Best of Blackburn and Darwen honoured at business bash

Finalists were joined by dignitaries, sponsors, judges and supporters at an exclusive black-tie event held at Blackburn Cathedral where the winners were announced and celebrated on stage.

Khalid Saifullah, a director of Star Tissue and chairman of the Hive Network, which hosted the awards, said: “The inaugural Blackburn and Darwen Business Awards has been a fantastic success. Our goal was to showcase the extraordinary work being undertaken within the borough, and anybody who looks at the list of finalists and winners will realise what a truly special region this is.

Metal fabrication and engineering services company WEC Group were triple winners on the night picking up The Eureka Award for innovation and the much sought-after Manufacturing Excellence Award. In addition to this young employee James Pickles was named winner of The Bright Spark Award for the vital role he plays for the company.

Headline sponsors of the Hive Blackburn and Darwen Business Awards are Blackburn College and Capita. The awards are also supported by Bowker Motor Group, Business and Enterprise Trust, East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Forbes Solicitors, Heritage Envelopes, Napthens Solicitors, Pierce, Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE), Ronset, Royal Bank of Scotland and Taheedul Eudcation Trust. Media partners are The Bee FM, Square Cactus, Lancashire Business View and BBC Radio Lancashire.

Hive is a group of business leaders working together to inspire prosperity and is supported by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

• Access Ability CIC • Praetura Asset Finance• Prefix Systems - WINNER• Pure Star Cleaning

• Lance Mason • Northern Industrial• Twin Valley Homes -WINNER• WEC Group

• Access Ability CIC • AMT Lawyers • Lance Mason Solicitors - WINNER• Northern Industrial

• Daniel Devitt, Blackburn Alarms • Lynsey Doran, Chase Templeton • Megan Gallacher, Twist Event Catering • James Pickles, WEC Group - WINNER

• Contrado Digital • Northern Industrial• Precision Polymer Engineering - WINNER• Sovereign Beverage Company

• Prefix Systems • Scancapture • Twist Event Catering • WEC Group - WINNER

• Daniel Halenko, Blackburn Alarms • Daniel Coletta, Chocolat By Daniel Coletta - WINNER• Michael Cropper, Contrado Digital • Sonia Duffin, Duffin’s Estate Agents

• Contrado Digital • Gregory Audio Visual • Source Creative • TPW Design Consultants - WINNER

• Blackburn College • Darwen Aldridge Community Academy - WINNER• Training 2000 • Westholme School

• Precision Polymer Engineering • Prefix Systems • WEC Group - WINNER• Woodscape

The Arte et Labore Award Andrew Graham – WINNERThe Hive Chairman’s Award Accrol Papers – WINNER