Chinese stars sparkle at trade awards
FOUR North West companies have been named winners and runners up of the Greater China Business Awards 2015.
Construction giant Arup, which has offices in Manchester and Liverpool, and specialist engineering company Cygnet Group from Northwich in Cheshire were joint winners in the category which recognised the companies which have made the most significant contribution to developing business links with China.
Knutsford’s Delamere Dairy and Tithebarn from Winsford, both also in Cheshire, were runners up.
The event, which took place at the Lowry Theatre and timed to coincide with Chinese New Year celebrations, also saw three North West companies named as the top three Chinese Rising Stars, an award which celebrates companies have achieved the most in China despite only trading in the market for three years or less.
Overall winner of the award given by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) was Become (The Recruitment Business), which has offices in Manchester and London, and runner up was Ron Hill/Hilly Cothing, the sportswear company founded by running legend Dr Ron Hill and based in Hyde near Manchester.
In third place was Knutsford-based nuclear services firm Amec Foster Wheeler.
Two universities in Greater Manchester were also named in the race to be the most successful in establishing educational links with Greater China.
The School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Manchester, and the University of Bolton were winner and runner up respectively.
It is the second year of success for Greater Manchester, with last year’s three winners – Salford, Bolton and Manchester Metropolitan Universities – also coming from the city region.
It was the 10th anniversary of the Greater China Awards.
Clive Drinkwater, Regional Director for UKTI North West said: “I am delighted that the Greater China Awards in the North West are still going strong as we reach our tenth anniversary.
“There were strong entries across all three categories, providing ample evidence of why this region has gone from strength to strength in trading with China over the last decade.
“North West exports to China topped £2 billion in 2013, and China is currently the 3rd biggest export market for the North West, yet when the Greater China Awards began in 2005 it was not even in the top 10.”
