EY announces shortlist for Midlands Entrepreneur Of The Year
ENTREPRENEURS from across the East and West Midlands have been shortlisted for success in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 Midlands Awards.
The finalists represent 34 businesses across Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Redditch, Solihull and Worcester. The firms have a combined turnover of £1bn and employ more than 15,000 people in the region.
The shortlisted companies are drawn from firms in the automotive, healthcare, real estate and government & public sector.
The winners will be announced in the Midlands final, which takes place on Tuesday June 14 at Birmingham Council House.
They will join the winners of regional finals in Scotland, the North of England, and London & the South to battle it out for the UK title, which will be announced at a ceremony in London in October. They will then represent the UK at EY’s World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Monte Carlo in 2017.
Chairing the Midlands judging panel for the first time is Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham.
Joining him on the 12-strong panel are other well-known Midlands business leaders, along with previous Entrepreneur Of The Year winners: Jim McCarthy, chief executive of Poundland and Simon Ward, of Inspired Thinking Group.
Andrew Spence, Midlands Entrepreneur Of The Year Leader at EY, said: “These dynamic, fast growing companies – and the people behind them – are vital to the Midlands’ national and global competitiveness, and these awards rightly recognise their success. Investment in technology and innovation, domestic and international expansion are just some of the ways these entrepreneurs are growing their businesses and positioning themselves for further growth over the years ahead.
“This year’s panel of judges reflects the strength and diversity of the entrepreneurs and business leaders we have in the Midlands, and we’re delighted to welcome Lord Digby Jones as Chair of our 2016 judging panel.”
This year’s Midlands finalists are:
|
|
Name |
Company |
Company description |
HQ location |
District |
|
1 |
David Ball |
Bridge Farm Group |
Bedding and Ornamental Plant Nursery Supplying Supermarkets |
Spalding |
Lincolnshire |
|
2 |
John Woodward and Marg Randles |
Busy Bees |
Provision of early years services |
Burntwood |
Staffordshire |
|
3 |
Simon Fishel |
Care Fertility Holdings Ltd |
Fertility and IVF service |
Nottingham |
Nottinghamshire |
|
4 |
Matthew Hayes |
Champions (UK) plc |
Champions (UK) plc is a creative brand agency with a difference. We are a new agency for a new marketplace, responding to the challenges of a brave new world. |
Costock |
Nottinghamshire |
|
5 |
Steve Dixon |
Changes UK |
Changes UK Community Interest Company (CIC) provides a range of holistic services for people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, including detox, rehab, supported housing, volunteering opportunities, training and employment. |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
6 |
William Chase |
Chase Distillery Limited |
The manufacture of potato vodka and other beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for sale to uk customers. |
Preston Wynne |
Herefordshire |
|
7 |
Paul Alekna |
eResponse Group |
Specialist recruitment, training and workforce solutions business operating from eight centres across the Midlands |
Redditch |
Worcestershire |
|
8 |
Geoff Love |
Esendex |
Esendex is the UK’s leading supplier of intelligent multichannel mobile messaging for businesses and is targeting being Europe’s #1. |
Nottingham |
Nottinghamshire |
|
9 |
Adrian Ryan |
FLYDocs |
Aircraft records and data management |
Tamworth |
Staffordshire |
|
10 |
Paul Cadman |
Futura Group |
Automotive designer and manufacturer supplying the likes of Bentley and Jaguar Land Rover |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
11 |
Dino (Constantinos) Kyriacou |
G&P Group Holdings Ltd |
Global Quality Management Service Providers |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
12 |
Neil Male |
GMS Security Services Ltd |
GMS Security Services Ltd provides nationwide security services to a wide and varied client base. Services include manned guarding, security guards, canine / guard dog security, close protection security, key holding response etc. |
Bromsgrove |
Warwickshire |
|
13 |
Mark Jones and Jeremy Taylor |
Green Frog Power |
Power generation, provides National Grid and others with back up reserve power on demand |
Coleshill |
Warwickshire |
|
14 |
Sarah-Aime (Sarah) Gill |
Gro Organic C.I.C |
Urban Regeneration, Community Skill Development & Garden Design & Landscaping Services |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
15 |
Neil Bacon |
iWGC |
iWantGreatCare, also known as the Tripadvisor for Health, is both a healthcare ratings and reviews service for the public and a commercial data business that works directly with healthcare providers. |
Finstock |
Oxfordshire |
|
16 |
Harbans Kalsi |
Kalsi Plastics |
Manufacturer of maintainance free building plastics |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
17 |
Colin Cole |
Lioncourt Homes |
Property developer |
Worcester |
Worcestershire |
|
18 |
Pravin Majithia |
M.P.K. Garages Ltd. |
Fuel retailing through a network of filling stations |
West Mansfield |
Nottinghamshire |
|
19 |
Gareth Hughes |
Marston Holdings (Marston) |
Marston Holdings (Marston) is the UK’s largest judicial services Group. We work on behalf of central government, local government and private creditors, to recover debts owed to them. |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
20 |
Rosie Ginday |
Miss Macaroon |
Miss Macaroon produces premium gluten free French macaroons reinvesting the profits in providing training and employment opportunities for unemployed young people. |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
21 |
Mick Parsons |
NSL Automotive Components |
Remanufacturer of Steering Racks |
Coventry |
Coventry |
|
22 |
Alan Hardy |
Paragon Interiors Group PLC |
Paragon Interiors specialises in the design, build and fit-out of inspiring and environmentally sustainable commercial office interiors thereby enabling clients to optimise the value and return on their property asset. |
Nottingham |
Nottinghamshire |
|
23 |
Michael Bruce |
Purplebricks |
Estate agency combining the human face of the traditional estate agent with technology. |
Solihull |
Birmingham |
|
24 |
Shalin Mehra |
Rodericks Dental Ltd |
Group of dental practices |
Northampton |
Northamptonshire |
|
25 |
Ben (Benjamin) Maughan |
SHEco Ltd |
Installatioon and maintenance of special purpose machinery for the motor industry |
Tipton |
Sandwell |
|
26 |
Paul Lalli |
Solid Systems Global Ltd |
Global Enterprise Level Support & Service |
Derby |
Derbyshire |
|
27 |
John and Heather Penn |
SSE Audio Group |
Engages in renting out, selling and installing audio equipment and ancilliary services for the live event industry |
Redditch |
Worcestershire |
|
28 |
Marc Wileman |
Sublime Science Ltd |
Our mission is to make science awesome for 1 million children. The Award-Winning Sublime Science Party is the most popular party in the UK with slime and fizzing potions. |
Leicester |
Leicestershire |
|
29 |
Brian Donnelly |
Synapse Information |
Spreadsheet consolidation service provider |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
30 |
Alan Lusty |
Systems adi Group |
Turnkey Engineering Solutions, specialises in supporting the manufacturing sector in the UK & Ireland. |
Birmingham |
Birmingham |
|
31 |
Peter Sephton |
The Parts Alliance Group |
The Group comprises 9 owned companies that, with 5 associate companies, forms the UK and Ireland’s largest group of wholly owned and franchised businesses supplying OE and matching quality autoparts to national and independent garages and workshops. |
Solihull |
Birmingham |
|
32 |
Kevin Caley |
Business Loan Network (Thin Cats) |
ThinCats.com peer to peer business lending platform |
Tamworth |
Staffordshire |
|
33 |
Graham and Jennifer Wynn |
TTC Group |
Provides learning and development services working with public and private sector clients to improve personal and professional knowledge, accountability and responsibility in UK |
Telford |
Shropshire |
|
34 |
Andrew Wilson and Carolyne Vale |
Wilson Vale |
Wilson Vale is an independent catering company with a portfolio of 85 clients, mainly within business and industry, independent schools and the conference venue sector. |
Ashby De La Zouch |
Leicestershire |
This year’s Midlands region judges are:
1. Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham, Chair of Judges and international businessman and cross bench peer in the House of Lords.
2. Tracy Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Wacoal Europe
3. Jim McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer of Poundland
4. Melanie Mills, Director of Big Society Capital
5. Jonathan Halford, Chairman of RTP
6. Tim Whittard, Investment Director of Business Growth Fund
7. Nick Brayshaw, Chairman of Stadium Group
8. Simon Ward, Chief Executive Officer of Inspired Thinking Group
9. Ian Lister, Chief Executive of Greenray
10. Phil Hodgkinson, Global Director of Jaguar Land Rover
11. Ninder Johal, President of Black Country Chamber of Commerce
12. Sharon Redrobe, Chief Executive Officer at Tycross Zoo.
