Awards honour Yorkshire entrepreneurs
THREE Yorkshire business people were honoured at the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards for the North and Midlands last night.
Larry Gould, chairman and chief executive of translation and interpretation firm thebigword picked up the professional and support services award after developing the business into a multi-million pound enterprise in the last decade.
He told TheBusinessDesk.com that his Leeds-based company had grown 35% in the last year and would turn over more than £40m this year.
He said of his award: “I am absolutely thrilled to win this. Our business has absolutely exploded and continues to do so. As companies’ business contracts in the domestic market they are looking overseas and they are using the web to talk toothier customers in new locations, which is where we come in. I believe we’re in a mini dot-com boom.”
Paul Rose, chief executive of Rixonway Kitchens, won in the manufacturing category. The company has seen revenue grow from £19m to £29m in the last three years.
He said: “We have developed a really good team and you can’t do anything without that. We have been very successful in our market and to do that it’s about customer focus – making sure you give the customer what he wants when he wants it.”
The innovation award was presented to Jonathan Short, from Doncaster-based ECO Plastics which has become one of the country’s leading plastic recycling firms.
Stuart Watson, leading partner for the entrepreneur of the year programme at Ernst & Young in Yorkshire, said: “At a time when entrepreuners are really feeling the pressure of a difficult economic situation, it’s important to celebrate those who have triumphed regardless through their unique vision and determination to succeed.
“We’ve had a diverse range of sectors entering the awards again this year and it’s a great result to see businesses in Yorkshire winning against tough competition.”
The winners will be entered into the competition’s UK final in October.
