DavyMarkham triumphs as Sheffield celebrates its business success
ENGINEERING company DavyMarkham was the big winner at last night’s Sheffield Business Awards.
The heavy engineering group with turnover of £20m which was bought by Yorkshire private equity and turnaround fund Endless in 2007, won the title of Barclays Commercial Bank Outstanding Business of the Year and its managing director, Kevin Parkin, was named Rensburg Sheppards Business Person of the Year.
The firm also received the Creative Sheffield, Sheffield Champion Award for its work in promoting the city’s manufacturing history and for producing world class products.
The company specialises in making cutters for tunnelling and has worked on a giant 320 tonne, 12.4m diameter unit for China’s biggest tunnelling project, a 10m diameter cutterhead for burrowing beneath India’s largest tiger sanctuary, and a 12.5m diameter fabrication for the Niagara Falls hydroelectric project.
Last night’s event, which was organised by Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and compered by TV presenter Paul Ross, saw armour-plating maker MTL Group win the UK Trade & Investment Excellence in International Trade Award and the Wake Smith Excellence in Manufacturing Award while Zoo Digital Group was presented with the Business Link Yorkshire Creative & Digital Industries Award.
The Irwin Mitchell Excellence in Customer Service Award was won by Sheffield International Venues while Sheffield United won two awards, for excellence in sports services and its community work through the United Initiative.
Andrew Seaton, who set up Resolve IT Solutions in 2004, was named Sheffield Hallam University Young Business Person of the Year after doubling his turnover in the last year.
Insight Direct UK, an IT products firm, Specsavers Opticians @ Crystal Peaks, AG Wind Power, Kitlocker.com – which sells personalised sports kits – and the Office Friendly Dealer Association also picked up prizes.
