Awards Finalists Demonstrate the Extraordinary Diversity of Cornish Businesses
The finalists for the Cornwall Business Awards 2017 have now been announced and the judges have been impressed with the range and quality of the businesses that entered.
The Cornwall Business Awards are organised and presented by Cornwall Development Company in association with Business Cornwall Magazine and the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce. Now in their twelfth year, the Cornwall Business Awards have become established as the highest profile business awards scheme in the county.
The final shortlist for the 14 award categories includes businesses from Launceston to Penzance and products as diverse as ethically sourced diamonds, medical technology and spiral staircases.
The awards highlight that Cornwall is a place where young talent can flourish. The finalists for Young Business Person of the Year are Lyssa-Fee Crump of Headforwards, a software company in Redruth, Sam Karkeek of WAX Watergate, a new food and drink venue overlooking Watergate Bay, and Victoria Kierkegaard of Vixystrawberry Aerial Arts based in Truro, who stage performances that bring energy, fun and fitness to live events across Cornwall.
The finalists in the Best New Business category are the Great Cornish Food Store, which promotes the finest local food and drink, Smile Together, a community interest company providing dental services to local people, and Wild West Comms, a PR agency which specialises in food and travel. All three of these businesses are based in Truro.
The Best Third Sector Business category shows the many ways in which local organisations are helping their community. Active Plus, based in Truro, uses the skills and expertise of injured veterans to deliver training and development to people in the community. Bosence Farm Community in Hayle is a residential centre that helps people recover from drug and alcohol addiction, whilst The Dreadnought Centre in Pool gives support to young people with emotional or behavioural problems.
The Customer Focus Award shines the spotlight on three companies providing outstanding service. Perfect Stays of Wadebridge specialise in top quality, luxury holiday homes. They are competing for the award with Spiral UK of Helston, the UK’s leading supplier of spiral staircases and TorFX of Penzance, which provides currency exchange and international payment services. TorFX have also achieved the distinction of being named a finalist in four separate categories.
Exceptional Cornish companies to work for have been shortlisted for the Employer of the Year award. These are Smile Together Dental CIC in Truro, Headforwards software company in Redruth and TorFX in Penzance.
Three top quality Cornish manufacturing companies make up the shortlist for Manufacturer of the Year. KCS Print in Launceston produce high quality integrated label forms. Rugged Interactive in Fowey employ modern design and technology to create imaginative fitness equipment and have been featured on Dragons’ Den. Spiral UK of Helston are also shortlisted in this category.
Cornwall has long had a reputation for outstanding design and this is shown once again in the finalists for Most Creative Use of Design. Golden Tree Productions devise projects that celebrate Cornish culture, including the Man Engine tour of last year, and Peboryon in Penzance create unique, high quality cakes. They face competition from Rugged Interactive, who are also contenders for this award.
Three completely contrasting companies make up the shortlist for the Sustainable Business of the Year. Clear-flow of Redruth offer a full range of drainage services. Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay has its own biomass boilers and 10-acre solar farm while KinetIQue Jewellery in Bodmin create high quality jewellery made using ethically sourced diamonds.
West Cornwall dominates the Excellence in Digital Marketing category. The finalists are Oh So Social, a social media marketing company based in Penryn, Radix Communications, a technology copywriting agency also based in Penryn, while TorFX of Penzance receive a further nomination in this category.
Companies with their sights set firmly on ambitious growth comprise the shortlist for the Most Dynamic Growth Business. Headforwards of Redruth, Spiral UK of Helston, and TorFX of Penzance are all in the running.
Family businesses have always played a vital role in the local economy. Three leading examples have been selected as finalists for Best Family Business. Ann’s Cottage of St Columb has become a highly successful supplier of surfing and lifestyle clothing. Microtest in Bodmin is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of clinical software for GPs, whilst South West Laundry in Hayle services customers across the region.
Locally grown businesses that successfully export make up the finalists for Best International Business. BJ Sherriff of Falmouth sell top quality beekeeping clothing and accessories around the globe. Celtic and Co in Newquay are famous internationally for their contemporary clothing using natural, sustainable fibres, whilst KCS Print in Launceston is also making waves in European markets.
The sheer inventiveness of Cornish businesses is on display in the Business Innovation of the Year category. Data analysis specialist, Hertzian, based in Truro, faces strong competition from KinetIQue Jewellery and Microtest, both based in Bodmin, which are both leading the way in their respective fields.
The enterprising spirit is alive and well in Cornwall, as demonstrated by the finalists for the Entrepreneur of the Year award. Andrew Holland, CEO of Spiral UK, has
had his company shortlisted in four award categories this year. Wayne Retallack has seen South West Laundry grow from a single launderette to a major employer in Hayle. Tony Sampson founded Cornwall Solar Panels in 2010 and has established it as a rapidly expanding business.
The winners will be announced at a glittering awards dinner to be hosted at St Mellion International Resort on 18th May. Around 350 leaders from Cornwall’s top businesses are expected to attend. England rugby hero and TV personality, Matt Dawson MBE, will be the celebrity speaker at the event.
The final shortlist in full:
Young Business Person of the Year –sponsored by Truro & Penwith College
Lyssa-Fee Crump, Headforwards (Pool, Redruth)
Sam Karkeek, WAX Watergate (Watergate Bay)
Victoria Kierkegaard, Vixystrawberry Aerial Arts (Truro)
Best New Business in Cornwall – sponsored by Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership
Great Cornish Food Store (Truro)
Smile Together Dental CIC (Truro)
Wild West Comms (Truro)
Best Third Sector Business – sponsored by the Eden Project
Active Plus CIC (Truro)
Bosence Farm Community (Hayle)
The Dreadnought Centre (Pool, Redruth)
Customer Focus – sponsored by St Austell Brewery
Perfect Stays (Wadebridge)
Spiral UK (Helston)
TorFX (Penzance)
Employer of the Year – sponsored by Cornwall College Business
Headforwards (Pool, Redruth)
Smile Together Dental CIC (Truro)
TorFX (Penzance)
Manufacturer of the Year – sponsored by CORSERV
KCS Print (Launceston)
Rugged Interactive (Fowey)
Spiral UK (Penzance)
Most Creative Use of Design – sponsored by CEG
Golden Tree Productions (Penzance)
Peboryon (Penzance)
Rugged Interactive (Fowey)
Sustainable Business of the Year – sponsored by University of Exeter
Clear-flow (Redruth)
Hendra Holiday Park (Newquay)
KinetIQue Jewellery (Bodmin)
Excellence in Digital Marketing – sponsored by Niddocks
Oh So Social (Penryn)
Radix Communications Ltd (Penryn)
TorFX (Penzance)
Most Dynamic Growth Business – sponsored by Transform
Headforwards (Pool, Redruth)
Spiral UK (Helston)
TorFX (Penzance)
Best Family Business – sponsored by Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub
Ann’s Cottage (St Columb)
Microtest (Bodmin)
South West Laundry (Hayle)
Best International Business – sponsored by Tulip
BJ Sherriff (Falmouth)
Celtic & Co (Newquay)
KCS Print (Launceston)
Business Innovation of the Year – sponsored by Plymouth University
Hertzian (Truro)
KinetIQue (Bodmin)
Microtest (Bodmin)
Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by Unlocking Potential
Andrew Holland, Spiral UK (Helston)
Wayne Retallack, South West Laundry (Hayle)
Tony Sampson, Cornwall Solar Panels (Newquay)
The winners of two further categories will be announced on Awards Night:
Young Enterprise – sponsored by St Mellion International Resort
Winner of Winners – sponsored by Cornwall Chamber of Commerce
