experience for their customers.

Howes Percival LLP

Legal Firm of the Year

The judges were very impressed by the figures displayed to them by Howes Percival and how their claims were backed up with strong evidence. They have shown their dedication to creating a good culture and environment for their staff and the importance of using constructive feedback to always improve. With a personal approach, they were the outstanding winners of this award.

Moore

Marketing Campaign of the Year

Moore has proved that they are ahead of their competition. They have shown that clear and measurable objectives were both set and achieved. Their campaign is original and has shown real initiative for making an impact on their audience.

Hireful

Employer of the Year

Hireful has created an outstanding workplace with a set of values that has led to a committed, effective and motivated workforce. They has proven that they put their employees at the forefront of everything they do.

The Green Patch

Community Project or Person of the Year

The judges found this category incredibly humbling and were in awe of the work that continues to take place within Northamptonshire. But they could only choose one winner, and that was The Green Patch, who showed how they were dedicated to building and serving the community to the fullest. They have made a remarkable impact within society.

Vulcan Works

Innovation Award

The judges were blown away by what Vulcan Works has done to support both local businesses and the community. They have fostered innovation and at the same time proven they are very good at what they do.

78 Derngate

Land & Development Award

This category is full of exciting projects that have all benefited Northamptonshire, something for which the judges wanted to thank all the finalists. 78 Derngate has shown clear consideration for the Northamptonshire community, economy and environment and delivered an extremely impressive and exciting outcome.

Hunsbury Homes

New Business of the Year

Hunsbury Homes stood out and exceeded the criteria for this award. They have shown incredible growth and development over a short period of time. They have proved that they have entrepreneurial energy and know what it takes to get a successful business off the ground.

Abi Almond

Apprentice of the Year

The judges were very impressed by the brilliant finalists in this category and found it very difficult to decide, but Abi has shown, through exceptional results, that she is consistent, dedicated and is very knowledgeable in her industry. She has excelled and is a very impressive individual.

Courtney Lawes

Northamptonshire ICON Award

Introducing Saints legend Courtney Lawes, host Rob Beckett told the audience how this inaugural Icon Award celebrates someone who is known for his dedication to his sport and his inspirational leadership. As he hangs up his international boots he leaves an incredible legacy.

“The recent Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards programme was PHENOMENAL. To create such a buzz on the run up and to put on the highest calibre of business event in ‘normal’ times is no mean feat. Thank you for all that you do!”

“The team at All Things Business are absolutely amazing and so so lovely. The Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards and Northamptonshire Education Awards that they hold are always such a good night. The quality of the evenings show how hardworking the team are and how much thought and effort is put into everything they do.”

“All Things Business Northamptonshire continue to put businesses at the fore! The Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards was spectacular, an evening where businesses making a difference were recognised, celebrated and championed. Proud to have been a part of it!”

“It was absolutely nothing like anything else we have been to. The atmosphere was electric, there was a real buzz in the room.”

“A wonderful evening in the company of so many inspirational people in Northamptonshire”

“An extremely enjoyable evening that was very well organised and befitting of the excellent local talent and businesses in the Northamptonshire community.”

Previous Hosts

Jimmy
Carr
2018

Stephen K
Amos
2019

Ben
Thomas
2020

Sir Trevor
McDonald
2021

Paddy
McGuinness
2022

Rob
Beckett
2023

Award Categories

The Independent Judges

Nick Hewer

Star of TV’s The Apprentice Nick Hewer has once again agreed to head up the judging panel for this year’s Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards. Nick’s PR company first represented Amstrad in the 1980s, and Nick built a long working relationship and friendship with Alan Sugar, who eventually asked him to sit alongside him on The Apprentice.

Tim Grantham FCILT, COO / Executive & Organisational Improvement Coach – Be. Partners Ltd.

With 20 years’ leadership experience in the high-growth FTSE100 environment of Howdens Joinery PLC, where he was responsible for large scale change programmes and operations, £30M budgets and supply of 11,000 SKUs to over 800 depots, Tim is now an organisational improvement coach, helping individuals and organisations build efficient, resilient teams that consistently deliver high performance.

An NLP-DHE trained practitioner with a sharp eye for management challenges and opportunities plus experience as a turnaround specialist, Tim is an impact-focused ESG champion, integrating sustainability with day-to-day management systems for triple bottom line results to satisfy the most demanding CFO.

Claire Harvey, Managing Director – UK Network, Reed

Claire has over 25 years of experience in the recruitment industry working for two major recruitment companies. Originating as a finance recruiter herself, she employed the skills learnt in her early years and went on to develop high-billing, motivated teams to great success. From there, with experience and drive, she has worked her way up to Managing Director of Reed’s UK Network, a business consisting of 14 different industry specialisms across 100 locations in the UK.

Her passions include developing teams as a coach and a mentor and championing Reed’s Women in Leadership programme. Claire is a qualified NLP practitioner; and takes pride in her strong leadership skills and her ability to inspire, motivate and drive a highly commercial and fast-paced business.

Rachel Mallows DL MBE

Rachel has been delivering training, coaching, mentoring and business support through The Mallows Company for more than 30 years. She is also Director of the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards, Made In Northamptonshire and the Positive Pathway Alliance, and is Chair of Trustees at The Daylight Centre in Wellingborough.

Rachel is also Chair of the SEMLEP Food and Drink Sector Strategy Board, which aims to ensure local voices are heard at regional and national level.

She was awarded an MBE for services to Business and Entrepreneurship in HM Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th Birthday Honours List in 2016.