Lancashire’s best businesses honoured at awards
More than 1,000 celebrated at the sell-out Red Rose Awards in Blackpool, with 24 businesses collecting specially crafted trophies to mark their exceptional business performance.
The winners, along with five firms which were highly commended in their categories, were cheered on by a capacity audience of more than 1,100 – filling the vast Winter Gardens' Empress Ballroom.Business from the length and breadth of the county vied for titles across a range of categories, with 150, selected by a panel of expert judges, progressing through to the shortlist and then onto the stage to be rewarded with fanfare.
The twitter campaign, backed by burnley.co.uk, had the #RRA15 hashtag trending UK-wide, bringing the eyes of the twittersphere to Lancashire.It was the fifth time the Red Rose Awards had been held, which coincided with the tenth anniversary of Lancashire Business View, the magazine behind the event.
In addition to the 25 category winners, an extra special publisher’s award was presented to Padiham’s Trueman’s (Holdings).Event founder Richard Slater, also the publisher of Lancashire Business View, said: “It has been another fantastic Red Rose Awards – our fifth to date. We are thrilled by the business community getting so involved. We created the event to promote trade in the county and to celebrate the success stories and it is fantastic to see that so many support that vision.
“The Red Rose Awards do things the Lancashire way and continue to grow in popularity every year. “Our job is to connect businesses and we do this by creating interaction points, and we've had more collaborators, more suppliers and more businesses talking to each other than ever before. ”BBC Radio Lancashire host Graham Liver compered the evening, whilst Burnley businessman and TV star Dave Fishwick providing the voiceover.
Headline sponsors for the event were Forbes Solicitors and Barclays. A full review and picture gallery will be featured in the May/June edition of Lancashire Business View. Entertainment included Lancashire-based international opera singer Sean Ruane backed by the BAE Systems MAI Choir, Mr Wilson's Second Liners and the Ian Hooper Band.Click here for a gallery of photographs from the night.
Full list of winners:
Online Business of the Year sponsored by Lloyd Blackpool BMW
Finalists -- Chard (1964)
- iflorist
- Netflights.com
- EkmPowershop
- Personnel Checks
- The Hot Tub Superstore
Skills Provider Award sponsored by Ascentis
Finalists -- Access Ability CIC
- Themis at Burnley College
- Blackpool and The Fylde College
- Colossal Training
- Training 2000
- WEC Group
Rural Business of the Year
Finalists -- Cedar Farm
- Farm Creative
- Ginger Recruitment Services
- Potters Barn
- The Cartford Inn
Green Business Award sponsored by 3ManFactory
Finalists -- Acorn Cleaners
- Blackpool and The Fylde College
- Carbon Footprint Experts Lighting
- Crowberry Consulting
- Neales Waste Management
- The Low Carbon Energy Company
Not-for-profit Business of the Year
Finalists -- Caritas Care
- Incredible Edible Rossendale
- Lancashire Community Finance
- Lancashire Sport Partnership
- Spring into Action CIC
- The Foxton Centre
Customer Service Award sponsored by Napthens Solicitors
Finalists -- BAKO North Western
- Gold Medal Travel Group
- Lakeview Rest Homes
- Lloyd Motors
- Primary Teaching Services
- StoneHouse Logic
New Business of the Year sponsored by Business & Enterprise Trust
Finalists -- Ascent Scaffolding UK
- Bertram’s Restaurant
- CliniCall CiC
- Praetura Asset Finance
- Ruby & Daisy
- WECJet
International Achievement Award sponsored by Cassons
Finalists -- Andrew Porter
- ekmPowershop
- Group55
- iflorist
- Natures Aid
- Tangerine Holdings
Innovation of the Year sponsored by Preston's College
Finalists -- Andrew Porter
- Azotic Technologies
- Khans Quality Foods
- Morow
- OneFit Software
- Prefix Systems
Growing Business of the Year sponsored by Boost Business Lancashire
Finalists -- Bertram’s Restaurant
- Carbon Footprint Experts Lighting
- Colossal Training
- MAC Clinical Research
- MendIT
- Service Care Solutions
Creative Sector Business of the Year sponsored by Peter Scott Printers
Finalists -- Academy Print & Design (UK)
- Bigtank Productions
- Creativeworld
- Cuffe and Taylor
- Fat Media
- We Love PR
WINNER - Cuffe and Taylor, Preston
Retail Business of the Year sponsored by 2BR and The Bee
Finalists -- Cakes by Ruth
- Freeport Fleetwood
- Khans Quality Foods
- Leonard Dews Jewellers
- Ruby & Daisy
- The Ink Squid
Tourism and Leisure Business of the Year sponsored by Marketing Lancashire
Finalists -- After Dark Entertainment
- Crow Wood Leisure
- Gold Medal Travel Group
- Seafood Pub Company
- Sunshine Events UK
- Winter Gardens Blackpool
Construction Business of the Year sponsored by Just Construction & Property Networking
Finalists -- Anderton Gables
- Ascent Scaffolding UK
- Bryan Lee Building Contractors
- Lea Hough Chartered Surveyors
- Prefix Systems
- Truemans (Holdings)
Engineering Business of the Year sponsored by BAE Systems
Finalists -- BCW Engineering
- CoolKit Limited
- Hardy Services
- Merc Engineering
- PDS Engineering
- WECJet
Health and Care Business of the Year sponsored by North West Coast Academic Health Science Network
Finalists -- Lakeview Rest Homes
- MAC Clinical Research
- Mosaic Community Care
- Physiofusion
- Springhill Care
- Stocks Hall Nursing & Care Group
Legal Business of the Year sponsored by Allied Lighting
Finalists -- AMT LAWYERS LTD
- Farleys Solicitors
- Harrison Drury solicitors
- JFS
- Napthens Solicitors
- Taylors
Manufacturing Business of the Year sponsored by Barclays
Finalists -- CoolKit
- Khans Quality Foods
- Laila’s Fine Foods
- Prefix Systems
- REM (UK)
- Woodscape
WINNER - Prefix Systems, Blackburn
Property Business of the Year sponsored by Slatescape
Finalists -- Aldrock Surveyors
- Anderton Gables
- Cassidy + Ashton
- Cleanall Services
- Lantei Compliance Services
- Lea Hough Chartered Surveyors
Financial Services Business of the Year sponsored by Financial Affairs
Finalists -- Beever and Struthers
- Cassons
- KR Group
- Marsden Building Society
- PM+M Solutions For Business
- XLCR Vehicle Management
Employer of the Year sponsored by Four Recruitment
- Clayton Recruitment
- Danbro
- Lanway
- Pennine Events
- Primary Teaching Services
- The Foxton Centre
WINNER - Danbro, Lytham
Family Business of the Year sponsored by Laura Hartley Recruitment
Finalists -- Chorley Group
- Cummins Mellor Recruitment
- Laila’s Fine Foods
- The Hot Tub Superstore
- Trilanco
- Woodscape
Small Business of the Year sponsored by FSB
Finalists -- Chard (1964)
- Colossal Training
- Gconnect
- Group55
- Sous Vide Tools
- Tufties Hair & Beauty
Medium Business of the Year sponsored by Businesswise Solutions
Finalists -- CoolKit
- ekmPowershop
- Prefix Systems
- Service Care Solutions
- The Hot Tub Superstore
- Trilanco
Large Business of the Year sponsored by Forbes Solicitors
Finalists -- Gold Medal Travel Group
- KR Group
- Laila’s Fine Foods
- Simon Jersey
- Springhill Care
- Winter Gardens Blackpool
Publisher’s Award Winner - Truemans (Holdings), Padiham
